Traditionally, companies that want to implement ISO 9001 had only two methods for implementation, either on their own or bring in an expert consultant.
A quick comparison between the two approaches reveals the pros and cons of each:
| On their own | Hire a consultant |
| Cost effective | Costly |
| Effort ad time consuming | Save a lot of time |
| Not always work well | Always work well if the instructions are followed by the organization |
Therefore, due to the additional investment involved, companies tend to hire external ISO consultants only when:
- They are tight on time. Hiring a consultant can save time to complete other tasks.
- There are adequate financial resources.
- They are sure about the level of consultant they are hiring.
- They don鈥檛 have a responsible person to allocate time to implement projects.
However, even hiring an ISO consultant comes with its own sets of advantages and disadvantages. These are tabulated below.
| PROS | CONS |
| 路 Ready paperwork路 Outlines the whole project step by step路 Revises all the documents路 Informs you on how to get ready for certification路 Ensure that you are compliant with the standard to get the certification | 路 Hiring a good consultant will cost you money. But, hiring a bad consultant will cost you more.路 Will have access to the company鈥檚 information and secrets路 The expert will have to leave when project is over, so a bad expert will take all the knowledge with him, leaving the employees unfamiliar with the documentation & processes. However, a good expert will leave but will keep the employees informed and familiar with documentation and all the processes. |
The THIRD Option
With advancements in technology, a third solution has emerged. In case a company does not have the adequate financial resources to hire an ISO consultant but does not have the expertise to implement ISO on its own, it can now opt for an ISO Management System software. While this might require some investment on the part of the company, it will not be as expensive as hiring a consultant. ISO Management System such as the one provided by us gives companies trying to implement ISO a cost effective yet efficient solution to start their ISO journey.