remote audits approach best practice

April 20 2021

COR vs. ISO 45001 Certification: Which one is better?

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COR certification is the craze these days and seems to be the “must have” certification for construction companies. However, what most people don’t realize is that there is an alternative to COR certification which on many levels is superior. I’m referring to ISO 45001. When comparing these two strong certifications, one must ask themselves which one gives me more value for my investment. From a cost perspective, both certifications are relatively equivalent in the costs of preparation, audit and final certification. Since cost is not the driving force in this dissertation then other items need to be qualified.

We have decided to de-mystify this question by providing some pros and cons to these two certifications.

One of the benefits of ISO 45001 is that it is recognized internationally, and once a company obtains certification, it is valid in any jurisdiction.
COR is required in order to be certified in each province, which means if your company works in two or more provinces, you will need to familiarize yourself with the subtle differences among provinces prior to requesting equivalency.
COR was developed in Canada by the Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations to ensure that construction companies have set standards for measuring their health and safety programs. COR is widely recognized in Canada, and managers who have completed the NCSO are familiar with the COR auditing system, which provides an advantage for companies who choose to pursue COR.
ISO 45001 may not have as many managers who are specifically trained for the system. However, once the framework is learned, it is fairly easy to follow. It is also part of the ISO Annex XL system, meaning that if your company currently implements other ISO systems (for example 14001 – Environmental, ISO 9001-Quality Management Systems and many others), the framework of 45001 will feel familiar. Also, one must note that ISO 9001 is the core standard on which all ISO standards are built. This means that once a company implements one ISO standard, they’ve provided themselves the basic framework to implement any and all certifications. This provides an easier avenue for companies to achieve any ISO certification in the future.
ISO 45001 can often be successfully implemented in a much timelier manner than COR. This is especially true if your company is familiar with other ISO management systems.
Larger companies that currently employ a full-time in-house safety manager have an advantage over small or medium companies when it comes to COR. The program requires an in-house auditor, so having safety staff already in place is a big advantage.
With ISO 45001, there is no requirement for the full-time in-house auditor therefore smaller companies can opt to contract external consultants (not on full-time payroll). These external consultants can help manage the implementation process as well as provide ongoing audit support. This is a large cost savings to any size organization.
ISO 45001 has approximately 7 clauses which any health & safety system across the globe must follow in order to be accredited. The COR standard has 13 primary elements required for all provinces in Canada, with 6 additional elements required from companies in Ontario. The 19 elements for Ontario encompass the need for various procedures, policies and implementation measures. These additional requirements could prove burdensome for a company to implement and maintain.

After reviewing all of the above pros and cons for each certification, it’s clear that becoming ISO 45001 certified can be of greater benefit to an organization.

ISO Certification Consultants provides an A to Z approach for a Construction Company’s certification needs in ISO 45001 as well as ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certifications. Our organization can provide the consultation needed to ready a company for certification. In collaboration with a Canadian Accredited Certification Body, we can provide the necessary transition from our consultation services to our partner’s Audit and Certification services. This is what makes our process so unique and desirable to many of our clients. We handle the details thereby making your company’s journey uncomplicated.

December 8 2020

How to get started: ISO 9001 Certification simplified

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How to get started: ISO 9001 Certification simplified

When speaking with clients these are some of the things I hear:

It would be a great idea to get ISO 9001 Certified
We would like for our company to be ISO certified but we don’t know where to start
We need ISO certification but don’t know what’s involved
Where do we begin?
How much does it cost?
How quickly can this be done?
What are the steps?
When can I get audited?
What do we need to do?

And any combination of these.

It’s interesting to find that there are a number of companies out there who are geared to providing the auditing and certifying for any business. You place a phone call and book an appointment. This in my estimation is the easiest transaction available. An auditor comes to your facility or provides a remote audit and provides you an assessment of your company’s conformance to the ISO 9001:2015 standard. Easy enough. Then they go away and wait 90 days for you to provide evidence that you’ve corrected the minor non-conformances. If major non-conformances exist, they want to book another follow up review of your facility to validate your compliance. This is one cost of getting certified.

I’ve discovered what’s really missing. Many smaller companies have heard of the benefits of ISO 9001 certification but don’t really understand how to navigate this complex world. When potential clients call me, I take the time to make them understand what’s involved. Invariably I get thanks and accolades for taking the time to explain the steps. I’ve even heard, “it’s so nice to actually speak with a real live person”.

