Tips on Comparing ISO Certification Quotes
After nearly 30 years in the certification industry, I’ve reviewed a countless of certification quotes.
One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is choosing a certification body based solely on the lowest auditor day rate.
All accredited ISO certification bodies use the same international rules to determine audit time based on one of the supporting standards. The real differences often appear in the elsewhere.
When comparing quotes, look beyond the day rate and ask the following questions:
1. What is the Total Cost?
Compare the complete annual cost, including:
- Audit fees
- Administration fees
- Certificate fees
- Technical review fees
- Project management fees
- Reporting fees
- Travel costs and travel markups
The lowest day rate often does not result in the lowest overall cost. Don’t be distracted by a low day rate. Many certification bodies use attractive daily rates and additional charges drive up the overall cost of certification.
2. Who Will Be Auditing Us?
Not all auditors are the same.
The auditor assigned to your organization can have a greater impact on your certification experience than the certification body’s name on the certificate.
Ask about:
- Industry experience
- Technical expertise
- Years of auditing experience
- Familiarity with your sector
- How auditors are selected and qualified
Many certification bodies maintain large auditor networks to ensure they have coverage in every city and region. While this may improve availability, it can make it difficult to consistently recruit, train, monitor, and calibrate auditor performance.
As a result, organizations can experience significant differences in audit quality. Over the years, I have seen excellent auditors, but I have also seen auditors who were overly aggressive, inconsistent, unfamiliar with the standard, or lacking the industry experience needed to conduct an effective audit.
A professional auditor should be objective, competent, consistent, and focused on the requirements of the standard, not personal opinions or preferences.
Before making a decision, ask who your auditor will be and what experience they bring to your organization and industry. You can also ask to interview them as well. A good auditor can add value to the process; a poor auditor can make certification a terrible experience.
3. How Stable Is the Certification Body?
Some of the largest certification bodies experience high staff turnover and multiple handoffs between departments.
Ask:
- Will I have a dedicated contact?
- Who approves audit time decisions?
- How accessible is support?
- How long have my auditor and account manager been with the company?
4. How Long Will It Take to Receive My Certificate?
This question is often overlooked.
Ask:
“Assuming we have no major issues, how many business days after the audit will we receive our certificate?”
Don’t accept a vague answer.
Get a firm commitment in writing.
Some certification bodies issue certificates quickly, while others can take weeks or months due to multi-layer review processes, overseas reviewers, or internal bottlenecks.
5. What Do Customers Say?
Before signing a contract, read the Google reviews.
Look for comments about:
- Responsiveness
- Auditor quality
- Professionalism
- Certificate turnaround times
- Customer service
- Billing surprises
Reviews often reveal issues that never appear in the proposal.
Final Thoughts
The best certification body is not necessarily the one with the lowest price.
Look at the total cost, auditor expertise, service quality, responsiveness, certificate turnaround time, and customer reviews.
After almost 30 years in this industry, I’ve learned that the cheapest quote and the best value are often two very different things.