I take stock of the situation regards the ISO Consultants I have contact.

Terry Russell of www.iso9001.co.uk replied to my requirements letter today but it wasn’t encouraging. He said he could supply everything I wanted – and he is UKAS accredited -but didn’t seem that keen to oblige. 

He said

(a) your Invitation to Tender asks for copies of work that we have produced for others. I simply will not provide the procedures of any of our clients to another organisation, under any circumstances
(b) we normally only provide services to applicants who are referred to us by existing clients. You’ll understand that the risks go both ways. If we provide services to you, I need assurance that you are financially sound and are the sort of client that would want.

I know this sounds very fussy, but we are fussy about our clients. With your timescales, it would not provide me with sufficient time to conduct our checks on your organisation.

Sorry about that.

I phoned Paul from RPPT Associates but he said the he was too far away and too busy to get involved. He said he could provide from coaching from a distance but he suggested I look for someone more local.

On top of this, some considerable time after sending me written requirements to FXXP there is still no reply from them– despite the fact that Liz said she’d look into it.

So it seems that no-one is interested! 

Is it because:

• My requirements are out of scope for these consultants?
• My requirements are too exacting and demanding for them?
• There isn’t really anyone out there who has done what I am trying to do in the way I am trying to do it?

I like to think and hope it’s the latter – if only because it helps me reverse out of this cul-de-sac to spur myself on.

Based on notes from my diary and other records from April 2008.

My research effort took a significant step forward this morning.  Last night, I met up with Adrian, my contact from the lack of quality seminar,for a drink.  He does seem to know about ISOs and he might be ok at sales.  I am considering that he may be worth employing.  Still, as a result of last night, he’s sent me a really useful email.  It’s a copy of an integrated management system manual for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 18001.

This is the most distilled, concise and integrated document I have seen.  The requirements of the Standards have been merged to such an extent that its not possible to see which elements within ithe manual correspond to which of the three Standards. 

Adrian also sent me a Legal Register which is apparently required by ISO 14001.   This is a huge spreadsheet listing about 100 regulations which can apply to any business.  This will have taken somebody ages to prepare.  I will need to adapt this to my business but having it will saveme a lot of time.  Adrian’s a good guy.

Based on diary entries from April 2008.

My books arrive from Amazon.  When I get a new business book, I like to read it in its entirety and check out everything in it and then distill it down to the bits that interest me.  I think this comes from dealing with software.  I used to read the entire manual or help system for each bit of software so I knew everything that it was (supposedly) able to do even if I didn’t know exactly how to make it do it.  These two books  I have bought from Amazon are going to get the same treatment.

After half an hour looking at Ray Tricker’s book I am agog.  His book is making the subject matter more confusing rather than simplifying it.  I find chapter titles such as “Interoperability of Quality Management Systems” dinstinclty demotivating. 

I read on.  The book goes though the standard clause by clause and talks in general terms about what most companies should do but it is not very precise about how they should do it.

I know this book is a best seller on Amazon but to me the language is far too close to that of the standard itself.  For example it explains that “Quality Assurance personnel are members of the organisation judged competent to carry out quality assurance duties”.

I know that a sentence like this as a stand alone makes sense but what it tells you is self evident.  If three of four sentences of this type are packed into the same paragraph then I find myself going nowhere.  Tell me something I don’t know or something that isn’t obvious.  Please distill it down.  Don’t make it so complex and wordy that I can’t make head or tail of it.  It’s just exhausting.

It’s beginning to dawn on me that maybe that is what this industry is about.  The consultants, auditors and others keep things deliberately complicated so they can bamboozle customers and charge lots of money for providing some very simple solutions - like Peter of FXXP’s forms and procedures.  (Peter himself  though is not a bamboozler.)

It reminds me of many people’s attitudes to accountants.  People who don’t understand accounts are so deferential to accountants.  As soon as an accountant mentions a word like ‘debit’ or ‘credit’ , his client often switches off.  The client can’t tell when the account is talking a load of baloney and when he’s not.  The accountant sits there uses lots of long words, is able to cover up bits he doesn’t know and then sends a nice fat invoice afterwards.  In my role as management consultant, I have often helped clients in these kind of situations. 

Ray Tricker provides something that I am really interested in getting hold of – an example Quality Management Manual for an SME.   However, Ray Tricker’s version is a whopping  160 sides long.  Sovereign Certifcation’s was more like 20 sides.  How can I possibly wade through this lot? 

Right now I am very frustrated and disappointed.  This book is a best seller – probably because it’s the only one on the subject.  Maybe its useful to some management academics really into the theory and MBAs etc.  For me it’s just compounded the situation.  Its  saving grace is the 5 page appendix listing the minimum documents required by standard.  This is useful – at this stage worth the £40 I paid for the book. 

It also says within the book that purchasers of it can buy word versions of some of the documentation featured within a book on a CD.  I visit the website (http://www.herne.org.uk/).  The amateurish design of the site does not instill confidence.

I send an email enquiring about the CD.

Based on notes from my diary and other records from May 2008.

