Our consulting process starts with a free gap assessment that involves the 5 following steps:

1. Identify the nature of the support and resources required.
2. Define the desired outcome, objectives and related goals.
3. Conduct a thorough analysis of your current state.
4. Define the final state required to achieve certification.
5. Accurately identify gaps between current state and final state, which must be closed to become certification-ready.

In order to be certifiable, all of your internal company processes need to be clearly documented. Our consultants can help you check and verify such documentation. We will also help you figure out if you have any duplicated or missing documentation for any company policies or goals. If required, we can also help you create an effective documentation system that will go a long way towards making your company ISO Certifiable.

During the internal audit process, your company’s auditors will self-assess all of your internal systems and processes, with or without a consultant on board. The audit will reveal whether your company’s policies have been clearly outlined and whether everyone is aware of them, whether each department and the company as a whole have SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound) goals set, and whether these goals were communicated correctly. All of these must also have been documented, and the documented information should match the actual processes or systems that are in place.

To ensure that you have a fully compliant ISO management system in place, it is crucial to hold Management Review Meetings at pre-scheduled times throughout the year between your company’s top management, heads of various departments, and your internal auditors or audit team. The goal here is to assess whether your implemented system is performing as expected and how well it meets your company’s goals and requirements. This meeting helps you determine how well your existing system complies with the required processes and procedures. It’s also a great way to identify any gaps or non-conformities in implemented standards, and ideate solutions with deadlines to bridge them.

If you are already ISO Certified for certain standards, but don’t have an internal quality department or a management representative, Shahi Enterprises can provide you comprehensive third-party audit assistance. We can start up to 3 months prior to your Surveillance Audit or Certification Audit. On-site, our consultants will represent your company as your management representative. If the third-party auditors have any queries pertaining to your chosen ISO Standards, we will answer them on your behalf. We will also help you prepare all the required documents after your internal audit and management review meeting. If need be, we can conduct a pre-audit assessment and ensure all identified non-conformities have been correctly closed and documented. This ensures that your company is ready for a Supplier Audit or Certification Audit.

The Third-Party Audit (aka Certification Audit) is where the external auditor decides whether your company should be awarded an ISO Certification or not. To pass this audit, the third-party auditor or organization will check if your company’s processes or systems comply with all the requirements of the chosen ISO Management System Standard. The audit has 2 parts: Stage I and Stage II (See below). Shahi Enterprises will help you choose the right ISO Certification Body according to your requirements and budget. We will represent you, our client, in the Certification Audit process, answering all the questions that the auditors may have regarding your company’s ISO Management System. You will have our complete and comprehensive support up to Certification and any Surveillance Audits.

To become certified for any ISO Standard, you need to go through two stages of audits conducted by a third-party auditor, authorized certification body or registrar. Stage I, called ‘Readiness Review’, usually takes 1-2 days (or more, depending on your company’s size and the standard being applied for). The objective is to check whether your company is ready to go into Stage II, which is where you will be certified. In Stage I, all your internal documents will be reviewed and assessed against your existing management system. The auditor/certifying body may also speak with your personnel and management, conduct site checks, check all your equipment and any applicable regulations or statutory standards to be complied with. They can also analyze your internal audit and management review meetings. If there are any non-conformities or errors, you will be notified to fix them. If everything is fine, your company will be classified as ready to go into Stage II.

The Stage II Audit usually begins a couple of months after Stage I, as the time is needed to plan for Stage II and fix any non-conformities or errors identified in Stage I. In Stage II, all your systems, processes and documentations will be verified and evaluated against the set ISO Standard. Throughout, it is important to maintain continuous and transparent communication with the auditor or certifying body. This is where Shahi Enterprises will help you by representing you and answering all questions on your behalf. The Stage II Audit will once again verify and confirm that your internal systems and processes comply with ISO guidelines and your documentation matches existing procedures. It will also measure how well your company’s goals and performance metrics have been communicated to your internal teams and personnel. Any non-conformities will again be identified and reported to you. A Surveillance Plan will be created and the time and date for the first Surveillance Audit will be fixed. If all is fine and no serious non-conformities are detected, your company passes Stage II and can now be ISO Certified.