The role of an ISO consultant is to guide you through the ISO certification process efficiently and effectively, armed with the knowledge and know-how to get the job done well.

Using these professional skills, an ISO consultant will be able to carefully and confidently lead your business into the promised land, hopefully culminating in successful ISO 9001 certification.

But is a dedicated ISO 9001 consultant a necessary part of this process? We think so - and here's exactly why.

Do I need a consultant to get ISO 9001 certification?

Naturally, the answer to this question will largely depend on the individual and their specific circumstances, particularly the time available and the expertise of the people involved.

The truth is that, while you don't categorically require a dedicated consultant to help you achieve ISO 9001 certification, for most companies, it's highly advisable to hire one.

ISO consultants are typically equipped with qualifications such as Lead Auditor and Lead Implementer certification, backed by internal audit training and first-hand experience.

Additionally, ISO 9001 consultants will also be well-versed in project management, with the relevant transferable skills and experience necessary to tackle your requirements head-on.

Why do I need an ISO 9001 consultant?

ISO 9001 can make for some murky waters to wade through, especially if you're not familiar with this subject.

Blindly embarking into those murky waters without knowing what lies ahead can not only result in mistakes, problems and issues arising, it can also translate into a very expensive, time-consuming process for your business.

Can't I just assign a member of staff to this task?

Stretching your own resources to cover the ISO 9001 accreditation process isn't the wisest decision in terms of efficiency.

Assigning the task to a member of staff can be counterproductive and may give poor results in both the short and long term.

As a result, the money you save from not outsourcing can be quickly eaten up in-house by a process that takes twice as long to complete and even longer to correct when it's done wrong.

The impact of DIY ISO accreditation

Companies that don't hire a dedicated ISO consultant to handle the ISO 9001 process are likely to see it negatively impact on their resources, including both time and money.

Even if the task of ISO 9001 accreditation is assigned to a specific member of staff, the task itself can snowball and end up monopolising that person's time.

Like any specialist job, hiring a professional to handle the nitty-gritty can be a godsend, while the alternative could very easily end in disaster.

Investing in a professional will achieve professional results. Conversely, a stab in the dark from an amateur will likely achieve amateur results.

Go pro for ISO

In a nutshell, the ISO 9001 process is the perfect of example of the phrase 'just because you can, that doesn't mean you should'.

While certain tasks may be doable with a can-do, DIY mindset, this is one area of business that is probably best left to the professionals.

For professional advice on quality management systems and guidance through the ISO certification process, call NPT Management Systems today on 02380 659 867 or contact us via our online enquiry form.

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We can help your organisation to meet the requirements of ISO 9001 and get certified!

In order to gain ISO 9001 certification, a company must first implement a QMS (quality management system) and ensure that it is implemented throughout the entire organisation. This can be a complex process, especially in larger companies with a lot of staff / departments to co-ordinate.

When tackling this process, it is often useful to bring in an experienced consultant to train up your staff and get everyone working to ensure the system's success.

That's where we at NPT Management Systems come in.

Pictured: Neil Peattie, our Principal Consultant

We can provide an ISO 9001 expert to visit your premises and help you through every stage of the ISO certification procedure. Not only will your consultant help you to tailor your QMS to the unique needs of your organisation, they will also deliver training sessions for your staff and make sure that they understand their roles and responsibilities within your management system.

Contact NPT Management Systems today to discuss your company's needs.

Get in Touch >   Testimonials >

Based in Southampton, Explosive Risk Managment Ltd provide a range of expert services to the defence, security and policing sectors. Some time ago, we at NPT Management Systems helped ERM to implement an effective quality management system (QMS) that was specifically tailored to the company's needs and processes; we then helped the company to achieve ISO 9001 certification with zero non-conformances.

We were recently asked to work with Explosive Risk Management again, since they were looking to make the transition to ISO 9001:2015 (the latest version of the international quality management standard). After much preparation and hard work, we are very pleased to announce that ERM have successfully migrated their QMS to the latest ISO standard, ensuring the continued quality of their services for years to come.

Here's what ERM's Managing Director Simon de Gruchy had to say about the service we provided:

"Neil from NPT initially provided advice and assisted in the development of our first QMS to allow us to gain ISO 9001 certification. This system served the company so well that we were able to make changes ourselves as the business evolved, maintaining our certification on annual audits.

"Recently, we engaged NPT again as we were required to transition to the new ISO 9001 standard. Neil worked with the company at short notice and on evenings/weekends to ensure that we were ready, and he worked around our existing workload and busy schedule.

"Because of this dedication and client commitment, I unhesitatingly recommend NPT Management Systems to any organisation requiring either transition services or a complete ISO system for first-time certification."

If you're based in the South of England and your organisation needs help with ISO 9001 certification, please don't hesitate to contact NPT Management Systems today.

Based in Southampton, NPT Management Systems work with clients across the South of England.

If you are looking for an experienced local consultant who can help you and your company to achieve ISO certification - whether that's ISO 9001, ISO 14001, or a different family of standards - then look no further: NPT Management Systems can help you.

We are a Southampton-based team of ISO consultants specialising in the planning and implementation of:

• Quality management systems (ISO 9001)
  
• Environmental management systems (ISO 14001)
• Information security management systems (ISO 27001)
• Occupational health and safety management systems (OHSAS 18001, also known as ISO 18001)

We work with clients throughout the South of England, helping them to implement robust management systems that are specifically tailored to the unique needs of the organisation in question. We then help our clients to apply for the relevant ISO certification via an independent UKAS-accredited body. We have an outstanding track record - time and again, we have proven ourselves capable of helping clients to achieve ISO certification with zero non-conformances on the first attempt.

Testimonials from our clients >

Areas we cover

We work with businesses all over Southern England, including (but not limited to) the following locations:

• Southampton
• London
• Brighton
• Portsmouth

• Bristol
• Reading
• Oxford
• Bournemouth

We work closely with each and every client to ensure the best possible outcome for their organisation. We do not believe in the one-size-fits-all approach ISO certification; rather, we endeavour to understand the specific requirements and idiosyncrasies of each client's operation, then provide a management system that takes these into account.

NPT Management Systems are your local ISO consultants - contact us today to discuss your requirements >

We are proud to announce that British naval architects Canark Marine have selected NPT Management Systems as their ISO 9001 management system consultants.

Based in Southampton, Canark specialise in classic yacht revival utilising their expert skills in naval architecture, structural design and mechanical engineering.

"We were delighted to be selected by Canark Marine," said NPT's Principal Consultant Neil Peattie. "Given our close ties to the UK marine industry, we feel like there's a perfect fit between our two companies. We have actively been promoting the benefits of ISO 9001 within the marine sector of late, and we have helped a number of clients in Southampton and along the south coast as a whole to achieve ISO 9001 certification."

Achieving ISO 9001 certification is a great way to demonstrate that your organisation has a management system in place to support the needs of your customers. As the leading quality consultants in Southampton, we are always keen to help local companies implement tailor-made, ISO-compliant management systems to gain a competitive edge over their competitors.

If you are in the marine industry and feel that you could benefit from the services of NPT Management Systems, please contact us today.