| ISO 9001 Consulting has been available ever since the | | | | relevant quality management system processes. This |
| ISO 9001 quality management system standards | | | | is likely the most time-consuming and difficult part of |
| were first published in 1979.. At present, nearly a | | | | any ISO implementation project. Many issues may |
| million companies worldwide have been certified to | | | | arise as to what processes should be be controlled, |
| one ISO business management standard or another. | | | | what makes for an effective control, how best to |
| These include ISO 9001, ISO 14001, AS9100, ISO/TS | | | | communicate and implement it, interaction between |
| 16949, etc. The stats that have been accumulated to | | | | processes, how to set process goals and objectives |
| date indicate that while a number of companies went | | | | and what records to keep. Here is where using |
| about implementing ISO standards using internal | | | | external ISO 9001 consulting will significantly help in |
| resources, those that used outside ISO 9001 | | | | answering these questions, provide required focus |
| consulting services benefited the most in terms of | | | | and facilitate implementation. |
| speed of implementation, effectiveness and payback. | | | | ISO 9001 Management System Documentation |
| ISO 9001 Consulting firms offer a number of | | | | The latest ISO 9001:2008 standard reduces the |
| services. Let us check out some of these so that | | | | attention on documentation and maximizes its |
| you can determine what selection of services would | | | | attention on effective planning and control. Sufficient |
| best suit your company: | | | | documentation is however needed for many business |
| ISO 9001 Standard Interpretation | | | | processes in order to ensure consistent application of |
| The ISO 9001 quality management system standard | | | | effective controls. Many organizations have either too |
| can be a hard document to understand. It is written | | | | much or too little documentation. An experienced |
| in quasi-legal language and points out requirements in | | | | consultant can help your organization determine |
| very general terms. This is deliberately so, as it is | | | | where it is needed, how much and how it should be |
| meant to be applicable to all types of business | | | | documented. |
| activity. Quite a few companies have issues | | | | ISO 9001 Pre-assessment |
| interpreting it to their specific business processes. An | | | | ISO 9001 Registrars (also referred to as Certification |
| experienced ISO 9001 consultant can help you apply | | | | Bodies) perform their certification audit in two stages. |
| the standard to your specific business activities. | | | | In stage 1, they review how ready your business is |
| ISO 9001 Gap Audit | | | | (which includes your planning, documentation and |
| Before applying the ISO 9001 standard to your | | | | internal review activities) and in stage 2 they audit |
| business, you need to know whats missing between | | | | your management system for effective |
| your existing business practices and controls relative | | | | implementation of planned controls, in both cases the |
| to ISO 9001. Engaging ISO 9001 consulting services, | | | | review is done against the ISO 9001 standard. After |
| you can have a review done of your current | | | | spending several months of implementation, you |
| management system practices, controls and | | | | consider your company ready for the certification |
| documentation, to establish the extent to which you | | | | audit, it might be useful to use external consulting to |
| conform to ISO 9001 requirements. The consultant | | | | do a once-over to determine if you are truly ready, |
| will give you a detailed audit report indicating the gaps | | | | identify any shortcomings and help you take |
| in your company, along with their recommendations. | | | | appropriate corrective action, prior to the Registrar |
| This will help in putting together your ISO 9001 | | | | audit. |
| project implementation plan to achieve full conformity. | | | | ISO 9001 Training |
| ISO 9001 Project Planning and Organization | | | | ISO 9001 consultancy services often offer a variety |
| Depending on the size and complexity of your | | | | of training options. These include |
| company, an ISO 9001 implementation project can | | | | - ISO 9001 awareness training to employees at all |
| take anywhere from six to eighteen months to | | | | levels |
| complete. Your ISO project needs to be well-planned | | | | - An executive overview of the ISO standard for |
| in terms of how much time and resources needed, | | | | top management |
| specific activities to be carried out, who will be | | | | - Process identification, mapping, analysis and |
| responsible for each activity, milestone reviews, | | | | improvement |
| authorizations, training, dealing with problems, etc. A | | | | - ISO project management |
| good ISO 9001 consultant can be a valuable aid in | | | | - ISO documentation and implementation |
| assisting your business deal with this important | | | | - Internal audit |
| activity. | | | | - Use of problem-solving tools |
| ISO 9001 Business Process Identification and | | | | Based on the extent of internal expertise within your |
| Documentation | | | | organization, you may wish to have an external ISO |
| ISO 9001 looks at business processes as the key | | | | 9001 consulting service provide some or all of this |
| point of control. These include internal as well as | | | | training. |
| outsourced processes. Some companies have | | | | Develop and Maintain your ISO 9001 Internal Audit |
| concerns distinguishing between processes, | | | | Program |
| departments and functional activities. ISO 9001 | | | | To be certified and remain so, the ISO 9001 |
| consulting experts can help you identify and properly | | | | Standard requires your organization to plan and |
| document all organizational processes pertaining to | | | | conduct an internal audit program of its quality |
| your quality management system. These include | | | | management system. In these days, many |
| customer-oriented, management, product realization, | | | | organizations are short on resources, internal audit |
| resource planning, measurement, support and | | | | expertise and employee availability, so they |
| outsourced processes. | | | | outsource the upkeep of their internal audit programs |
| ISO 9001 System Development and Implementation | | | | to ISO 9001 consulting firms, who do it far more |
| The main emphasis of the ISO 9001 standard is on | | | | effectively than most internal auditors. |
| effective planning, operation and control of thrust all | | | | |