Get to know your audit team: Anthea Duke

What is your role at NCSI?  

I am the client manager for a number of major clients assisting them to achieve and maintain certification to a range of management system standards.. I am formally recognised as a Lead Auditor for Quality, ISO 9001:2008,  Market Reseach, ISO 20252 and  I will also be a Lead Auditor in Online Panel Management,  ISO 26362  in the next month or so..  

How is auditing Market Research different to other business services?

It is an extremely dynamic and interesting professional services industry that I have  great familiarity with, having worked within the industry prior to joining NCSI. The ISO20252 Standard has been  specifically developed for the Market Research Industry and addresses key industry requirements whereas ISO 9001:2008 is more generic in nature and can be applied to any business sector.  

What do you enjoy most about Market Research?

I enjoy working in an industry I know well, seeing the creativity applied to project methodologies and find the statistical analysis components especially interesting. I also like the flexibility of the ISO 20252 Standard as it follows the work flow of any market research organisation which makes it easier to implement, whether it be a full service provider or part thereof.  

What issues do you usually find in Market Research organisations?

Market Research companies are dynamic and often experience change. Sometimes the way a management system is put in place makes it difficult to match the need for flexibility with the requirement to document the necessary processes and procedures.  It is not uncommon during an audit to find that while systems are more or less evident that formal documentation to a level that controls the key risks of the organisation and meets the requirements of the standard are not in place.

How could they better tackle these issues?

We have found that organisations who take the time up front to understand the standard and to understand how it will be used to help their business to deliver continual improvements and increased efficiencies that align with the broader corporate objectives have the most successful management systems and outcomes.for their organisation. This generally involves  tailoring the management system to the specific functions, values and organisational needs. No standard should be there to make hard work for the staff and employees.  Standards simply state what procedures, records and outcomes must be in place and sought.  The way in which an organisation achieves this, should be in the most effective way, for that organisation!  Quite often organisations do great things, which they do not see as part of a management system, however these great things are the very essence of the outcomes sought by any Standard.   

What is coming up in this industry that organisations could look out for?

This changes all the time and your auditor will always be able to keep you up to date At the moment there is an  update to ISO 20252  being processed and probably the biggest area of interest in is in organisations committing to certification against the new Online Panel Management  standard ISO 26362 and/or the AMSRO Gold Standard.  I have just been trained in ISO 26362 and NCSI has geared up to be able to deliver against this standard for our clients.


If you could take three things on a dessert island what would they be?

My three daughters (please can I take four, my husband also!), oh and some matches, a great tent, a water tank... you really shouldn’t have asked an auditor this question!!!!