How to choose an ISO 9001 consultant

 

ISO 9001 Certification in Bangalore, but lacks the internal skills to see the project to completion, then a likely course of action may be to engage the services of a consultant. Consultants come in all shapes and sizes, and the happiest choice is the one who best meets your specific needs. You might be thinking: “How do we even know what our needs are?” This article provides some guidance on how to make the best possible decision for your organization. The answers to the following questions will help you get there.

 

What’s the price tag:

This will be a key consideration in most organizations. So, if consultant A quotes 50% of consultant B, does that mean you should definitely pick A? Most of us will agree that the answer is “Not necessarily,” because we all know that cheaper options sometimes turn out to be a costly letdown and send us back to the drawing board. But since resources are always finite, we do have to operate within the confines of a budget. The price decision must be made within the context of the following considerations.

 

What business are you in:

ISO 9001 Services in Bangalore is about process management, a consultant must have a good understanding of the processes of your business in order to help you build an effective system. Incoming consultants will always start by familiarizing themselves with your business processes. For this reason, a consultant who has experience in your industry is obviously a better choice. The one starting with zero knowledge will have a steeper learning curve, and it will most likely be on your time.

 

 

 

How long has the consultant been doing this:

ISO 9001 Consultant in Bangalore a consultant with ten years of experience is likely to be very familiar with how to implement ISO 9001 and all the steps involved in the certification process. This means the shortest possible implementation time for you and fewer costly mistakes. In fact, an experienced consultant who is an industry outsider may well be a better bet than a newbie who has worked in your industry. This is because there is value in knowing the implementation and certification steps and how to avoid the pitfalls. Having said that, the younger newbie is likely to be savvy with new concepts, such as ways of managing documentation in the age of digitization. It’s a delicate balance.

 

A case in point: I once encountered an organization that had been preparing for certification for several years under the guidance of a consultant. (This timeline alone was a red flag!) During this time the standard was revised to the next version. (ISO standards are subject to revision every 8 years or so. When a new revision is issued, a transition period is set during which the old standard remains valid and auditable. After that it becomes obsolete.).

 

 

What is the consultant’s plan:

ISO 9001 Implementation in Bangalore It is also a good idea to discuss their implementation plan: the steps and sequence to be followed, and the level of participation required from your team. Be wary of the consultant who asks very little of you, and promises to deliver a ready-to-certify system. Consultants’ styles tend to vary from the ones who like to do everything for you, to the capacity builders who grow competence in your team. The latter involves more work for you, but delivers far greater value than the other end of the spectrum. You should aim to have a system where the people in the organization take ownership.@Certvalue.com.