What’s typically missing are the competent and qualified consultants who get the small or medium size business’s ready for ISO Audit. These are the unsung heroes of the business. Company’s like ISO Certification Consultants are few and far between. They understand what’s involved and how to get a company ready for it’s first ISO 9001 audit.

Our approach is simple. We provide a consulting service which walks a company through the steps needed to get ready for it’s first ISO 9001 Audit. We understand the needs of business. Most auditors are not business people. They are pure practitioners and are therefore well suited to the Audit and Certification side of the business. Although Auditing is a very intense and often tiring activity it pales in comparison to the energy and time required to prepare for the audit. As business people we know the value of time and money, therefore we’ve streamlined the approach. We can even provide our consulting remotely, depending on the company.

I advise my clients to take the “border-crossing” approach to start. This means only answer the most necessary questions which need to be answered. If portions of the standard don’t apply, don’t look for reasons or find ways to make it apply. The standard and its clauses must be tailored to your unique business. No more, no less.

Breakdown the business into the fundamental core process’s
Develop High level Process diagrams and steps for each process
Develop next level standardized work instructions
Document the steps. Start with a system for documentation and storage.
Develop the recording and reporting process’s
KEEP IT SIMPLE

Now, it’s important to note that Clause 10 of the ISO 9001:2015 standard talks about continuous improvement activity. What most company’s miss is that the standard is a more than just a Quality Management system. When properly implemented it forms the framework for a complete Business Management System. The ISO 9001:2015 standard is the basis for the integration of a company’s systems in a way which provides a value-added approach to doing business. Many company’s fail to remember that their company’s operational stance should be built around a very basic premise. That is, is the company activity value added and is it something that the customer is willing to pay for. If the answer to one of both of these questions is NO, then you should stop doing it.

ISO 9001:2015, when properly implemented, can help a company put in place the methodology to help address these questions. It’s also the basis for other integrated systems such as ISO 14001 (Environmental), ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety) and a number of other ISO standard which are commensurate with the type of business vertical your company occupies.

Another common statement amongst company’s is, ‘just get me my certificate so that I can continue with my business.’ This attitude and approach contravenes the reason for getting ISO Certification in the first place. Once you put a basic system in place, the goal should be to continuously improve everything about your business. Many company’s neglect this most important point. Depending on the type of business this can be a recipe for poor performance in many areas and sometimes disaster. History is full of examples of company’s that went out of business because they simply did not improve or change. Meanwhile the competitors who continued in business made it a regular exercise to improve and where required re-invent themselves.

ISO Certification Consultants provides a one-stop consulting service for your ISO certification needs. We provide the consultation, our partner accredited group provides the auditing and certification.

October 17 2020

Accredited vs. Non-Accredited ISO Auditor

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I’ve had this question raised by people in the past.
What is the difference between getting certified by an accredited vs. non-accredited Certification body?

To be clear, a non-accredited body is not necessarily an incompetent organization.
There can be some very good organizations within those ranks.
The problem is, to be a non-accredited organization is easy. Anyone can self declare themselves as a competent certifying body.
As a consumer how does one gauge or rate their services? A company wishing to become ISO 9001 certified will be paying money to achieve this certification. They need to spend their money wisely.
It’s important to note that many organizations including Governments are making it mandatory now that certifications are from accredited certifying bodies. So the choice becomes very clear when confronted by these type of mandatory requirements.

When a certifying body states that it’s accredited by an organization such as the IAF (International Accreditation Forum), it’s stating that it’s been independently audited and certified by IAF as meeting the minimum requirements of being a qualified certifying body to ISO/IEC 17021: (Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems). To put this in perspective: When an organization is being audited for compliance to ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 or any number of ISO standards, who audits the auditors? This is the crux of the argument for using accredited vs. non-accredited auditors.

When using an accredited auditor you are being provided assurance that the Certifying body is considered competent to an internationally recognized level of competency as stated by the internationally acclaimed certification body:IAF. Moreover from a price perspective, quite often there is no difference in price between an accredited and non-accredited organization. With this point in mind, why would a company choose non-accredited for their ISO needs?

