How much do ISO consultants charge?

We understand that as you are attempting to acquire ISO certificate, funds may be limited. It becomes critical to plan and controls your spending. However, there is no universal quotation to dictate how much do ISO consultants charge and there are many variables that could affect the answer. In this article, we will talk about everything related to ISO consultants charges.

ISO certification process

In order to understand how the price of ISO consultancy services fluctuates, you need to understand the ISO certification process.

1. The ISO certification process begins by deciding on the standard that the organisation wishes to implement, going on to understand every relevant clause. This is an important step, as the frameworks outlined in different ISO standards are meant to be flexible, which means that not every clause will be applicable to every organisation.
2. After sorting through the clauses, business owners must align their documents as per the recommendations of the chosen standard.
3. Next, business owners must observe their processes and compare them with the recommendations of the chosen standard, going on to modify and improve their functioning. Additionally, the skill-set of all your employees should also be modified and improved, so that they align with the compliance instructions. Essentially, every individual in your organisation should have adequate knowledge and skill-set to appropriately interact with the newly implemented management system.
4. At this point in time, you will have a rudimentary management system and your staff will be somewhat trained. Hence, to determine their efficiency, it is necessary to conduct an internal audit to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the new system. These strengths and weaknesses should be discussed in a management review, and customised corrective actions should be taken.
5. As you gear up for the certification audit, the reports from the internal audit and the management review should also be created, maintained and updated.

ISO consultancy process and price

Many business owners choose to go with an ISO consultant, as it makes the entire certification process uncomplicated. The simplification begins long before the implementation of the management system.

1. Choosing perfect ISO standard

The ISO consultant will come to your organisation and ask you about your future aspirations, based on which, he or she will suggest the perfect ISO standard.

For example, if your goal is to exceed your customer expectations, you will be suggested ISO 9001. Similarly, if your goal is to reduce your environmental impact, then ISO 14001 will be a perfect fit for you and if you want to make your workplace safer, you will be suggested ISO 45001. Sometimes, there are specific standards for specific businesses such as ISO 13485 for medical devices.

2. Create a customised plan of action for ISO implementation

Then, during the opening meeting, the ISO consultant will help you identify which clauses are relevant to your business and create a customised plan of action. He or she will then conduct a gap assessment, a powerful tool to identify deficiencies in your operations and in the skill-set of your personnel. Based on the size of your deficiencies, the ISO consultant will suggest you to either modify your processes or create a brand-new management system. Additionally, the consultant will also suggest specific training programmes to enhance the competency of your employees.

3. Gap analysis and management system

This gap analysis can take anything from a few days to a few weeks depending upon the size of your organisation and the number of your employees. Similarly, the rectification or the creation of the management system will also depend upon the size of your organisation, its complexity and the number of your employees.

4. Implementation and Internal review

Implementation can take anything from a week to a few months. Then, to test the efficiency of the newly implemented management system, the ISO consultant will conduct an internal review, where he or she will assess the controls and processes of your system, well as the knowledge of your employees. During this phase, the consultant will also ensure that your documentation is up to the mark.

ISO consultant cost

After reading the above paragraphs, you must have gauged that the concept of the service is variable and highly depends upon the nature of your organisation.

ISO consultants charge as per the time and effort they invest in your organisation. So, larger organisations which require more time and effort can cost anything around 16,000-17,000 USD, whereas, smaller organisations with lesser number of employees would be charged lesser. Having said that, the average price is around 13,000 to 18,000 USD per annum, where companies would be charged somewhere between this spectrum. For more information, we suggest you also read the ISO certification cost article.

However, just as we are ending this article, we would like to point out that price should not be the only criterion for selecting an ISO consultant. If you run after the price, and find one that is charging you less, you may find yourself being short sold. Do not forget to factor in considerations such as specialisation, experience, reputation and working style when selecting an ISO consultant.