It's official - York leads the UK when it comes to quality management systems.

Partners Design has become the first design consultancy in the UK to pass The Design Mark, a stringent independent quality assessment and is challenging others to do the same.

The Design Mark is a quality standard that scrutinises all elements of the organisation from business planning and financial systems to client satisfaction and customer service.

The standard was created to provide an industry benchmark to ensure clients receive a professional, high quality service.

Alison Storrie, design account director, said, "We've always prided ourselves on our creativity and this now demonstrates that our business and admin systems enable us to provide the professional service to match."

Hugh Venables, Partners Group managing director, said, "The PR side of the business passed the respected Consultancy Management Standard (CMS) as part of its membership of the Public Relations Consultancy Association (PRCA) last year but no similar standard existed for design companies.

"In effect, we teamed up with an independent assessor who put the design company through its paces. The assessment has proved that as well as being creative and effective with the design solutions it provides to its clients, Partners Design Ltd is also a well-managed and professional business entity.

"We are now challenging other design agencies to follow our lead. This is an industry first and a step forward in making the sector more accountable and professional."

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