An IAF accredited auditing/certifying body is also capable of competing Internationally for business. This is a strong business consideration for the Certifying body.
Also to remain IAF Accredited, the ISO certifying body must be continually audited on a schedule to ensure that compliance is being maintained rigorously. This is a very serious undertaking. Note that there are a number of companies shown as delisted on the IAF member directory. This is a clear indication that IAF takes their business seriously. They don’t rubber stamp organizations if they pay their fee. Also, on that note, their is a fee which is paid to the IAF. This is why some companies choose not to be accredited. It’s an obvious cost savings to them.

ISO Certification Consultants, is partnered with an IAF certified organization which is operating Internationally. Not only do you benefit from our competence as consultants but you benefit from the competence of an internationally IAF certified company for your ISO auditing and ISO Certifying needs. We welcome any inquiries from companies needing help in navigating the ISO world.

October 17 2020

ISO Auditing

Many people enroll in ISO Auditor Training worldwide.
With Covid 19 here, classroom courses have disappeared and have been replaced by the video conferencing era.

Of important note is that the majority of people who become an ISO Lead Auditor never embark on the course of becoming a full time auditor. There are a number of reasons for this:

Firstly, being a good auditor requires practice, perseverance and constant application. ISO auditing cannot be a part time job unless the auditor is a retiree. Even then, the auditor needs to keep current in his/her qualifications.

Secondly, when you are a highly qualified ISO auditor you are typically in high demand and hence very busy. What this means is that you will have a very rigid schedule of audits which can quite often be back to back or week to week. A typical audit can last anywhere from 1 to 5 days depending on the requirements. This means that a typical auditor will always be travelling and living in a hotel and eating at restaurants all the time. Now for some people this sounds like a lot of fun but I can assure you it’s not for the faint of heart. Travelling for work is totally different than travelling while on vacation. If you travel for a long time, it makes for a lonely existence. Most people typically don’t fare well over a long term “living out of a suitcase”.

Thirdly, ISO auditing is hard work. If you take it seriously it’s mentally tiring. Auditing an organization is serious business. The reputation of the Certifying body is in jeopardy if the ISO auditor is not competent. Moreover the livelihood of an organization is at stake if an auditor does not exercise good common sense or discretion while auditing. This is because some companies are required to have ISO 9001:2015 certification in good standing in order to continue doing business with their customers. This not only means current business but future business. Many customers do not allow a company to bid on new business if they’re not ISO 9001:2015 certified.

ISO Auditing is a very serious and respectable profession. ISO Certification Consultants Inc. is one such professional organization.
We have the experience and competency that a client requires and deserves. Feel free to contact us to get a better understanding of who we are and how we can help you.

October 13 2020

ISO Audit Training

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ISO Audit Training is performed by a number of companies worldwide.
Over the years, training has become an additional business line to Certification auditing, citifying and consulting business’s. Training has become the logical adjunct.

The quality of ISO Audit Training is predicated on some basic facts:

Firstly, this type of training is done in a classroom setting at a pre-designated offsite location.
The advantage of this type of training is

a) the student is away from work or home and therefore does not have the typical distractions,

b) person to person mentoring and training is improved which can overcome speech and language barriers.

c) improved synergy through the interactions of class participants as everyone comes to the class with different levels of knowledge and experience. This type of networking is advantageous to participants on a a number of levels.

Secondly, ISO Audit Training is only as good as the training literature and knowledge and experience of the lecturer.
This point alone separates the excellent from the average in this industry.

It’s important to note that no matter the quality of training provided, true understanding and comprehension only comes from doing. Like any new skill acquired, it’s repetition and practice which provides the ultimate validation of knowledge and learning. Many who partake in ISO Audit Training do so in order to gain a better understanding of the ISO Audit Process and the mind of the ISO auditor. Only a very small percentage of people ever embark on a career of ISO Auditing. There are a number of reasons for this.

Due to the recent Covid 19 event, the classroom ISO Audit Training has become defunct. This fact has forced company’s who provide this service to re-think their business. The high quality services provided by video conferencing companies have opened up a new vista of training never seen or considered before. However video conferencing training has also provided new challenges. For instance, Lecturers/trainers who do not have a good command of the language are at a disadvantage.

This factor can reduce the communication and comprehension of material presented. Also, the quality of the training literature becomes a very key component to the mastery of the material communicated. Lastly, the quality of a student’s computer and internet connectivity can often times be the limiting factor to having a satisfactory online experience.

