Consultants and Certification Organizations are Working Together

K

keres

#1
I am writing this post for exchange of experience. In Bulgaria already has some cases in which consultants and certification organizations are working together. The Consultant recomend certification organization in which "the audit will go easier" or certification organization recommends "good consultant. It is related to commissions.

How is it in your countries?
 
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Marc

Hunkered Down for the Duration with a Mask on...
Staff member
Admin
#3
I am writing this post for exchange of experience. In Bulgaria already has some cases in which consultants and certification organizations are working together. The Consultant recomend certification organization in which "the audit will go easier" or certification organization recommends "good consultant. It is related to commissions.

How is it in your countries?
Consultants (many, but not all) have been working with certification bodies in this way for many years. Excuse me if this sounds blunt, but this has always been a very common "relationship" (speaking as someone who started working with with ISO 9001 in the early 1990's). Some do it on a commission basis while others see it as a symbiotic relationship where each sends the other business but no accounting is kept and no money passes between them.
 

Marc

Hunkered Down for the Duration with a Mask on...
Staff member
Admin
#5
Unfortunately yes!
Not necessarily. It is more common for a consultant to *claim* the registrar they recommend will "be easier on them" or some other sales pitch, but if the consultant is any good it won't matter what registrar a company chooses.
 

Colin

Quite Involved in Discussions
#6
Consultants (many, but not all) have been working with certification bodies in this way for many years. Excuse me if this sounds blunt, but this has always been a very common "relationship" (speaking as someone who started working with with ISO 9001 in the early 1990's). Some do it on a commission basis while others see it as a symbiotic relationship where each sends the other business but no accounting is kept and no money passes between them.
I agree with Marc's comments - CB's and consultants working together does not always mean a fraudulent situation. Much of the 'new' work for CB's comes through consultants, if I help someone to implement a system, they will usually ask me to recommend a CB. Most consultants I know will normally obtain around 3 quotations and will usually have some form of working relationship with some CB's.

Likewise, if an organisation approaches a CB to ask about getting registered, the CB will often give them the names of a few consultants they know. I don't see a problem with either of these situations.

Where I do see the problem is when the consultant doesn't do a good job but the CB still award a certificate or where the CB has their own consultancy division.
 
A

adickerson

#9
Most companies work with one registrar and one quality system - their own. In a more limited way they may look at their customers or suppliers and that is about it. They may only talk to a registrar a few times a year.

Consultants on the other hand could be talking to registrars a few times a week about dozens of systems over a year. It makes sense that consultants are better at getting things done or have a closer knowledge of what a registrar will or will not accept.

A close relationship does not mean corruption. I am sure there are some bad practices out there - I have seen a few. However, I think most registrars and consultants just work well together becasue that is the nature of how things work.

Same thing happens everywhere:
Real Estate Agents - Mortgage Loan Companies
Electricians - Building Code Enforcement
Lawyers - Clerks of the Court
Waste Clean Up Companies - Environment Regulators

Quality is no different. Just make sure you work with people who are looking out for you.
 

somashekar

Staff member
Super Moderator
#10
No problem if they work together. But we are missing the third dimension, The Customer ...
It is here that sometimes all the easy ways and cheaper costs are initiated and then the nexus follows.
No wonder you will see CB's and Consultants who hold ethics on top and also some others who never hold to it.
No wonder also that many reputed organizations when selecting suppliers look for certified suppliers from specific CB's, and add to this their own customer audit as a requirement to be agreed upfront by the supplier before they register them as approved suppliers.
 
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