What gets measured gets managed. – Peter Drucker
A management consulting engagement without a proper measure of success is like a ship without a destination. You may be moving forward, but do you know if it’s in the right direction?
Engagements in ISO 9001 consulting are not an exception to this rule.. As a company, you invest time and money into the consulting process to improve your quality management system. But how do you know if the engagement was successful?
The client and the consulting firm both depend on a concrete indicator of success; but, how do you define success? Let’s look at some important criteria and benchmarks to help you assess the success of your ISO 9001 consulting involvement.
What is an ISO 9001 Consulting Engagement?
An ISO 9001 consulting engagement is a situation whereby an outside consultant or consulting firm helps a business to implement, maintain, or improve its quality management system (QMS). The consultant offers tools, knowledge, and direction to enable the business to meet its quality objectives and earn ISO 9001 certification.
The scope of an ISO 9001 consulting engagement may depend on the needs of a client. It might cover anything from a whole QMS overhaul to target particular areas for development. A successful consulting engagement should bring tangible benefits to the client and help them achieve their quality objectives regardless of the scope.
Key Factors that Determine the Success of an ISO 9001 Consulting Engagement
Here are some key factors that can help measure the success of your ISO 9001 consulting engagement.
Clear objectives and goals
Any consulting project should start with well defined goals and objectives. For ISO 9001, these objectives could be to obtain certification, improve processes, increase customer satisfaction, or reduce costs. Before starting the engagement, the consulting firm and the client should define and agree upon these goals.
Measuring the success of an ISO 9001 consulting engagement becomes easier when specific and measurable objectives are in place. Comparing the original objectives with the outcomes at the end of the participation helps one to determine the effectiveness of the participation.
You can also regularly track the engagement’s progress against these objectives to ensure it stays on track and delivers the desired results.
Implementation of ISO 9001 standards
One primary objective of an ISO 9001 consulting engagement is to help a company implement the ISO 9001 standards. These criteria are meant to guarantee constant quality all around the company and enhance procedures. A good indication of the effectiveness of the consulting involvement is the effective application of these criteria.
Internal audits, documentation and process reviews, and staff comments help you to gauge how ISO 9001 standards are applied. Any significant improvements in these areas can be considered a success for the consulting engagement.
Stakeholder involvement and satisfaction
The success of an ISO 9001 consulting engagement also depends on the involvement and satisfaction of stakeholders. The QMS involves top management, employees, customers, and external auditors. More involvement and satisfaction from these stakeholders indicate a successful consulting engagement.
You can measure stakeholder satisfaction by conducting surveys, interviews, and gathering feedback. If most stakeholders are satisfied with the changes made to the QMS, it is a good indication that the consulting engagement was successful.
Reduction of nonconformities and improvement in processes
Identification and resolution of nonconformies is a fundamental component of ISO 9001. These weaknesses or deviations from ISO 9001 criteria have to be fixed. A good consulting engagement should lower nonconformities and bring processes generally closer together.
Tracking nonconformies both before and after the engagement will help you to assess any process changes. Clearly indicating the success of the consulting engagement are a notable drop in nonconformities and process enhancements.
Cost savings and efficiency
Lastly, a successful ISO 9001 consulting engagement should bring tangible benefits to the client, such as cost savings and increased efficiency. Following ISO 9001 criteria usually results in simplified procedures, less waste, and higher production.
Comparing the company’s pre- and post-engagement expenses helps you to estimate cost reductions. Analogously, measures of customer satisfaction, lead time, and cycle time help you to track efficiency. Any notable development in these areas is obviously evidence of the effectiveness of the consulting relationship.
How to Measure the Success of ISO 9001 Consulting Engagement?
Here are some ways you can measure the success of your ISO 9001 consulting engagement.
Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs)
Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) comes first in determining how successful an ISO 9001 consulting engagement is. These particular indicators enable one to monitor development and evaluate the influence of the participation.
Customer satisfaction
One KPI could be customer satisfaction before and after the consulting engagement. Surveys, feedback forms, and other ways of getting client comments help one to gauge this.
Net Promoter Score (NPS) is another popular KPI for customer satisfaction. It is a simple and effective way to track how likely your customers are to recommend your company to others. A higher NPS suggests a more notable influence of the consulting engagement on customer satisfaction.
Quality management performance
Another KPI could be the quality management system (QMS) performance before and after the consulting engagement.
The percentage of rejections, customer complaints, and nonconformities can all be used as metrics to track the effectiveness of the QMS. A good consultant should cause these figures to drop.
Acceptance rates and on-time delivery are also important metrics to track. An increase in these numbers indicates an improvement in your QMS’s performance, which can be attributed to the consulting engagement.
Risk management
Furthermore aiming at enhancing risk management inside the company should be the consulting engagement. Monitoring events, mishaps, and near-misses both before and after the involvement helps one to gauge this. The effective application of ISO 9001 criteria can help to explain declining numbers.
Regular progress reviews
Regular progress reviews are essential to ensuring that the consulting engagement stays on track and delivers the desired results. This can be done by comparing actual outcomes against the established objectives and KPIs.
Any deviations or areas needing work can be taken care of right away. These studies also give a chance to get comments from stakeholders and modify the involvement as necessary.
Post-implementation audits
Post-implementation audits will be conducted after the consulting engagement and the ISO 9001 standards have been fully implemented. These audits can help determine whether the QMS is functioning as intended and identify areas for improvement.
Post-implementation audits also provide an opportunity to gather feedback from stakeholders on their overall satisfaction with the changes made to the QMS. The results of these audits can serve as a final benchmark for the success of the consulting engagement.
Conclusion
A company’s decision to engage in ISO 9001 consulting services is an investment towards improving its quality management processes and overall performance. You can accurately measure the success of your ISO 9001 consulting engagement by establishing KPIs, conducting regular progress reviews and post-implementation audits, and gathering feedback from stakeholders.
Ultimately, a successful consulting engagement should result in improved stakeholder satisfaction, reduction of nonconformities, cost savings, and increased efficiency. By consistently monitoring and evaluating these areas, you can ensure that your ISO 9001 consulting engagement delivers the desired results and adds value to your organization.
If you are considering ISO 9001 consulting services, choose a reputable and experienced consultancy. Sync Resource offers comprehensive ISO 9001 consulting services.