RISQS New Portal
We have compiled a list of FAQs that have been sent into us. If your question isn’t answered here, please submit it via our contact form.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Q: I am unable to login to my portal, so I can’t check my current RICCLs. Who do I contact?A: Please contact our customer service team ASAP on 0800 410 1300 option 1 or via info@risqs.org. They will be able to assist.
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Q: How do I access the new portal? Will it be in the same place as the current portal?A: Yes, the portal will become available again at https://portal.risqs.org/, or you can use the login button from the https://www.risqs.org/ website.
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Q: Will my log-in details be the same?A: Yes. All logins will remain the same and continue to work for the new portal.
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Q: What are the benefits of the new portal?
A: With respect to suppliers, the platform has been updated to allow innovation and change and to adapt to the changing nature of the industry. It has resolved many historic bugs and now includes many new features. The new portal will also allow us to make future changes to enhance the auditing process, and it encourages innovation within the supply chain.
With respect to buyers, the platform is now a Qualifying Utilities Dynamic Market and will allow use as such, as well as an assurance tool. We are now able to make faster changes in reaction to rising issues and will include standard and bespoke reporting for you. One such new feature will allow you to see limitations and mitigate risk appropriately.
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Q: Will there be any price increase with the new portal being implemented?A: No, there is no price increase for our suppliers or buyers. We will continue to invest in the portal and in supporting products for the industry to improve.
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Q: Will there be any tutorials to help navigate the new portal?A: Yes, we will have a webinar on 7 August to demo the new platform. There will also be how-to guides and videos on the portal to support new features. We will also update this page with new FAQs as we receive them.
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Q: Should I have technical issues with the new portal, how do I report/resolve this?A: Please contact our customer service team on 0800 410 1300 option 1 or via info@risqs.org. They will be able to assist.
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Q: How can I download an audit report?A: Please see the ‘Resources’ page, where we have prepared a how-to guide. To view this page, log in to the new portal, use the blue menu on the left-hand side, and click ‘Resources’.
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Q: How do I update or amend my Audit Contact?A: Please see the ‘Resources’ page, where we have prepared a how-to guide. To view this page, log in to the new portal, use the blue menu on the left-hand side, and click ‘Resources’.
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Q: How do I add or remove a RICCL code?A: Please see the ‘Resources’ page, where we have prepared a how-to guide. To view this page, log in to the new portal, use the blue menu on the left-hand side, and click ‘Resources’.
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Q: How do I download a certificate?A: Please see the ‘Resources’ page, where we have prepared a how-to guide. To view this page, log in to the new portal, use the blue menu on the left-hand side, and click ‘Resources’.
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Q: Will there be any training available to suppliers?A: Within the portal, we have created how-to guides and videos to go alongside the upcoming webinar on 7 August. If there is a particular area you need assistance with, please contact us, and we will endeavour to assist.
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Q: Will the new RISQS Portal Question Set be pre-populated with the responses from our previous similar question set?A: When we first transfer your details, the answers and evidence will transfer over. However, when we publish the new questions, you will have to enter the new answers.
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Q: Is the new portal sub section ‘Supplier Lists’ the same as the ‘My Suppliers’ on the previous portal?A: Supplier Lists are a tool for buyers, and we have made some upgrades to the alerts and activity log on a supplier profile. My Suppliers for supplier patrons are the same.
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Q: Can we upload new certificates which have expired today?A: You can upload as soon as the portal goes live.
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Q: Will the existing SSQ be transferred to the new portal from the old?A: When we first transfer your details, the answers and evidence will transfer over. However, when we publish the new questions, you will have to enter the new answers.
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Q: Did they make the upload of documents easier, and did they remove the old documents?A: Documents are uploaded on the 'My Documents' page where you can manage and delete the documents you no longer require.
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Q: What are the new mandatory questions about?A: They are about Persons of Significant Control and the company.
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Q: If I am a supplier, can I see the feedback that has been provided by Buyers?A: Feedback will be displayed to buyer users only. Should feedback result in a limitation you will be informed via email.
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Q: It has been mentioned that tendering will be via this portal? Can this be explained further please?A: Buyers do, and will, use the portal for a call or expression of interest, as they are calling from their Qualifying Utilities Dynamic Market. However, they may still require that you are in their Dynamic Procurement System to either procure or contract.
