Quoting Jobs: Cost of a Consultant?

[Jen Kirley]

Greetings.

This is just to say that I'm glad, really glad to have found the Cove. I am a provisional qms auditor and I always turn to the Cove whenever I have qms related concerns. Just recently, a manufacturing company asked me for quotation to help them set up a quality management system that will undergo certification. Although I do provide consulting services to small companies who had to align their qms (not necessarily be certified) to ISO 9002:1994 and lately, ISO 9001:2000 to meet regulatory requirements, these efforts are more of spoonfeeding, as one of my clients gratefully admitted. For this new project, I am thinking of being more of a guide and director rather than part-time driver. I have no idea how much a "real" consulting service cost and the consultant's scope of work. With the rough estimates given previously, I can make the currency conversion (PhP50 ~ 1$) and hopefully come up with a price which the company would consider enough of an investment for them to take the effort seriously. My previous fees are way lower, considering the size and capability of the firms.
Here's hoping that someday, I could make meaningful contributions to the Cove.

Naomi

Naomi, I was once a member of ASQ's editing committee for the Certified Mechanical Engineer exam. When we all introduced ourselves in turn one of the group said she was not a long time professional. She said she thought she would not be of much value to the group's efforts and might be wasting space.

We disagreed with her and said it was important to us that she had not been a QA professional for years and years because she could tell us when the questions didn't make sense. And she did.

Same goes here. Quality is supposed to make sense, although certainly there will be many levels and areas of expertise that we can't all share. All are welcome here, and all should be able to get some kind of help from someone--even if that is a nudge to do a search for something that has been discussed many times.

I have often felt I don't have a lot to contribute here, but I learned I have certain areas where I can chip in with confidence. I think you will find you do as well.

 

[ktlasers]

I'd estimate them at between US$4K to US$10K.

That's what I'd say, too. We fell in that range.