ISO Certification Consultants Inc. understands these challenges and has tailored their ISO Audit Training to compensate for what can be controlled. However no Training
organization can compensate for poor hardware, software and connectivity.

October 13 2020

What is an ISO Audit

What is an ISO Audit?
Well, there’s nothing really tricky about what an ISO audit is.
Simply speaking, it’s the process which an organization undertakes to audit their compliance to the relevant tenets of the ISO 9001:2015 standard. It is performed by a certified ISO 9001:2015 Lead auditor.

Depending on the complexity of the audit, it can require one of more auditors. This requirement is always discussed in advance with the client company. This is the general statement to what is an ISO Audit.

Covid 19 has forced the industry to re think its needs with respect to ISO auditing.

ISO auditors are performing more remote or online audits to support the needs of many organizations now.

ISO Certification Consultants Inc, with its partnership certification body, has auditors who are ready to perform these necessary audits for your organization.

October 4 2020

What is ISO Remote Audit Process

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Remote Audit Process for ISO has always been a necessity in situations where a company cannot be easily accessed for any number of reasons. Such as no roads, impassable roads etc. With Covid 19 in our lives, the IAF has become more accepting of the realities surrounding companies becoming ISO 9001 certified. Many auditors have the additional challenge of getting to a client company now due to travel restrictions and access to facilities restrictions.

The Remote Audit Process has become more accepted and in many cases mandatory or requested by companies. This has become, in many cases, the only way to circumvent
the challenges facing our industry due to Covid 19. I’m willing to challenge that the future of ISO 9001 auditing has been changed forever and that the remote ISO audit will become more sophisticated with time and the preferred method of ISO certification going forward.

The other ancillary benefit to remote audit process is the reduction in costs to the client as they no longer have to carry the travel costs associated with sending an auditor to their Business location.
This has turned into a win-win situation for both the company requesting ISO 9001 certification and the ISO certifying Body.

ISO Certification Consultants Inc. along with their partner certifying body is able to provide a remote ISO audit for your company.

We always welcome inquiries and would like to provide you a very competitive quote for your ISO 9001 Certification needs.

October 4 2020

What is ISO 9001

ISO 9001 certification seems to be the craze these days and the buzz word in many organizations. A little known fact is that the ISO organization first became more than just an idea back in 1946 when a group of 65 technical experts from 25 countries met to discuss the future of International Standardization. In 1947, the ISO organization was launched. Based in Geneva Switzerland, it has grown to be the governing body for all ISO standards currently in existence today.

The first true Quality Management Standard was launched by the ISO organization in 1987 and has been updated and upgraded to the most recent version in 2015 called ISO 9001:2015. With continuous improvement being the mandate for many growth oriented groups, its certainly possible that there will be updated versions in the years to come as the face of manufacturing and industry changes.

ISO 9001 is simply a total Quality Management System. When an organization follows the tenets of Clauses 4 through 10 in the order that they are presented, they will have considered the basic needs of a robust Quality Management system for their company.
The current ISO 9001:2015 standard has been carefully compiled in a methodical way so that building your Quality Management System in steps using Clause 4 to 10 will provide the systematic approach to the beginnings of your robust Quality Management System.

Please note: ISO 9001:2015 does not tell you how to run your company. It provides an auditable framework to help you consider all the basic needs of a robust Quality Management System. Once a company has produced a stable Quality approach, then clause 10 of the ISO 9001:2015 standard becomes the key driver to continuous improvement in your company.

If you would like to learn more about how your company can become ISO 9001:2015 certified, please contact us at ISO Certification Consultants Inc.

September 28 2020

WHY GET ISO 9001 CERTIFIED

I get this question all the time. Here are some of the common ones :

It’s costly. We can’t afford it.
Why should we spend that money.
It serves no purpose.
It’s a waste of time.
It’s a big money grab.
The auditors make the money.
We don’t get any benefit.
Our company’s philosophy is just do it. We fix problems as they come along.
Why do I need ISO to tell me how to run my company?
We don’t have time to document what we do. Time is money.
I don’t have the people or resources to spend on this.
My customers don’t require it of me so why spend the money.
I’m making good money on my product now.
How’s this going to positively impact my bottom line?

