In another of our series of  'Ask the ISO expert' we talk about using a consultant, the costs involved in ISO certification and other popular topics.

ISO 9001 is the most popular of the ISO certifications.  Many organisations that start the process to achieve this don’t have knowledge of the standard.  So in this series of ‘ ask the ISO expert ’ we try to answer some of the most popular questions that a new client might have.

Caroline Geoghegan has been an ISO consultant for over 9 years.  She has worked with many clients of different sizes in different industries and is our ‘ISO expert’ in the spotlight today.

How would you analyse our business?

I would typically start with a gap analysis to understand how the business was currently operating and how it compared with the ISO requirements.  We would conduct a gap analysis and a site tour to help us understand the business.  We look at the business to understand what the business functions are, the processes and then we would interview each person asking them  'what do you do on a day to day basis?'. We then document that processes and define each of the key process interactions of the company.  As a result of that gap analysis it would enable us to document the ISO management system that would be specific and bespoke to that company.

How much would certification cost?

The costs vary in terms of the number of days of consultancy that we need to develop, implement, deliver and provide training on the management system.  Prices can range from€4000 right up to €20,000 plus.  It is very much dependent on the number of days and the work involved.  However we will agree a fixed price at the proposal/contract stage.  All of our clients have achieved their ISO certification, all within the agreed time frame and budget.  There is full transparency with our services and the number of days delivered so we will only charge the actual days that it takes to complete the project!

Why use an external consultant?

Our clients love our approach.  Our approach  very hands on - we roll up our sleeves and get the job done! We are excellent communicators.  We like to enable our client and what I mean by 'enable' is that we spend alot of time delivering training to our clients in terms of what ISO is, what the specific requirements of the standard are and what it means for them in the day to day operations if the business. Our clients feel comfortable when they are being audited and understand the reasons why an auditor is asking a question. More importantly  they know the correct answers!   When training is being provided to a new staff member we ensure that the training is practical and effective in terms of what ISO is, what it means for that new employee, what is required from them and what procedures they need to follow to ensure that there is continuous conformance with the ISO standard and the management system.

How long does it take?

That again is dependent on the number of ISO standards, the complexity of the organisation and also the time frame in which it needs to be achieved.  What we typically find is that  certification bodies require a reasonable amount of time to see records of the companies management system, to demonstrate that there is conformance to the management system and that there is an understanding of the staff of the requirements of  the management system.  If required we get the work completed and get you ready for certification in 12 weeks!

Why choose CG Business Consulting? 

We are chosen because of our knowledge of the ISO standards and our experience in implementing and auditing management systems. We have assisted over 350 companies to date to achieve ISO certification.  We specialise in ISO 9001 Quality, ISO 14001 Environmental and OHSAS 18001/ISO 45001 Health and Safety.  Through experience we have gained in depth valuable experience that we can transfer to our clients in their pursuit of achieving ISO certification.

Please contact us to speak to one of our team of consultants on 01 6204120 or info@cgbc.ie