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Q: I understanding existing information will transfer over to the new portal however will it highlight anything that we need to amend or add to?A: When we first transfer your details, the answers and evidence will transfer over. However, when we publish the new questions, you will have to enter the new answers.
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Q: Could you repeat where the document tab, your audit tab, and your subscription tab is on the new portal please?A: This is on the tuitional which can be viewed here.
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Q: What is the date when we can make any changes (add/delete/update) to our product codes?A: From 12 August 2024 after you have checked and are satisfied that your data is correct.
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Q: Can we upload an excel file to update our RISQS supplier list?A: Not at this time.
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Q: Our insurance is due to expire next week but we haven't been issued with the new insurance certificates yet. With today being the last day to submit any outstanding requirements, how will this affect our profile if we submit the new insurance certificates after the new portal has been launched?A: The platform will be available from 12 August 2024 and new certificates can be uploaded from then.
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Q: Are we able to filter the supplier RICCL code by location to see if the supplier is present in desired location?A: You can filter by location for RICCL codes within the location tab of an advanced search for buyer memberships.
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Q: Can we see which Buyers use the system to manage their suppliers?A: There is a list of Buyers on our website which you can view here.
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Q: Why do I sometimes find that insurances have expired?A: Your insurance is dependent on the date of your insurance and not necessarily the date of your membership or audit.
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Q: Are there ways than we can check who has viewed our supplier profile?A: When a Buyer logs on it immediately searches for all Suppliers and creates an active Buyer list which is officially a search. As the Buyer then refines the search by tender criteria it searches again. This would show irrelevant searches and therefore it would not be appropriate for us to tell you that you have been viewed.
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Q: Are we able to see which Buyers have searched our profile, for RICCL codes or compliance, so we can respond or contact them?A: When a Buyer logs on it immediately searches for all Suppliers and creates an active Buyer list which is officially a search. As the Buyer then refines the search by tender criteria it searches again. This would show irrelevant searches and therefore it would not be appropriate for us to tell you that you have been viewed.
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Q: Will the new portal provide detailed plain English information on all RICCL codes to be able to fully understand the classification?A: We have been asked about this recently and we have passed the request on to RSSB. If they do not wish to do that for the wider industry, we will start a project for RISQS Buyers and Suppliers.
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Q: We have recently renewed the registration and are in the process of completion of requirements section/questions. Will there be any problem for us to complete the same once the portal goes live from 15th of August?A: It should have transferred all your entries to date. If there is a problem, please contact us.
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Q: Our insurance expires on 14 August - I don’t have our new certificates yet. Can these be loaded once I have them?A: The platform will be available from 12 August 2024 and new certificates can be uploaded from then.
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Q: Your RISQS Team are advising that we should continue uploading docs to the old portal and this contradicts your emails advising not to. We have certs (insurances) that expire in your downtime, and we don't receive the new ones until just before expiry. Does this mean we go non-compliant by default because your portal is down, and we cannot upload?A: The platform will be available from 12 August 2024 and new certificates can be uploaded from then.
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Q: Does the limitations just detail what RICCL codes are no longer available?A: Limitations detail RICCL codes or Modules effected with a description and expiry date.
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Q: If a buyer undertakes a search on a supplier, could the supplier be notified?A: You will only be informed of a search if the buyer chooses to inform suppliers that were excluded from the search.
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Q: Regarding the policy and procedure documents that require updating, which are due in 9 days for us, and we have 34 of these to be done. We understand from your presentation and Q&A's that we can either get this done today or after the update/release of the new port. However, if we do wait will this not invalidate our RISQS and if we do it now, will we have to seek support from the team?A: The platform will be available from 12 August 2024 and new certificates can be uploaded from then.
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Q: Are there any plans of linking the information we provide in the RISQS portal to profiles we have with other clients (outside rail) who use the Altius platform?A: We are hoping all of us will link via the Government Central Register in development.
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Q: Will the Financials Section be linked to a recognised platform (DnB etc.)?A: The financial scoring is linked to company watch.
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Q: Is there any way to download all the questions just in case they don't transfer over?A: Not at this time.
