Directory of ISO consultants

How do I become a certified consultant?

If you want to become a certified ISO consultant, you will need to find credible courses that will confirm your expertise in the industry.
There are a couple of different options depending on your level of knowledge, such as Lead Auditor and Lead Implementer courses, an Internal Auditor course, and a Foundations course. Some of the common topics covered during the training include understanding ISO standards, ISO documents preparation, and ISO awareness training. You will also need to know how to run an ISO project, so obtaining the Project Management certificate would be beneficial. Once you receive the necessary certification, you will be ready to advise clients and help them with successful ISO implementation and maintenance.

How do I hire an ISO consultant?

While implementing and maintaining the ISO standards within your company, you might want to get guidance from an experienced ISO consultant. Finding the right one for your company might seem hard, but generally, there are a couple of considerations to keep in mind when choosing an ISO consultant:

• Skills. Different stages of the ISO certification process require different levels of support provided by a consultant. Some of the ISO consultancy roles include assisting with the implementation of the standard, performing internal audits, and providing advice on updating or maintaining your ISO status. Depending on the level of support your organization needs, you will need to define the set of necessary skills for the ISO consultant.
• Experience and accomplishments. While it is important for your ISO consultant to have valuable knowledge and experience in the industry, it is also important that you pay attention to the success rate of their past projects. It is easy to fall for the number of years or finished projects, but you will need to evaluate the quality of work and the key achievements of the consultant. You should also look for an ISO consultant with experience in different sectors, as they will be able to use more diverse approaches and look at the bigger picture.
• Realistic timelines. Traditionally, an ISO project will take between 3 and 6 months to complete, so when hiring an ISO consultant, you should carefully consider his/her workload. With a realistic timeline, your consultant will have more time to assess your organization and help you meet all the ISO requirements successfully.
• Pricing. The cost of ISO consultancy services depends on factors like the size of your organization, the requirements, and your timeline. Bigger projects may require more financial investments, while smaller ones take only a couple of months and have lower costs. It is important to remember that a quality ISO project is not cheap, and limiting your project budget may result in a loss of quality. So, when searching for the best-priced ISO consultancy services, you will need to determine all the items that you would get for that cost and check the consultancy fees.

To learn more about the questions you should ask when hiring an ISO consultant, check out this article: How to choose an ISO 9001 consultant.

How can I become an ISO consultant?

ISO consultants provide independent advice to organizations on the standards’ requirements and how they can be applied within the specific organization. They can work for ISO consultancy firms or as independent contractors/providers. In order to become a consultant, you will need to gain significant training and knowledge to make proper recommendations for your clients.

Firstly, you should have an extensive understanding of the standards that you will be advising your clients about.
Secondly, although there are no formal qualifications, you will need to attend reliable courses and get the certification that will acknowledge your level of expertise in the eyes of your new clients. While working with your clients, you will also gain some valuable knowledge that will help you to become a more proficient consultant.

You should also work on developing as many skills as possible, so you might want to focus on trainings or webinars that cover communication, leadership, project management, and organizational areas. To learn more about the qualifications and skills that ISO consultants need to obtain, read this article: How to become an ISO 9001 consultant.

Independent ISO consultants also need to know how to sell their services and knowledge, so you will probably need to master some sales and marketing techniques for your consulting business. To help you make this process less painful, check out this free webinar on How to sell ISO consulting services.

What does it mean to be ISO certified?

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) develops the standards that set requirements and guidelines for both technology and products. These standards help organizations operate in a more consistent manner and provide high-quality products and services to their customers.

If a company is ISO certified, this means that their Quality Management System, manufacturing processes, or documentation comply with all the requirements set in the standards. To become ISO certified, the company must use a third-party organization that will assess the processes and provide an independent opinion about their compliance with the requirements.

Can an individual be ISO certified? Although only businesses and organizations are eligible for certification, a person can become certified as an auditor. There are a couple of training options available for individuals: the ISO Lead Auditor course allows an individual to work as an auditor for a certification body, while the ISO Internal Auditor course is focused on the ISO implementation throughout a company.