ISO9001 Consultancy and Auditors

The roles of ISO 9001 consultants and auditors are quite different
What do consultants do
 Consultants help and advise. Good consultants are similar to trainers and coaches. We work with you to help you understand what is required and do what is necessary for your quality system to reach the required level

Consultants do: Prepare and coach you. Help you get your system ready. Advise you where you have gaps (a gap analysis) plus explain and show you how to fix the gaps, or even do it for you. Advise, teach, guide and help you throughout the process. Prepare you and show you how to meet the various requirements. We can also do internal audits for you (a requirement before your external audit).

Consultants do not: Do an external audit for certification purposes. Award certificates to ISO 9001 or any other standard
 Analyzing a process

Is a consultant worth it
We think so (but of course there may be some bias there)
 A good consultant will add enormous value. Because of our knowledge, skills and experience, we can guide you and shorten the whole process. And make your quality system work more effectively and efficiently.

We’ll save you time and money. We will make sure you avoid the most common mistakes. And a good consultant will make sure you get a system that suits you, not just impose something on you ‘to get ISO certified’

Ultimately only you can decide whether it’s worth it, because it’s your company, your time and your money. But do take care in selecting a consultant because it’s an important decision. And just because someone takes on the title of consultant does not mean that they should, or that they are any good at it

What’s a Quality Auditor
 Someone with the skills and experience to audit a quality management system. Where a consultant is like a coach, the auditor is the examiner. And never the twain shall meet: certifiers cannot consult or advise you.

Auditors work for Ceن CE” >certifiers: the companies who award the certificates. Certifiers are private organizations (not government bodies) who are accredited to award certificates and are service providers. In Australia, they’re usually called ‘certifiers’, whereas in the USA they are usually called ‘registrars’ or CB’ s certifying bodies

Only properly accredited certifiers can award certificates to an ISO Standard. For example, in Australia, all certifiers must be accredited via JAS-ANZ

What they do: Audit quality management systems. Decide if the system meets all the requirements (complies with) of the relevant Standard. If so, recommend that a certificate be awarded. Issue the certificate. Return and re-audit the system at intervals to make sure it remains compliant.

They don’t: Coach, help you prepare, give advice, tell you what to do or explain how to ‘pass’. That is consulting and they are prohibited from doing it; apart from other issues, it would be an obvious conflict of interest.
 But good auditors understand they are specialized providers of services and take a ‘business partneCe approach, aiming to help and provide value through audits of their clients, rather than act like a quality cop or inspector
How the Certification Process Works
Select a Ceشان CE” >certifier & make an application. Sign up with them, agree on the particular Standard eg, ISO 9001 and the scope of your system – what the certification will cover, Pay the fees, and finally arrange the dates for The Audit. Undergo the Audit
Are all Certifiers the Same
 No, definitely not

Yes, all assess you against the same Standard, and follow a similar process. But there are differences between them, so take your time to choose. Work out what you need first, ask questions