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Q: If the maturity model is based on subjective opinions of auditors, and suppliers scored based on these decisions, then it is no different to the star rating system that didn’t work in the past?A: There will be specific criteria appearing overtime as well as repetitively delivering a good result that makes it entirely different from benchmarking. The idea is to show areas for improvement as well as good practice.
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Q: Can I add more than one portal user in my company?A: You can select a main user for your account to receive all essential communications. You can then set up additional users by clicking the person icon in the top right hand corner of your login and selecting 'Your Users'.
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Q: Can you repeat where the tabs are on the new platform for, my documents, your audit and your subscription please?A: You will be able to see where everything is once you log on to the portal and view the ‘How To’ videos.
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Q: Will we be able to select multiple RICCL codes?A: For buyer searches you can select multiple RICCL codes.
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Q: We are RISQS accredited, but we have not actually done any rail work this year. Will that affect our audit in January?
A: Having delivered rail work is not essential for achieving a pass at audit. The audit team may take evidence being delivered in other sectors subject to the evidence being cross transferable. Where there isn’t evidence available, an empty system audit will be undertaken where the auditor will just consider the procedures that are in place.
Please note, there are still evidence requirements in the protocol that need to be in place even where there is an absence of rail work (i.e.: having signed job descriptions in place for positions that are held for future rail projects).
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Q: During an audit we are required to present evidence we have already submitted and therefore been verified against within the portal. Will this duplication be removed, and will the cost of the audits be reduced accordingly?
A: This was covered as part of our presentations during the 2024 roadshow series where we demonstrated how the requirements in the compliance differ from the requirements in the audit.
Whilst we have removed as much duplication as possible, we are now in a position where we cannot remove any more unless Regulations and Infrastructure Manager standard requirements change.As an example, insurance is checked at verification stage due to the Procurement Regulation requirement. The team will check that the insurances are linked to the registered company, they meet the legal requirement and is from a reputable broker. At audit, the audit team will check that the insurances adequately cover the actual services being provided looking back at the projects delivered in the past 12 months and looking forward to the next 12 months.
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Q: Is there an update on the proposed new Protocols (Road and Sustainability I think?)
A: We are in process of building a marketing pack that supplements the protocols. Once ready the protocols will be released at the same time.
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Q: What is used to determine the maturity index?
A: In phase 1 the current scoring method will determine the maturity status (i.e., in year 1 - no minors or majors will be awarded a standardised result, no majors and up to five minors will receive a managed result, and 1 major or 6 and above minors will receive an ad-hoc result).
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Q: Please can you further explain what you mean by Limitations?
A: Limitations is a process of limiting a supplier’s capability in an area of significant risk without having to suspend services that are fully compliant.
This process also provides the Buyers an opportunity to put in place mitigation measures that enables the safe continuation of work. All limitations will be passed to the Scheme Manager for decision which in turn will be subject to audit from an external auditor.
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Q: Can we get a maturity rating based on an audit that took place in June?
A: No – the maturity status is not being backdated; it will be introduced to all audits.
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Q: We heard about Buyer contact details being available, does this leave buyers exposed to spam emails etc...?
A: Suppliers are not being given access to buyer details.
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Q: Can a buyer filter suppliers based on their maturity score?
A: There will be search criteria added to the system linked to the maturity scoring. However, this will be used to review a supplier’s capabilities and not used as a method of scoring or awarding work to suppliers.
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Q: As minor non-conformances will negatively affect the maturity score, will there be greater rigour in auditor competence?
A: We deliver training and licensing throughout the year. Our auditors are all compared against each other, and we are creating new methodologies to gain further standardisation. We find that the improvements in training and existing standardisation are already showing results.
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Q: Will the maturity graph allow us to compare 2 or more suppliers by overlapping the graph?
A: Maturity is a method for Suppliers to improve themselves, as no two Suppliers are the same. It would be inappropriate to score or compare them at Maturity, so we will be publishing a 'collective' average to inform industry how to improve.
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Q: Will there be any link between the non-conformity / failed audit list and the upcoming new Government Debarment List under the new regulations?
A: No, the debarment List is owned by the Government.
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Q: Will the new RISQS platform be linked to Contracts Finder/Central Digital Platform?
