How Ripple’s ISO Standards Enhance Retail Delivery

Considering how fast-paced the industry is, there aren’t many moments in design agency land where you pause to reflect on achievements. But this caused for one of them.

Ripple Group has achieved triple ISO accreditation (ISO9001 for Quality Management, ISO45001 for Health & Safety, and ISO14001 for Environmental Management). And while the certificates now hang proudly in our office, what really matters is what sits behind them: a culture built on care, rigour, and strategic growth. 

I’ve seen this business evolve from a small, family-led unit to a growing organisation with complex projects and big ambitions. But through every change, the ethos has stayed the same: do things properly, treat people well and build trust that lasts. 

What Triple ISO Means for Our Clients

These accreditations aren’t about internal systems for the sake of it. They exist to create confidence in the way we work, the spaces we deliver, and the partnerships we build.

• ISO9001 – Quality Management gives confidence that we’re consistent, precise, and accountable, from design sketches to final installation.
  
• ISO45001 – Health & Safety reassures partners that we look out for our people and other stakeholders through thoughtful planning and minimising risk as best we can.
  
• ISO14001 – Environmental Management reflects our commitment to do better with resources, materials, and impact, be it minimising waste or choosing more responsible suppliers.

Together, these accreditations mean we can now confidently meet the expectations of larger, more complex organisations, including those with specific procurement or sustainability criteria. For our existing clients, it simply strengthens what they already rely on us for.

The Process

It wasn’t as easy as ticking a few boxes (if only!). The reality was months of work across every part of the business. 

We have multiple accreditations and we’ve always valued structure, so we were lucky to have the majority of things required documented. Yet it still offered us an opportunity to challenge ourselves and sharpen our systems.

A lot of this came down to communication, and we’re lucky in that sense. Since 2017, we’ve been holding annual 360 questionnaires and interviews with team members. We’ve also had independent team reviews as part of our Investors In People Platinum accreditation. Gathering honest, impartial feedback has helped us refine our processes and offered regular reflection points.

Our offices sit just a few steps from our manufacturing shop floor. Conversations happen as and when they’re needed, and challenges are solved side by side. It keeps projects moving, and it means fewer gaps for things to fall through. We’re also open with the team on the financials because we know trust is a two-way street. It’s these initiatives that make people feel involved and respected.

A Foundation for What’s Next

Some of our client relationships have spanned 35+ years, and I think that says a lot about who we are. Yes, we’re growing and adapting, but we’re doing it in a way that honours the foundations we were built on. The business might look a little different with larger projects and a broader client base, but the relationships still sit at the heart of everything we do. 

We don’t take that lightly. These accreditations help us protect and enhance those relationships, while giving us the credibility to build new ones. In a way, it shows the outside world what we’ve always stood for on the inside. 

And it’s not an endpoint! These standards now formalise what we do and help us scale without losing the things that make Ripple, Ripple. More importantly, they give our clients even greater confidence that we’ll keep communicating clearly, managing responsibly, and delivering what was promised - no compromises.

A Final Word of Thanks

To our team:  thank you. Achieving triple ISO accreditation isn’t just about paperwork and audits, but mindset. And you’ve all shown that in spades.

To our clients: thank you for trusting us. Whether you’ve been with us for decades or you’re more recent. We don’t take it for granted. 

Ripple’s always been about crafting better experiences, not just for the end customer, but for the people we work with every day. This moment is proof of that. But it’s also just the beginning.