Features of An Experienced ISO 9001 Certification Consultant
Summary
The article has discussed the main features of an experienced ISO 9001 certification consultant. It has highlighted the importance of judging and calculating each of the features before hiring.
The time-consuming and daunting process of getting certified by the ISO 9001 is better to be accomplished under a professional expert. An ISO 9001 certification consultant is the right fit for streamlining the accreditation journey. Hiring a professional can be a tricky job until one is aware of the qualities to look for in a service provider. In search of an expert consultant, one needs to prioritise the aspect of experience above all. There are certain factors, which comprehensively add experience to one’s profile.
For implementing an effective quality management system as approved by the ISO 9001, a company needs advice from someone who has a minimum of ten years of experience. The question is how to judge a person’s experience count. To have a better idea about one’s industry experience and market knowledge, there are several features to be monitored and reviewed before deciding. The present article discusses that in detail.
4 Features of An Experienced ISO 9001 Certification Consultant
1. ISO 9001 and Project management certification
An experienced consultant must have a lead auditor or lead implementer certificate. The ISO 9001 certification for lead implementation needs a specific amount of knowledge and understanding of the particular standard. When a professional produce such accreditation documents, it means he/she has a fair amount of experience in conducting audits and providing guidance for successful system implementation. On the other hand, an experienced professional must exhibit skills in project management. Systematic progress and completion of standardised requirements are considered ISO projects. A certificate in project management is proof that the expert has handled similar types of projects in past. These two certifications determine a consultant’s level of experience in organising different phases of ISO certification.
2. Convincing portfolio and references
An experienced ISO consultant needs to show a convincing portfolio with reliable and relevant references. A client is entitled to know about the past projects of a service provider before appointing him/her. The portfolio must carry details of the last certification projects. It must list critical analyses and audits conducted over the years. Along with this, the consultant must provide references from his last customers. Collecting testimonials from them would be necessary for judging the credibility and flexibility of the expert.
An experienced certification consultant’s portfolio must show the following:
● Worked as a quality management consultant
● Worked as a certification auditor
● Worked as a quality management system representative
3. Communication power
One of the significant skills of an experienced ISO 9001 consultant is communication power. Both verbal and non-verbal attributes matter to keep a strong customer base. A healthy customer relationship is necessary to establish and hold a reputation. Reputation and experience are dependent on each other and are determined by many different factors including soft skills.
4. A strong social media presence and feedback
Today, more than 40% of the revenue and brand establishment are promoted by social media influence. People prefer to check ratings on Google before contacting a service provider. An experienced consultant should have an online presence with a good number of positive reviews and ratings. Checking them and reading them thoroughly allow potential customers to find the right fit.
Bottom Line
Experience sharpens skills and adds insight to a professional’s expertise. To become an ISO 9001 certification consultant, an individual needs to put in hard work, dedication, and gather experience. Learning, acceptance, and improvement are potential factors for increasing field-specific experience. The four features are symbols of efficacy. Without judging these factors, investment in a consultant can turn ineffectual. Both online and offline research are necessary to acquire references and testimonials, while face-to-face communication provides relevant data on communication skills. Better than a random search, a thoroughly investigated profile is suitable for accomplishing the certification journey.
Author Bio
Damon Anderson has an ISO consultancy agency, which offers a varied range of services related to certification. In his leisure time, he invests in reading, researching, and writing blogs and articles on different critical topics related to ISO standards.