I can answer some of these questions easily. The answer to some of the other questions will require you and your organizations to seek on your own.

Business’s which stagnate typically follow the adage: “Why change how we do things. If it ain’t broke don’t touch it”.
Although there is a part of me which understands this, It’s also a fact that change is inevitable and those who embrace it can ultimately prosper from it. ISO 9001 certification is no exception to this. In essence, company’s which do the same thing and never change with the times, can ultimately see their business erode and fade away over time. Newer companies with new ideas that keep abreast of the changing times ultimately fare better. So this point alone is a fairly compelling reason for ISO certification all on its own.

If you require more practical reasons I’ve outlined some of the more important ones here:

ISO 9001 Certification improves a company’s ability to compete for new business. Many larger companies are now mandating ISO 9001 certification to their suppliers as a minimum requirement to not only do business but to bid on new business.
ISO 9001 Certification provides a systematic approach to organizations. By following the requirements of Sections 4 through Section 10 of the standard, a company can develop and follow a proven system for managing the Quality Systems of a company from beginning to end. This documented and simple approach follows the PDCA (Plan Do Check Act)
Methodology which is a proven approach to mitigating risk. In fact, many customers require this approach as a minimum requirement to doing business with them.
A systematic approach takes the guess work out of your business. It allows a company to make better decisions
Improved Customer satisfaction.
Improved Employee and stakeholder support and engagement.
A method for Measurement and documentation
A method for Continuous Improvement.
ISO 9001 is the basis for a number of other certifications for your organization, namely, ISO 14001 (Environmental) and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety). These three standards together form the backbone of any major company.

There are many more benefits of ISO 9001 certification. However, it’s important to note that not having a process for establishing and implementing the next levels of your organization can make your business become stagnant and ultimately uncompetitive. ISO Certification Consultants Inc. can help you with your needs.

September 28 2020

How to prepare for ISO Audit Process

Much has been written on the audit Process in the past. This article will break down the items which must be considered by an organization when engaging an auditor.
In a previous article, “Inside the mind of and auditor” we delved into how an auditor thinks.
This article will give the actual “nuts and bolts” of ISO Audit Process and how an ISO Auditor should navigate himself/herself through auditing .

The two major activities of an ISO Audit will consist of:

Review of an organizations current documents.
This consists of verification of the organization’s documentation. The goal is to gage how the documentation adheres to the relevant tenets of the ISO Audit Standard.
Process Review:
This is the main part of the physical audit. This is the activity whereby the ISO Auditor physically examines the organization’s adherence to the ISO Standard.
An auditor will sample operations in an organization looking for evidence of conformity to relevant tenets of the ISO Standard. This is where preparation is an organization’s
best friend. Having actual documentation showing the relevant connection between processes and how they support the organization’s Quality Management System, is a must.
Keep in mind that an ISO Auditor is on a strict schedule. Because of time constraints, he/she only has enough time to audit one or two examples of each key process.

It’s not practical nor possible to audit and evaluate everything within the organization’ four walls.
Again being prepared is your first line of defense. Excessive fumbling tends to give an auditor the sense that the Company has problems or is simply not engaged enough
nor prepared for the auditor. This can have the effect of causing potential questions which could lead to a major or minor non-conformance. Poor documentation and preparedness
causes the auditor to rely on asking more in depth questions of the employees themselves. Auditors will ask the same questions of the same employee operating the
same equipment on either the same shift or multiple shifts. This line of questioning tends to give less consistent results and can lead to a major or minor non-conformance

Organizations which tend to fare well in ISO Audits are the ones which have definitive and planned internal audits on a weekly/monthly/Quarterly basis.
These audits should be done by competent and trained employees. It’s advisable that you put your designated internal auditors through a training course to give them
the essential tools to perform their own internal audits. ISO Certification Consultants Inc. through its partnership company can provide Internal Auditor training.
By following a standardized approach to internal auditing, a company can avoid many of the pitfalls which lesser prepared companies fall into.
A standardized approach which consists of an Audit Checklist and a standardized approach to questioning stakeholders is the methodology which helps Company’s
avoid embarrassing situations during the ISO Certification audit. A systematic approach provides ongoing feedback on weaknesses in a company’s Quality Management System.

For further information and questions regarding ISO Audit, training your internal auditors please contact ISO Certification Consultants.