First time certification to an international standard can be daunting. Every business is a little different.
What is Certification?
In this context certification is having an independent, accredited third party (you are the first party and your customer is the second party) evaluate your company and certify you meet an international standard. It may be ISO 9001 or a more specific standard like ISO 13485 for medical devices, ISO 14001 for the environment or VCAP for your scales. This is a company willing to risk their reputation promoting your company as capable of meeting an industry acceptable level of performance.
Why do you want to be certified?
There are many reasons companies decide to become certified to an international standard. Here are just a few:
A customer demands certification or I will lose their business
This is probably the most common reason I hear for companies seeking first time certification. It does bring up some concerns for a consultant. The primary one is whether top management will support the implementation of the standard. The common view of top management is certification is an expensive plaque on the wall with no real value. That is a huge problem to address in the beginning or the system you install will not be fully effective. This is a place the consultant can say things an employee can’t.
The boss’ friend’s company just got certified and it sounds like a good idea.
With this scenario there is some level of buy in from top management but they don’t have the concept of the work required to become certified or the cost. Prepare for “sticker-shock” with the cost and unrealistic timeframes. A consultant will help you educate management.
We need certification to increase sales
This is a company that will be able to implement the new standard quickly and see the benefits just as quickly. Knowing the market your company wants to enter, a consultant can organize your systems to meet the requirements efficiently.
We have quality problems and have no idea how to fix them
The first step is realizing there is a problem. The second step is finding a way to address it. A well crafted quality management system, tailored to your company can move you from the worst supplier to the best. I’ve done it for over 20 years.
Why do you need a consultant?
It’s not as simple as reading the standard and making it happen.
Interpret the standard
Have you read the standard? What is your experience in regulated environments? Do you understand the terminology? What is risk-based thinking and what impact does that have on how you build your company’s systems? This is where a good consultant makes a difference.
Prevent false starts
Most people are too prescriptive when they try and implement a standard for the first time. The system becomes so unwieldy everyone in the company becomes disillusioned and frustrated and the project usually falls apart. A consultant will show you how to streamline and create an effective and efficient system.
Buy an inexpensive “canned” program instead hiring a consultant
You get what you pay for. Each and every company is unique. The quality management system must be built around you and your people with an understanding of their knowledge and education and they type of product you produce. Standardized programs have to assume a level of automation and a minimum of qualitative requirements and tend to be document heavy. It creates a system that adds cost and wastes time to maintain and seldom relates to your company culture. A consultant will help you develop the right level of controls and documentation to create improvement, reduce waste, reduce costs and increase sales.
How to get started
Call a knowledgeable consultant company like, Technacon Company, Inc. We will guide you on the documents you need to purchase and help you establish an implementation plan. We start by looking to see what you already have in place and how you can utilize your systems to create an effective management system that should be certified to first time you call to be registered.
Contact us at: technacon1986@sbcglobal.net or call (708) 814-3685
Technacon Company – Experts in ISO Implementation:
- Full-Service International Standards Implementation
- Customized Training/Documentation
- 20+ Years of Experience
- ISO 9001
- ISO 13485
- ISO 14001
- VCAP
- ISO 17100