My search for hold-your-hand type consultants, my on line searching has uncovered two websites which seem of particular interest – www.sovereigncertification.co.uk and www.iso9000.co.uk.

If you dig into the site a bit, Sovereign has a lot of information and downloads on ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 – but not on ISO 27001.  The consultant(s) at www.iso9000.co.uk  deals with all three standards – and on the basis of my searching experience, this is unusual.

I speak to Mark Helm the senior consultant at Sovereign who is very helpful and sends over a lot of supplementary information.  Mark himself operates within a business model of remote coaching companies through ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 and providing a series of downloadable templates which the client can amend to suit their particular business.  The downloads include a sample ISO 9001 manual .  This is the first version of one I have seen and I am sure will be very helpful in deciphering the legalese of the ISO itself into what is practically required within the company.

I also make several unsuccessful attempts to speak to Terry Russell of www.iso9001.co.uk.

Despite this temporary chink of light, I am getting increasingly anxious at the lack of clear progress.  So I decide to write down exactly what I want from these consultants – to write a spec.  This is what most of the unforthcoming ones have requested.  It takes a while but in the end I come up with the one below. 

I write a pretty formal letter and talk about decisions of the Board etc which is in line with the way in which I perceive these “ISO types” communicate!

My letter is thus:

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON ISO CONSULTANCY SERVICES

We are writing to you to enquire about your services relating to the acquisition by Data Eliminate Ltd of certain ISO Standards.

ISO CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Data Eliminate (www.dataeliminate.com) has researched a range of accreditations and standards.  With regards to Standards, this has comprised a day of advance consultancy from an UKAS approved consultant specializing in the security industry,  the reading of substantive books on ISO 9001 and ISO 27001, 3 days desk research and attendance at 2 courses run by Supply London and participation in its business support scheme.  We have also spoken to business associates who have implemented various standards and obtained telephone overviews from a handful of experienced individuals.

On the basis of our research and information to date, the Board has decided that the following should be Data Eliminate’s priorities:

The Board has concluded that ISO 18001 has no obvious commercial or practical benefit at present and its introduction would be too burdensome at this stage of the company’s development.
Data Eliminate is aware of the type of premises, equipment and personnel it is going to have.  The objective is to complete as much Standards-related documentation and planning as is practicable before the company focus shifts to servicing customers.  (In saying this, we acknowledge that adhering to Standards is an on-going responsibility).

Our foremost requirement in a supplier of consultancy services is flexibility and the ability to provide services in a way which is compatible with our needs and modus operandi.

We have an intense, fast-moving and thorough approach to the Data Eliminate project and have done considerable homework on this subject. We need a consultant who can take a running start from the position we have already reached.

The purpose of engaging a consultant is to benefit from external advice and experience and to save time and internal resource.

We are aware that many of the Standards’ clauses will not apply to us and that our documentation relating to them can be comparatively concise.  With this in mind, we are seeking the services of a consultant who can provide among other things:

• A list of the Standards’ elements which are obligatory for all businesses and a separate list for organisations in our line of business.
• Advice on other non-compulsory elements which may be beneficial to our business in the medium and longer term.
• Policy, procedure and other templates for the compulsory elements that we can adapt for our own use.
• Guidance on the wording of Standard elements which are particular to our business.  For example, we believe we have the body of an ISO 9001 Policy Manual of suitable size and style for a business of our size.  However, we require specific advice on the completion of clauses 7.3.1 through 7.3.7.

Before we engage your services, our principal requirement is that we are convinced of your professionalism and efficiency - and that you want our business.

We would also like to be informed of the following - where appropriate in writing:

• An estimate of consultancy days required from you to help us achieve our short term objectives, over what time period and at what intervals those days will be given.  Associated costs and travel expenses.
• The amount of internal Data Eliminate man days which will be required working in parallel with your consultant(s) and at what internals.
• A similar estimate of man days (external and internal)  and costs pertaining to the medium term objective above.
• An explanation of the work that will be completed by you and that you  will expect Data Eliminate to do.
• Copies of documents such as policy manuals and procedures you have previously prepared (or extracts therefrom) which you believe are similar in length and style to those you would assist us in developing.
• A brief outline of your experience in dealing with the above Standards. 
• Two references from existing customers who we may contact briefly over the phone to confirm the efficacy of your service.
• The names and brief backgrounds of the person(s) providing the consultancy, when they are able to start the project and advance notification of any absences or unavailability of key personnel over the next 4 months.
• A copy of your Terms and Conditions.
• Details of your professional indemnity insurance (if applicable)

Finally,

• Please acknowledge receipt of this email by close of business on date in 2008 or by phoning Tel: 0845-1234-400. 
• Responses are required by close of business on xxxx. 
• Data Eliminate requires UKAS approved certification of its Standards.

If you wish to contact us to discuss the above, please call and speak to me on etc

We look forward to hearing from you.

Regards

Julian Fraser

I feel that this really explains the situation.  I send it to Sovereign Certification, www.iso9001.co.uk,  FXXP Associates and Paul from RPPT Associates – recommended by Adrian.

Based on notes from my diary and other records from April 2008.