How to be an Auditing Consultant

L

lotstofry

Hi ,
I have 4 years of manufacturing experience, Masters in engineering and have done about 20 internal audits so far.I am working on getting my ASQ CQA certification and have been trained as an internal auditor. What is the route one should take to become a consultant and get customers. Any one with such experience? Would ASQ CQA be better than the RABQSA lead auditor training?

Please advise!
 
G

George Weiss

I notice you are a first-time thread-poster, and so say greetings, and hello!
.
…..I see you work in manufacturing, and want help with becoming a manufacturing engineering consultant.
Your issue(s) are within the scope of various standards and regulations.
I am George. I am greeting you at the door so-to-speak. There will be more, and better response posts than mine.
I have opinions and facts on your post, and sometimes they mix. (I am told that I am full-of-it)
…..I have come to this forum for advise, and quickly learned of the win-win in the discussion of many subjects.
You will meet possible customers and contacts in the quality world with ties to all kinds of information.
In my small observations, I have seen connections/associations to the specific job area help.
The work will develop through word of mouth in areas of association LIKE THIS FORUM!
Giving more work specifics really connects to people for a response!
HELP US ANSWER YOUR QUESTION(S)
This forum is the place for quality comment, which is generally good and sometimes excellent.
For specific questions you get good helpful answers, and when asking for debate you will get some.
The short-coming of most opening posts is the desire of having an incompletely described post answered accurately.

Providing: (really, really helps!)
  1. Your location, (Australia, China, England, Europe, India, USA)
  2. Product or service. If a medical device, then offer the device class please!
  3. Standards related to business and or problem(s), which you are concerned about or are applicable.
SEARCHING FORUM FAQs IS VERY EASY
…..This forum has been around for over 10 years with a vast collection of historical information and current advice.
I would always recommend a visit to this collection by pressing the [Search] button on the upper part of page.
It is this forum’s FAQs vector engine, with this quality community’s responses.
By searching for your subject like "process template", "uncertainty", or "ISO 9001",
you can find a lot of subject specific help.
In closing, the fine print:
…..I make comments and reference Google-searched reference materials in most of my responses. I try to walk the intention of the hyper linked material’s copyrights by offering these references which are assumed to be for personal educational use, unless a public government site such as FDA, EPA, OSHA, NIST, and etc. is references. I am an amateur forum member, and suggest a paid professional for legal advise.
…..I hope that I helped you, and if I somehow offended you, by opinion or comment, then I apologize.
Reading and writing posts can be confusing. Also misunderstandings are common.
Good Bye! :bigwave:
 
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Marc

Fully vaccinated are you?
Leader
I would think the RABQSA would be the preference.

Do remember the RABQSA course gives you a 'diploma' (for lack of a better word). If I remember correctly it does not mean you will be a certified RABQSA auditor. I.e.: It's a course.

There are a lot of audtors here who should be able to help with more specifics.
 

Marc

Fully vaccinated are you?
Leader
By the way - As to being a Consultant, anyone can hang up a shingle and sell their services, but it's like any business. You have to make a business plan and go from there. My personal opinion is there is an overabundance of auditors so you'll be diving into a *lot* of competition.
 
A

adickerson

The ASQ Auditor Certification can be be used as the required training course for the RABQSA program. I would contact the RABQSA before applying an making sure you have the current information. This was accurate as of November of 2010.
 

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mdurivage

Quite Involved in Discussions
The ASQ Auditor Certification can be be used as the required training course for the RABQSA program. I would contact the RABQSA before applying an making sure you have the current information. This was accurate as of November of 2010.

Is there a study guide to cover the differences?
 
A

adickerson

Is there a study guide to cover the differences?
If you have a current ASQ-CQA then you can fill out the application I attached and become a RABQSA auditor by paying the new auditor registration fees and passing the GAP exam. Basicaly they accept the CQA exam as being equivalent to a Lead Auditor Training course.

The RABQSA Gap Examination is a 25 question test taken online that is open book. The test covers the ISO9001 standard. The questions for this test are pretty easy.

I took the GAP exam because I applied using a different set of rules so I can offer some insight. This is not an actual test question but is VERY similar to what is on the GAP exam: "What section of the standard requires a need to establish processes, documents, and provide resources specific to the product." The answer is 7.1.B, if you look up that section in the standard it reads word for word. If you can answer that kind of question about the 9001 standard then you will have no problem with the GAP exam.
 

AndyN

Moved On
Having been an auditor consultant for quite a few years, apart from the satisfaction that I've attended, written and delivered a significant number of auditor courses, rarely do clients ask for my qualifications! To make the grade as a 'consultant' doing audits, I'm going to tell you that you need more experience than you've got, so far! Get someone who has - one of the many expert consultants here, for example - and get them to shadow you to see what they make of you! Doing audits to pass an ISO certification audit doesn't, IMHO, qualify anyone to be an audit consultant - sorry to be brutal!
 
G

George Weiss

There are very small upstart groups that team consulting jobs. In this way developing the customer's QMS product just like a focus group. specialists in areas, and developing cross-over abilities. Engineering, Marketing/Sales, Acounting, and etc. A good number of the Accrediting auditors, I have observed, had their specialties. As a middle ground, it would appear that going alone would be a more difficult course, than attaching to an organization as a team member, and further refine your talents. I have one Grand example. Klaus Yager PHD. I worked for this man when he was the manager of a top-tier west coast Standards Lab, of then Lockheed in California. He retired, and became an A2LA Auditor. Part of a team where he was well known through NCSL. It helps to have the connections.
 

John Broomfield

Leader
Super Moderator
Hi ,
I have 4 years of manufacturing experience, Masters in engineering and have done about 20 internal audits so far.I am working on getting my ASQ CQA certification and have been trained as an internal auditor. What is the route one should take to become a consultant and get customers. Any one with such experience? Would ASQ CQA be better than the RABQSA lead auditor training?

Please advise!

lotstofry,

No, continue from ASQ CQA to RABQSA or IRCA certified lead auditor.

Management system consultants can do a much better job if they are also certified lead auditors (they know what questions to ask and can focus quickly on what is important to the organization while ignoring the fluff).

Try not to conceal system weaknesses by consulting during auditing.

After all, the system is meant to work well without audit!

Best wishes,

John
 
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