How to Select the Right ISO Consultant
Achieving ISO certification is a significant milestone for any company.
Depending on the standard, it demonstrates a commitment to the effectiveness and efficiency of your operational (quality), environmental, safety and information security systems and your commitment to the elusive goal of continual improvement.
However, navigating the complexities of ISO standards can be challenging without guidance. This is where an ISO consultant become invaluable. But selecting the right consultant is not just about credentials; it’s about finding a partner who understands you, your people and possibly most importantly you will be comfortable with to guide you through the whole of your ISO journey.
Why choosing the right ISO consultant matters
Any ISO certification will impact on multiple aspects of your company, from your strategy, through various operational processes to satisfied customers. A skilled consultant will ensure they:
- Understand your objectives and targets.
- Understand how your business deliver’s value to your clients.
- Deliver practical solutions are tailored to your business needs.
- Implement systems without undue complexity.
- Ensure compliance.
The wrong choice, however, can lead to wasted resources, delays, and even failed audits. So, how do you make the right decision?
Step 1: Define your approach
Before you start thinking about the consultant approach, it might be worth questioning whether the consultant approach is the approach you actually want to take.
Other approaches are certainly available and include the DIY approach and recruiting an experienced management systems or compliance manager.
Check out our Help Hub on the different approaches that can be adopted.
Step 2: Define your needs
Before you start searching, clarify:
- Which ISO standard do you need? (ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environment, ISO 27001 for information security, ISO 45001 for health and safety, etc.)
- Scope of certification: Will certification be for the whole company or just specific parts of it?
- Timeline and budget: How quickly do you need certification, and what internal resources are available?
Having these details will help you evaluate consultants based on their relevant experience, their capabilities and their preferred approach to implementation.
Incidentally, your available internal resources are going to be more or less important depending on the consultant’s preferred approach to implementation.
Step 3: Evaluate credentials and experience
Look for consultants who:
- Hold recognised qualifications the relevant subject, for instance CQI, IEMA, NEBOSH, IOSH, CISSP / CISM certification, BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT) etc.
- Have proven experience in your sector
- Can provide references or case studies of successful projects.
Industry-specific experience is crucial because implementation challenges vary across different sectors. For example, ISO 27001 for a tech company differs significantly from ISO 9001 for an architect and ISO 45001 for a construction firm.
Step 4: Assess their approach
Every consultant has a methodology. Some offer a hands-on approach, while others provide templates and expect your team to do most of the work. Ask:
- Do they provide customised solutions or use generic templates?
- How do they handle employee training and engagement?
- Will they be in attendance at the certification audit?
A consultant who prioritises knowledge transfer and process improvement, not just compliance, will add significantly more value in the longer-term.
Insightful questions to ask before hiring
To ensure you select the right consultant, go beyond surface-level inquiries. Here are a few powerful questions to help:
- How will you go about understanding our longer-term strategic goals, aims and ambitions so that you can align our ISO objectives to those?
- You need to know if the consultant is going to put you in a position where they are trying to “trump” your strategic imperatives with ISO objectives.
- What commercial experience has the consultant had prior to becoming an ISO consultant?
- An understanding of wider commercial issues is critical to developing a system that is simple, practical, commercial and useful.
- What’s your experience within our specific sector? Who have you worked with that we might know? What sizes of companies have you worked with?
- This helps gauge their familiarity with your unique challenges.
- Can you share examples of past projects and their outcomes?
- Look for measurable results, such as additional work won, reduced process problems, how well processes were connected to KPIs, better staff engagement.
- How do you integrate processes and workflows we already have in place into the system?
- This helps cut down consultancy time re-inventing collateral that’s already available.
- What do you do to ensure our team understands and owns our processes?
- A good consultant empowers your staff and won’t just deliver some lame checklist.
- What is your approach to risk management?
- ISO standards often require risk-based thinking. Their answer should reveal depth of expertise. Generally, we (Statius) think about strategic risk, process risk and financial risk.
- How do you stay up to date with best practice?
- Processes, practices, standards and regulations evolve, and your consultant should be proactive about remaining ahead of the curve.
- How well versed are you in not just ISO but the thinking, tools and techniques of quantifiable continual improvement?
- One thing being OK with “clauses and requirements”, it’s quite another to be able to deliver quantifiable and scientifically provable improvement.
- How much time will you need from me and my team?
- Different consultancy approaches will require different management time allocations, and you need to be clear on this before pressing the go button.
- What level of support do you provide during the certification audit?
- Will they be present at the assessment or only prepare you it and then run away?
- How do you measure success beyond certification?
- The best consultants focus on continuous improvement, not just passing the audit.
- How much will be / can be done remotely via video conferencing?
- Remote work might bring down the cost slightly but probably at the expense of getting “buy in” and embedding the system with your people.
- What sort resources and assistance can you offer beyond ISO certification?
Step 5: Compare costs and value
Cost matters, but don’t select solely based on price alone; consider:
- What’s included in the fee? (training, documentation, audit support)
- Are there hidden costs? (expenses & hotels)
- Do they offer post-certification support?
A slightly higher investment in a consultant that can provide comprehensive general management support will help you develop your people in the process and can save you significant time and money in the long run.
Step 6: Check references and reviews
Check out their LinkedIn profile, how active is it? Also speak to previous clients and get references. Ask:
- Was the consultant responsive and reliable?
- Where there any hidden extras?
- Did they deliver on time and within budget?
- How smooth was the implementation journey?
- Did they offer services beyond ISO that lent credibility to the systems developed?
Online reviews and professional networks can also provide insight.
Final thoughts
Selecting an ISO consultant is a strategic decision. The right partner will not only help you achieve certification but also strengthen your processes and culture of quality.
By asking the right questions and evaluating experience, approach, and value, you can ensure a successful and stress-free ISO journey.