How to choose the right ISO 9001 Certification Consultant

If your organization has determined to implement ISO 9001 QMS standard with the assistance of an ISO certification consultant, then it's time to choose an experienced ISO consultant in Dubai. There are several things which are needed to be considered before hiring an ISO 9001 certification consultant in Dubai starting from consultancy fees to years of experience of the consultant. This blog will provide you with the key aspects to consider when you are hiring the right ISO 9001 consultant or consultancy to successfully implement ISO QMS standard in your organization.

If you are curious about or decided to hire an ISO certification consultant in UAE, it is suggested you go through this blog thoroughly to comprehend what is required and what clients are seeking before hiring an ISO consultant.

Why should be ISO consultant?

When you are signing a contract with an ISO certification consulting firm or a consultant, you may get the information and skills that your organization doesn’t have. These skills are necessary for while implementing, maintaining or auditing ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS) standard. These activities additionally are carried out within a stipulated timeline and compensation, thus you can see increased productivity which is regarded as the main advantage of hiring an ISO 9001 certification consultant. In addition to that, your employees will be prepared to continue performing their regular tasks without spending an excessive amount of time learning the requirements of ISO 9001 certification.

What are the prime requirements when selecting the right ISO 9001 certification consultant?

Choosing the proper attributes of an ISO consultant is crucial to help your organization with the proper implementation of the ISO standards. The following factors are the ones which you need to take into consideration when selecting the right ISO consultant:

• Qualifications - If you decide either to hire an ISO certification consultancy or a consultant, ensure you check up on the qualifications of the agency or a consultant and make sure that they can efficiently conduct the required task in your organization. Check if he or she has recognizable ISO QMS auditing qualifications corresponding to a degree in management studies and if he/she additionally possesses certifications like ISO 9001 Lead Auditor Course or ISO 9001 Lead Implementer Course.
• Experience in Consulting & Implementation - An ISO 9001 consultant should have considerable years of hands-on experience with both implementing and maintaining ISO 9001 Quality management systems. He/she should have conducted intensive training and devised internal audits in several types of organizations. Your organization or company should ask for references to ascertain whether he/she has extremely conducted those tasks in different organizations. Another vital factor to contemplate is that the experience in your field of business. If you are a construction company but the ISO consultant has developed Quality management systems for manufacturing organizations, those skills might not be the appropriate one for you. This is often because of the fact that he won't be well-versed with your processes and legal needs regarding the protection of the Quality in your field of business.
• Reputation - Reputation of the consultant matters a lot as there are many forged consultants out there. Reputation ar gained over years of experience in the consulting field, not only solely serving to organizations to acquire their ISO 9001 certification but also delivering training through courses or webinars, writing blogs and books, giving speeches at conferences, etc. Checking all of those things can provide you with an idea whether the consultant holds a considerably good reputation or not.
• Cost-benefit balance - Your company must contemplate not just the costs of the consultancy, but also added benefits or advantages obtained from his/her job. This implies that, if the ISO 9001 consultant is incredibly low-cost, he/she might not bring several benefits to your organization, for example, they might be developing advanced Quality management systems which will be time-consuming for your organization's workers. Therefore, it is crucial to assess and analyse while hiring an ISO 9001 consultant, who is not just expensive but should be able to get things done efficiently. This, in fact, will bring additional benefits to your organization.
• Communication - Establishing a very good rapport with the ISO 9001 consultant is significant for the successful implementation of an ISO 9001 QMS standard. Check if he/she is in a position to communicate effectively and has the ability to converse with the professionals and workers of your organization before signing the contract. Even more significantly, the ISO consultant should have the ability to pay attention to your needs and requirements. This will ensure that he/she can effectively tailor the implementation process to your organization's expectations.
• Confidentiality - From the instant, the ISO 9001 consultant enters your organization he/she will get to know all details concerning your processes. Evaluating his/her background on this matter can prevent several troubles in the future. Also, consider hiring an ISO 9001 certification consultant and professionals who are willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). This way, you can make sure that he/she will safeguard your organization’s confidentiality.