ISO consulting vs ISO certification: what is the difference?
Consulting prepares the management system; certification verifies it independently. Why these functions cannot be performed by the same party.
Consulting builds: it analyses gaps, designs the management system, trains people and prepares the organisation to be audited. Certification verifies: an independent, accredited body audits the system and decides whether to issue the certificate. These functions are incompatible within the same party — international accreditation rules prevent a certification body from auditing a system it implemented itself.
Who does what
- Consultant: diagnostic, design, documentation, training, internal audit, preparation and follow-up.
- Certification body: documentation review, two-stage audit, nonconformity evaluation, decision and certificate issuance.
Why the separation protects the client
If the implementer also certifies, the certificate loses informational value: it merely attests to the issuer's own work. That independence is what makes an international client, operator or lender accept the certificate as proof.
Where Export Lab sits
Export Lab is the specialised technical brand of Angola Global Hub and works exclusively on the preparation side: consulting, implementation, training and internal auditing. It does not issue certificates. Certification is conducted by DQS, independently.
What to ask a supplier
- What exactly is included: diagnostic, documentation, training, internal audit, audit support?
- Who performs the work and with what experience in your sector?
- Is the certification audit included or contracted separately with the certification body?
- What support exists after the certificate, during surveillance audits?
Frequently asked questions
- Who guarantees certification, the consultant?
- Nobody can guarantee certification. The consultant is accountable for preparation; the decision belongs to the certification body and depends on the system's actual conformity.
- Can I use the same consultant for several standards?
- Yes, and in an integrated system that is advantageous, provided there is specific technical competence in each standard involved.
Sources
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