ISO 9001 certification consultancy Sydney
If you aim to improve the quality of your products or your services and double your customer satisfaction rates, then you must be planning to obtain the ISO 9001 certificate. The ISO 9001 standard is famous for guiding organisations to create their customised Quality Management System (QMS) that helps them develop goods or products that align with their customers’ expectations. However, implementation is more complex than you would want it to be. There are many challenges on your road to obtaining ISO 9001 certificate, and in this article, we will talk about how certification consultancies can help remove obstacles from this path.
What is ISO 9001?
The ISO 9001 standard is the gold standard for enhancing quality management across organisations of different sectors, sizes or scopes. It amalgamates the seven quality principles of customer focus, leadership commitment, evidence-based decision-making, relationship management, employee engagement, continuous improvement, and process approach to augment customer satisfaction rates. The standard has undergone many revisions, with the last one in 2015 asking the top management of organisations to increase accountability towards quality management by providing adequate support to their employees.
Challenges in obtaining ISO 9001 certification
Technically, the process of acquiring a certificate is to read the 10 clauses in ISO 9001 and adjust/modify/develop processes to align with the instructions in these clauses. However, there are many challenges in obtaining ISO 9001 certification. When an auditor from an accredited certification body comes to your organisation to grant you the certificate, they will begin by checking your documents’ alignment and testing the efficiency of your procedures, processes and people.
For this, process owners will be interviewed, and procedures will be observed. These auditors have years of knowledge and can detect deficiencies in your management system that would be oblivious to you. These deficiencies could compromise the efficiency of your QMS or could lead to issues in the future that could deteriorate your effectiveness. These deficiencies are only apparent to those who have undergone specific training in the requirement of ISO 9001 or have an in-depth knowledge base as well as practical experience. This is why many business owners hire ISO 9001 certification consultancies to help smoothen the process of obtaining an ISO certificate.
ISO 9001 certification consultancy and their role
The purpose of an ISO consultancy service is to help simplify the certification process. The consultants will first explain the requirements outlined in ISO 9001 and ensure that you have adequate resources to begin the process. Next, the consultants will conduct a gap analysis, an effective evaluation method to identify any hidden discrepancies in your current management practises and the ideal one stipulated in ISO 9001. Based on these deficiencies or discrepancies, the consultant will provide you with a customised report filled with recommendations to enhance your operational capabilities.
For example, if the consultant feels that your staff needs adequate knowledge or the skill set to interact with the QMS appropriately, they will suggest a specific training program. After erecting your QMS, the consultant will help you troubleshoot and conduct an internal quality audit. These steps will iron out any remaining inefficiencies and ensure you are ready for your certification audit. Lastly, the consultant will ensure that your documents are updated and aligned with the recommendations. Some consultants even help you draft an application to the certification body.
Best ISO 9001 consultancy in Sydney
After reading these paragraphs, you may question how to choose the best ISO consultancy service. Evidently, you need to select an ISO 9001 consultancy service with years and experience in implementing quality management systems for organisations in your industry. Begin by reviewing the case studies and testimonials of the consultancy services that you have shortlisted.
This will give you an idea about their experience and reputation. Reputation is pertinent when selecting an ISO 9001 consultancy service, as some consultancy services are infamous for taking shortcuts. The consultant will not create customised solutions or recommendations for your organisation but instead utilise rigid templates. The disadvantage of using such templates is that your QMS will not be customised, which means your processes will not reflect your organisational aspirations.
As a result, even though you might achieve certification, if you are lucky, your QMS will still not bring you benefits such as increased employee productivity, better operational capabilities and the essential benefit of identifying opportunities. Hence, we recommend you begin by asking your peers about the consultancy services they have utilised, going on to read the testimonials of your shortlisted company. Then interview the candidates to gauge their working style. After supporting your intervention with actual evidence, go on to discuss important factors such as their level of commitment to building your QMS, the costs involved and an estimate of the time frame.
Conclusion
To find the best ISO 9001 consulting services in Sydney, choose a service that other organisations in your sector recommend. Other considerations you should consider include specialisation, experience, ethics, working style, and cost.