A: We are hoping to link to the Central Register which should in turn link to others. However, we are not quite sure how this will work and so we are waiting for Government clarification.
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Q: I believe there are some planned training/workshops for Network Rail for using the new portal in relation to Dynamic Markets under the new regulations - are there also any planned sessions for individual or groups of TOCs?
A: Any Buyer can request training and we will arrange it directly or in groups. Please contact us to discuss further.
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Q: How does the new RISQS portal compare the government's Central Digital Platform for suppliers for the Procurement Act 2023?
A: The central Government Register only collects the mandatory questions at this time.
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Q: Could you remind us what QUDM is the acronym for please?
A: Qualifying Utilities Dynamic Market.
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Q: Can you explain benchmarking and how this is useful?
A: We will be looking to replace benchmarking with the maturity model. The maturity model will be there for the supplier’s benefit, enabling a supplier to see which areas they need to focus on in order of improving their management system and its output capabilities.
The buyers will also be able to see supplier’s results so that they can either assist with improvements or put in place mitigation measures to ensure services are not impacted by lower scoring areas. The process is all about improving together.
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Q: Will the benchmark method be visible on the portal?
A: The maturity model will be visible on your portal and buyers will be able to see the scoring.
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Q: Are auditors still looking for 20% unannounced D&A testing of the total number of Sentinel holders, regardless of whether they are working on Network Rail (PTS) or LUL (WSI)? The LUL rules still state 5%.
A: It will be 5% for LUL contracted staff, but the supplier will need to demonstrate that they are not undertaking works on the mainline infrastructure.
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Q: Will the coding on the new system be in line with CPV coding?
A: As part of our RICCL review (not technical by RSSB) we are mapping to CPV wherever possible.
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Q: Will the RICCL Codes remain the same when transferred over to the new portal?
A: At first yes, when they get republished, we will communicate this to scheme members.
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Q: Is the new mandatory question that has been set something that needs to be done annually?
A: Yes, compliance questions are an annual requirement.
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Q: I need to be able to change some of our Company Details and attach new documents. I have just taken over as Compliance Manager, one of the items that need replacing is locked by a colleague who is on annual leave, how can this be changed?
A: For any similar problems please contact us here and we’ll be happy to help.
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Q: Is there a way to confirm all our recent RICCL code updates were transferred over?
A: Please email scheme.manager@risqs.org and we will take a look at your specific case.
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Q: The current list of RICCL codes seems extensive with several overlapping codes that could be argued are duplications. Is there a plan in place for a rationalisation of RICCL codes?
A: "RICCL” stands for Railway Industry Commodity Classification List. This is a flexible list that contains all the commodities (equipment, materials and services) that are purchased for the railway. Suppliers on the portal will have selected the RICCL codes relevant to the products and services they wish to supply.
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Q: Where can I download the RICCL codes?
A: Via the RSSB website here.
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Q: Could the steps to download our RICCL codes be reiterated please?
A: To download your RICCL codes, log in to the portal, click ‘Your Products and Services’ in the left-hand menu, and find the black button labelled ‘Export to Excel.’ Clicking this button will download a CSV file containing your RICCL codes.
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Q: Will the RISQS team take this platform change opportunity to align evidence submission from each supplier on the same date annually rather than at random frequent intervals?
A: The evidence submittal is linked to when you initially uploaded and expiration (say insurance) of existing evidence. We are grouping these as much as we can, but it is based on what you put in.
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Q: Can the results be found on RISQS when testing 20% of the workforce for random D&A?
A: Testing data will remain on sentinel for sponsored staff.
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Q: Are the new mandatory questions different from the current set asked in the old portal? If so, why can't they me migrated and populated in the migration?
A: Your current questions will migrate - these are new versions and will have slightly different responses to select.
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Q: What is the reason for the new mandatory questions, are these different to the profile sections which we have already reviewed?
A: They are a requirement for procurement they expand upon what we have already asked you for and ask old questions in a slightly different way - these are from the government in effect.
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Q: We would like to add more codes and change from NON track staff to Track staff without being suspended for not having a sentinel card. How do we do that?
A: Please contact us direct as you may inadvertently make yourself non-compliant.