Gap analysis
Your current state compared against the clauses, identifying what is genuinely missing — we do not assume you start from zero.
Quality & accreditation
ISO 9001 readiness — a system that works, not paperwork for the wall
We build a management system that reflects how you actually work and passes the certification audit — ISO 9001 for quality or ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety. After certification it stays an operating tool rather than a file revived before each annual audit.
Who this is for
- Organisations where a tender or major client requires ISO certification
- Organisations seeking prequalification with government or semi-government entities
- Fast-growing organisations that need to settle processes and ownership
- Certified organisations facing repeated findings in surveillance audits
Stages of the engagement
Process definition
A real process map reflecting your workflow and the ownership of each step, rather than a template that does not resemble your organisation.
Documentation
Quality policy, manuals, procedures and forms, plus document and record controls — to the extent the standard requires and no further.
Implementation and records
The longest stage: running the system for real and training the team on its procedures, because the standard wants evidence of operation, not intent.
Internal audit and management review
A genuine internal audit with documented findings and corrections, and a complete management review — both explicitly required before certification.
Certification audit readiness
Preparing your team for the auditor's questions, accompanying you through both audit stages, and closing any findings until the certificate is issued.
What you receive
- A gap analysis report with a scheduled remediation plan
- The complete quality manual, procedures and forms
- A process map and responsibility matrix
- Performance indicators tied to your commercial objectives
- The internal audit report and management review minutes
- Team training on the system before the audit
How we work
- 01
Assessment visit
Understanding the activity, sites and lines of work, and defining the certification scope precisely.
- 02
Gap analysis
A report setting out what is already in place and what is missing, with a remediation timeline.
- 03
Build and implement
Preparing documentation, training the team, running the system and collecting records.
- 04
Audit and certification
Internal audit and management review, then accompanying you through both stages of the certification audit.
Timeline, cost and the certification cycle
A small organisation with clear processes may be ready in three to four months; a mid-sized organisation with multiple sites or production lines needs six months or more. The deciding factors are process discipline before starting and senior management's engagement.
The point most often missed when comparing proposals: ISO certification is not a single payment but a three-year cycle. A proposal quoting one figure without stating which part of that cycle it covers is hiding costs that surface later.
The three-year certification cycle
- 1
Implementation and readinessBefore certification
Gap analysis, building and running the system, collecting records, then the internal audit and management review. This is where the consultant's fee sits, and the stage that determines whether everything after it succeeds.
- 2
Certification auditYear 1
The certification body audits in two stages: documentation review, then the on-site audit. The certificate is issued once findings are closed. This fee is paid to the certification body, not the consultant.
- 3
First surveillance auditYear 2
A narrower audit verifying the system is still genuinely in use. Organisations that treated the certificate as paperwork for the wall collect their findings here.
- 4
Second surveillance, then recertificationYear 3
A second surveillance audit, after which a new cycle begins with a recertification audit. Certification is never granted for life.
Frequently asked questions
How long does ISO certification take?
Three to four months for small organisations with disciplined processes, and six months or more for mid-sized organisations with multiple sites or production lines. The timeline depends on existing documentation readiness far more than on headcount.
Do you issue the certificate yourselves?
No, and we may not. We are the consultancy that builds the system and prepares you; the certificate is issued by an independent accredited certification body whose fee is paid directly to them. Any party offering both consulting and certification is breaching accreditation rules.
Do I pay once or every year?
The cost is spread across a three-year cycle: the consultant's fee sits in the implementation stage before certification, then the certification body's fee at the Year 1 certification audit, and smaller fees at the Year 2 and Year 3 surveillance audits. When comparing two proposals, always ask which stage of the cycle the quoted figure covers.
What drives the cost up?
Multiple sites, multiple production lines or activities, no prior documentation, and a requirement for English-language documents. Organisation size alone is not the main factor.
Why do some organisations fail the audit despite complete paperwork?
Rarely for missing documents. The recurring causes are staff who do not recognise the procedures written in their name, records produced in one batch before the audit and therefore reading as unrealistic, or an internal audit performed as a formality with no findings.
Do you support standards other than ISO 9001?
Yes. We work on ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety — the one most often required in contracting, site work and telecom — and ISO 14001 for environmental management. The stages are similar across all three, and they can be built as a single integrated management system rather than three parallel ones. Name the standard in your quotation request and we will set out the scope and timeline for it specifically.
What happens after certification?
The certificate is subject to periodic surveillance audits. We tie the system's indicators to measures you already track — on-time delivery, rework, complaint resolution — so the system stays in use and passes surveillance without an annual preparation campaign.
Related reading
ISO 9001 readiness: the realistic path from decision to certificate
How long does ISO certification take? What actually drives the cost? And why do some organisations fail the audit despite complete paperwork? A practical walkthrough of the full path.
Start with a gap analysis
Request a quotation naming the standard, your activity and the number of sites, and you receive an itemised proposal covering the stages, timeline and fees.
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