SOP 5.5 — Enquiry to Handover¶
Where this procedure sits in the system
How this procedure links into the rest of the IMS.
- Policy commitment it delivers: POL_HSQE_20 Quality Policy Statement
- Records and registers that evidence it: APP_11 Register of HSQE Objectives and KPIs · APP_19 Approved Supplier Register
- Clause coverage: APP_02 Clause Application Map & Applicable Standards maps this procedure to the ISO clauses it satisfies
- Audit coverage: APP_20 Internal Audits Programme · findings to APP_21 Non-Conformance & Corrective Action Register
| Document Reference | Issue Number | Issue Date | Next Review | Approved By | Controlled By |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOP_5.5 | 1 | 08/09/2026 | 08/09/2027 | Aaron Mason, Director | Aaron / Leanne Mason · Sean Ashton |
ISO 9001:2015 Clauses 8.2, 8.5.2, 8.5.3, 8.5.5 and 8.6 — requirements for services, identification and traceability, customer property, post-delivery activities, and release of services.
Why this procedure exists
AMWS has always run work from enquiry through to invoice, but had no written description of how. SOP 5.1 covers RAMS, SOP 5.2 covers change, SOP 5.3 covers suppliers, SOP 7.1 covers things going wrong and SOP 2.1 covers the customer relationship. Nothing joined them into the delivery sequence, and five ISO 9001 clause 8 requirements had no home.
This procedure describes what already happens, and names the records that already exist. It does not introduce new steps.
Procedure overview¶
A M Water Services delivers water utility installation, repair and maintenance, reinstatement and grab services under framework arrangements and by direct instruction. Every job runs through the same seven stages: enquiry → review and acceptance → mobilisation → service provision → release and handover → invoicing → post-delivery.
Work is not accepted until the requirements are understood and AMWS is satisfied it can meet them. Work is not released to the client until the completion records are in place. The job reference ties the records together.
Stage 1 · Enquiry¶
Enquiries arrive by framework instruction, client portal, telephone or email. Grab hire is typically a direct instruction. Enquiries are received by a Director or the admin team and passed to the Managing Director.
Every enquiry is logged with its source, the client, the location and what has been asked for.
Stage 2 · Review of requirements before acceptance (Clause 8.2)¶
Work is not accepted until this review is complete. The Managing Director, with the Site Supervisor where the work is operational, confirms:
| Check | What is being confirmed |
|---|---|
| Scope | What is being asked for is understood and unambiguous, including anything the client has stated and anything not stated but necessary for the work |
| Capability | AMWS holds the competence, plant, materials and people to deliver it — competence verified through ComplianceTrack |
| Statutory and regulatory | NRSWA permits and notices, Section 50 licence, traffic management, water quality requirements, CDM role and whether F10 notification applies |
| Client-specific requirements | Framework terms, water company standards, approved-materials lists, reporting requirements |
| Programme and price | Deliverable in the time asked, at a price that does not compromise the method |
| Anything AMWS cannot meet | Raised and resolved with the client before acceptance, not afterwards |
The outcome is recorded against the job. Where a requirement changes after acceptance, the change is agreed with the client and the affected documents are amended. Where the change affects HSQE performance, it is handled under SOP 5.2 Management of Change (Clause 8.2.4).
Stage 3 · Mobilisation¶
| Activity | Reference |
|---|---|
| Job reference allocated — the thread for every record that follows | This procedure, Stage 6 |
| Task-specific RAMS produced, approved and briefed; PowRA on arrival | SOP 5.1 |
| Permits issued where the work requires one — excavation, hot work, confined space | FORM_PTW_01 |
| Underground services located — CAT scan and service plans; NUAR as it is mandated | POL_HSQE_06 |
| Traffic management and street works notices arranged | APP_10 L22–L25 |
| Materials ordered from the approved list; WRAS-approved products only | SOP 5.3 · APP_19 |
| Operative competence confirmed for the tasks allocated | APP_13 |
| Welfare arrangements confirmed with the client or principal contractor | POL_HSQE_26 |
| Plant and equipment fit for use — inspection and calibration in date | APP_14 |
Stage 4 · Service provision¶
Work proceeds to the approved RAMS under the supervision of the Site Supervisor. Daily worksheets record what was done, by whom, and any change of condition. Waste leaves site under a transfer note to a licensed carrier (SOP 9.4).
