The role of an ISO consultant is to guide you through the ISO certification process efficiently and effectively, armed with the knowledge and know-how to get the job done well.
Using these professional skills, an ISO consultant will be able to carefully and confidently lead your business into the promised land, hopefully culminating in successful ISO 9001 certification.
But is a dedicated ISO 9001 consultant a necessary part of this process? We think so - and here's exactly why.
Do I need a consultant to get ISO 9001 certification?
Naturally, the answer to this question will largely depend on the individual and their specific circumstances, particularly the time available and the expertise of the people involved.
The truth is that, while you don't categorically require a dedicated consultant to help you achieve ISO 9001 certification, for most companies, it's highly advisable to hire one.
ISO consultants are typically equipped with qualifications such as Lead Auditor and Lead Implementer certification, backed by internal audit training and first-hand experience.
Additionally, ISO 9001 consultants will also be well-versed in project management, with the relevant transferable skills and experience necessary to tackle your requirements head-on.
Why do I need an ISO 9001 consultant?
ISO 9001 can make for some murky waters to wade through, especially if you're not familiar with this subject.
Blindly embarking into those murky waters without knowing what lies ahead can not only result in mistakes, problems and issues arising, it can also translate into a very expensive, time-consuming process for your business.
Can't I just assign a member of staff to this task?
Stretching your own resources to cover the ISO 9001 accreditation process isn't the wisest decision in terms of efficiency.
Assigning the task to a member of staff can be counterproductive and may give poor results in both the short and long term.
As a result, the money you save from not outsourcing can be quickly eaten up in-house by a process that takes twice as long to complete and even longer to correct when it's done wrong.
The impact of DIY ISO accreditation
Companies that don't hire a dedicated ISO consultant to handle the ISO 9001 process are likely to see it negatively impact on their resources, including both time and money.
Even if the task of ISO 9001 accreditation is assigned to a specific member of staff, the task itself can snowball and end up monopolising that person's time.
Like any specialist job, hiring a professional to handle the nitty-gritty can be a godsend, while the alternative could very easily end in disaster.
Investing in a professional will achieve professional results. Conversely, a stab in the dark from an amateur will likely achieve amateur results.
Go pro for ISO
In a nutshell, the ISO 9001 process is the perfect of example of the phrase 'just because you can, that doesn't mean you should'.
While certain tasks may be doable with a can-do, DIY mindset, this is one area of business that is probably best left to the professionals.
For professional advice on quality management systems and guidance through the ISO certification process, call NPT Management Systems today on 02380 659 867 or contact us via our online enquiry form.
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