Choosing Your ISO Consultant
If you choose to use an ISO Consultant, they will play a pivotal role in developing your quality system.
How can you have confidence that a consultant is competent and that your organization's needs and expectations will be met?
Contents
Evaluating a Consultant
Registering an organization to ISO 9001 does not necessarily prove product quality; it demonstrates that the organization is good at registering. All things being equal, organizations often require an ISO Consultant because they want a specialist, someone who is good at ‘registering.’
We recommend you review ISO 10019:2005, written by Technical Committee 176, titled ‘Guidelines for the Selection of Quality Management System Consultants and Use of Their Services.’
As the name suggests, this document provides guidance on the factors to consider when evaluating a quality management system consultant. It applies to the following:
- Organizations who wish to select a consultant
- ISO Consultants themselves, as a guide to develop their competence in consulting
- Consulting organizations, for selection of consultants
Selection Criteria
Some might argue that the ISO Consultant is merely a ‘supplier’ and should be subject to ‘normal’ supplier evaluation and selection controls.
Many organizations operate defined criteria for product and service suppliers, but the ISO Consultant is rarely subject to the same controls he is often responsible for implementing. Very few organizations are likely to operate a supplier evaluation process that retains approval records for their chosen consultant.
Deciding Which ISO Consultant to Hire
Always ask for references; these will allow you to determine how the ISO Consultant handled similar implementation scenarios. References usually say a lot about a consultant’s ability to deliver.
The questions below can help you develop your own formal evaluation process. Why not make it official and add the selected consultants to the approved supplier list?
- What were the outcomes of previous consulting engagements?
- Does the consultant operate a fixed way of doing things?
- Has the consultant undergone peer assessment through a professional association?
- Have they demonstrated the ability to complete assignments on budget and on time?
- Are they open to learning how your organization operates?
- Does the consultant’s experience match your implementation requirements?
If you are unsatisfied with the answers to these questions, ask the consultant for additional information. Any ISO Consultant worth their salt would rather put in extra effort than leave a client unsatisfied!
Once all the options have been considered, ask the consultant to submit a formal proposal that outlines their implementation strategy.
Review the proposal with the consultant and resolve any questions you may have. Sections of the proposal may have to be rewritten to provide the desired level of assurance and greater clarity.
Accept the proposal only when you thoroughly understand its implications.
