Half of all firms certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO/TS 16949, OHSAS 18001 hired outside help to get there. As a result, most got the job done twice as fast as the rest. Proof that if time is money, expert help pays for itself.
Learn about Kantner & Company's expert consulting services -- helping you implement ISO 9000, ISO 14000, etc. Learn also about our contract internal audit services. Find out why we're the best.
- On-site consulting: how Kantner & Company helps you meet your ISO / OHSAS system challenges
- Distance consulting: a lower cost alternative
- Adding environmental and/or safety management to your ISO system
- Contract internal audit services
- How to find a good consultant
- What makes Kantner & Company the best
On-site consulting:
How Kantner & Company helps you meet your ISO 9000 / ISO 14000 / OHSAS 18000 system challenges
Most clients engage us to help them implement their ISO 9000, ISO 14000, TS 16949, or OHSAS 18000 system because they lack internal resources such as expertise and time. That's understandable. Setting up ISO is not what they do. It's what we do.
The traditional consulting process is carried out on-site. We visit your location for 2-4 days per month, working with members of your team to design and set up your ISO / OHSAS system and prepare it for successful certification audit.
While with you, we understand that you have "regular" work to do. So we take pains to be flexible – to "work around" your busy schedule – and to be as unobtrusive as possible. The typical consulting visit is a mix of activities, depending on the phase of the project:
- Document work
- Meetings and consultations
- Facility tours
- Training sessions
After each monthly visit, we send you a written status report that summarizes
- Overall project status
- Work completed during the visit
- Advice / guidance on key system issues
- Consultant recommendations
- Open issues and tasks
- Schedule of upcoming visits
We also invoice for consulting fees and travel expenses (with full documentation). Unlike other consulting firms, we do not
- Make clients pay an advance of 33% or 50% of the expected project charges. Rather, our clients pay month to month as the work is completed.
- Charge for time spent traveling to and from client site.
- Charge for consultant work time while off-site (i.e. visit preparation, client phone calls, etc.)
For an estimate, contact us now.
Distance consulting: a lower cost alternative to on-site consulting
With distance consulting – as the name suggests – your Kantner & Company consultant guides you through the ISO / OHSAS implementation process without making regular visits to your site.
Generally, we make an initial visit to prepare the work plan for your approval. From that point on, we guide you through the steps, interacting with you via email and phone. Most of the hands-on implementation work (i.e. document preparation, etc.) is done by client personnel.
We charge a flat monthly fee for this service. This covers all required email / phone advice and guidance on a distance basis.
Adding environmental and/or safety management to your ISO system
Some firms that already have ISO 9001 or ISO 16949 quality management systems choose to add environmental management ISO 14001 and/or safety management OHSAS 18001 to their systems.
We help you get this done without reinventing the wheel. Many of the requirements of 14001 and 18001 are comparable to and redundant with certain ISO 9001 and/or TS16949 requirements. We develop a plan that enables you to have an integrated management system, addressing quality, environmental, and/or health and safety management - with no redundancy or excess.
This can be done either on an on-site or a distance consulting basis. Send now for an estimate.
Internal audit services
For companies that decide not to do the required ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO/TS 16949, or OHSAS 18001 internal audits themselves, we provide contract internal audit services at competitive rates.
Based on the schedule prescribed by you, we carry out internal audits at your location. We document our audit activity on specially prepared checklists. We give you a summary report itemizing system strengths and deficiencies found - citing the requirement, description of deficiency, and supporting evidence. We also tie audit results back to the international standard, with supporting documentation.
Our audits are more thorough and better documented than any external audit. The difference is, with our internal audit service you receive, at no extra charge, advice, guidance, and options for correcting deficiencies and improving your quality management processes.
How to find a good consultant
The ISO world is overrun with consulting firms, independent consultants, and sources of assistance of all flavors and descriptions. Not all of these are right for you; one size definitely does not fit all, and your mileage may vary. Besides the inevitable fly-by-nights and outright frauds, there are many different consultant attitudes and approaches in the field. And there is no licensing, testing, certification, or other screening for consultants - literally anyone can become a consultant simply by calling him/herself one.
The best way to find a good consultant is to poll your colleagues, friends, associates, (friendly) competitors, suppliers, etc. Certainly someone in your network has obtained help with ISO issues. Find out who they worked with and how their experience went. This is generally better than any advertisement, mailing, fax, or web site promotion.
Don't just talk to one consultant. Talk to several. Compare and contrast. Obtain details and specifics as to their capabilities and experience:
- How many organizations have they taken all the way through - from zero to certification? (Note: classroom experience is no substitute for on-the-ground field implementation experience.)
- What is their range of services? (Some consultants only provide guidance, and leave other critical activities such as training, documentation drafting, etc. to the client or to other contractors. You're best off with someone who provides all necessary services.)
- What certification bodies are they affiliated with? A good consultant should be fully independent and put your interests first.
It's also a good idea to get the 17 answers – before hiring a consultant.