Where the work does not conform (inspection or test failure, process or compliance failure, service fault) it is raised as a non-conformance under SOP 7.1 (Clause 8.7) and not passed on.
Stage 5 · Identification, traceability and customer property¶
Traceability (Clause 8.5.2)¶
Every job carries a job reference, and these records are filed against it:
- Daily worksheets and the approved RAMS
- Product compliance certificates — WRAS approvals, CE / UKCA marking, and material batch details for pipe and fittings
- Chlorination records and bacteriological sample results
- Pressure test records
- As-built drawings showing what was installed
- Installation compliance certificate, signed by a competent person
- Reinstatement record and any highway authority correspondence
- Waste transfer notes
These are the records already named in POL_HSQE_28. This procedure states that the job reference is what ties them together and where they are filed.
Property belonging to the customer or an external provider (Clause 8.5.3)¶
Client-supplied materials, hired plant and the client's own asset are checked on receipt, identified, and used only for the purpose supplied. Loss or damage is reported to the client at the time and recorded.
Hired plant remains the hire company's property; its examination certificates stay with the hire company and AMWS does not extend its own certification to it. See SOP 8.6.
Stage 6 · Release and handover (Clause 8.6)¶
The job is not released to the client until every one of these is complete. Confirmed and signed off by the Site Supervisor:
- [ ] Works complete to the agreed scope and specification
- [ ] Test records complete and passed — pressure test, chlorination, bacteriological samples where applicable
- [ ] Reinstatement complete to the Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways
- [ ] Permits closed out
- [ ] As-built records and the installation compliance certificate issued
- [ ] Site cleared, waste removed under transfer note, plant off-hired
- [ ] Any non-conformance raised during the works closed under SOP 7.1
Where any item is outstanding, the job is not handed over until it is resolved or the client has accepted it in writing.
Stage 7 · Invoicing¶
Invoicing follows handover and is raised against the accepted scope plus any variations agreed under Stage 2. Where a client applies its own valuation or application-for-payment process, that process governs. Invoicing queries that indicate a service failure are routed to SOP 7.1 rather than handled as a purely commercial matter.
Stage 8 · Post-delivery (Clause 8.5.5)¶
AMWS's obligations continue after handover.
Reinstatement guarantee. Street works reinstatements carry a guarantee period under the Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways, commonly two years and extended for deeper excavations. The period applicable to each scheme is confirmed with the highway authority. Defects notified within the guarantee period are attended, remedied and recorded against the original job reference.
Defect call-back and warranty. Defects reported on installed works are investigated, remedied where AMWS is responsible, and raised as a non-conformance under SOP 7.1 so the cause is understood.
Feedback. Post-completion feedback is captured and analysed under SOP 2.1 and reported at Management Review.
Records¶
| Record | Held by | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiry log and acceptance review | Directors / admin | Per SOP 4.7 |
| Job file — worksheets, RAMS, permits, test and compliance records, as-builts | Site Supervisor / admin | Per SOP 4.7, and for the duration of the guarantee period as a minimum |
| Handover sign-off | Site Supervisor | Per SOP 4.7 |
| Post-delivery defect records | Directors | Against the original job reference |
Responsibilities¶
| Who | What |
|---|---|
| Aaron Mason (Managing Director) | Reviews and accepts enquiries; confirms capability and price; owns the client relationship |
| Leanne Mason (Director) | Enquiry logging, purchase orders, job files, invoicing, record retention |
| Jason May (Site Supervisor) | Mobilisation, supervision, worksheets, test records, permit close-out, handover sign-off |
| Sean Ashton (HSQE Consultant) | RAMS production, procedure currency, audit of this process |
Related documents¶
- SOP 2.1 — Customer Focus & Satisfaction
- SOP 5.1 — Production, Issue & Briefing of RAMS
- SOP 5.2 — Management of Change
- SOP 5.3 — Evaluation and Approval of Suppliers & Subcontractors
- SOP 7.1 — Customer Complaints, Control of NCR & Corrective Action
- SOP 4.7 — Control of Records
- POL_HSQE_28 — Building Safety Act Compliance
- APP_10 — Legal & Compliance Register
- APP_02 — Clause Application Map
This document forms part of A M Water Services Limited's Integrated Management System. Paper copies are uncontrolled when printed.