• When building an ISO management system, most companies consider one of two approaches: collecting and organizing dozens of scattered materials on their own, or hiring a professional consultant. The first approach costs little but does not always deliver results.
    The second is expensive, and the know-how gained during the build can leave the company together with the consultant.

    Now the situation has changed. Using AI helps you resolve with ease many problems in documented information control, such as the difficulty of writing documents, confusion over which version is current, responding to standard revisions, and managing scattered records. A customized online tool lets you build an ISO management system, and the tool provides the information and advice that the person in charge of implementation needs in one place.
    The cost of implementation can also be reduced significantly.

    An online solution is more cost-effective than hiring a consultant. You can use quality document templates, step-by-step guidance and community support right away, and the work knowledge stays within the company. We recommend this new approach for building an ISO management system.
  • Two Options for Building a Management System
  • Earning a good reputation is the goal of every company. In terms of sustainability, a reputation is earned by achieving Economic Prosperity, environmental protection and social justice. ISO certification serves as evidence that customer and legal requirements are met, and it can help improve a company's image and widen its market. For this reason, more companies around the world are pursuing management systems, but the road to certification is not always easy.

    When preparing for ISO certification for the first time, the many ways of starting and completing the project can feel overwhelming. The first questions a company asks are what to expect from implementation, how to do it, and how much it will cost. Before starting, you should become familiar with the standard so that you know what the result will look like. There are basically two ways to implement a standard.
    (1) Use a consultant, or
    (2) Implement it yourself, the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) approach.
    Either way, you should actively draw on the know-how accumulated outside your organization.
    • Option 1DIY implementation led by the person responsible for the project
    • Option 2Implementation with the help of an external expert, a consultant

    * In both options, active participation by employees is the key success factor.

  • DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Implementation
  • Building a standard by yourself means relying on the knowledge and ability of your own staff. With this method, staff must do the situation analysis, the interviews and the writing of documents, which is a heavy burden, and success may not be guaranteed.
    Even so, you can use online tools that let you see the standard's requirements and document examples in one place (certification is not guaranteed).

    This method is not always right for every company, and there is hardly any solution that solves everything. eiso is a tool you can use to finish building an ISO management system without high cost or a heavy burden.

    Advantages. Online tools are much cheaper than having a consultant on site, so this is probably the lowest-cost method. Because no outsider needs to see your internal processes or documents, sensitive information stays confidential.
    Also, when staff write their own documents, their willingness to accept the necessary changes increases. Other benefits of this method are as follows.

    The AI functions are based on the knowledge materials organized by AGENT and the international standard revision materials, so drafts rest on a wider base than the experience of one person in charge (your company's materials are not used for AI training).
    All the knowledge stays inside the organization. Staff learn to maintain and improve the documents and to use them in daily work.
    You pay only for the functions you use, when you use them (no advance payment).

    Disadvantages. Staff must know how to build the system and put in a lot of effort, so it takes a long time. If staff are overwhelmed by other projects and have no time at all for new work, this method is difficult.
  • Implementation with a Consultant
  • Advantages. This method is to hire an outside expert (usually a local consultant) who has experience building the standard. The consultant analyzes your company, conducts interviews, and creates the documents and everything else.
    Basically, the consultant builds the standard on your behalf. Hiring a consultant has the following benefits.

    The consultant takes over the work, so your staff can spend their time on other things.
    The consultant can decide the steps of the project, what to avoid and what to focus on.
    The consultant reviews and corrects all documents to confirm that they comply with the ISO standard's requirements.
    The consultant can present the ISO certification criteria and tell you what is needed to prepare for certification.
    Before certification, the consultant can check your system (the certification audit result is not guaranteed).

    Disadvantages. Consultants are expensive, so this method costs the most. You also share almost all important information, such as how the company is organized, its main processes, competitive advantages and key staff, so you must trust the consultant greatly.
    Finally, when an outsider writes the documents, the style and way of thinking differ, and staff may find the documents unfamiliar. This is the most common weakness of this method.

    The cost is high when you include the time spent on site. When choosing a consultant, be sure to check industry experience and the scope of support.
    An on-site consultant learns your weaknesses and strategy and can easily access confidential company information.
    If, after the project ends, the company has no way of maintaining and managing the documents, the documents you paid to create may go unused. It is important that staff take part together and learn how to maintain them.
    Consultant fees are usually fixed and include the whole project cost. Even if you are not satisfied with the result later, you will probably still have to pay for the service.
  • Which Implementation Approach Is Right?
  • The way to build an ISO management system differs from company to company depending on circumstances. The brief guide below will help you decide which approach is right.
    Choose the approach that fits your company's situation.

  • DIY Implementation

    You have enough time to devote to the project.

    You want to reduce implementation costs.

    You have spare time, but you do not want to affect everyone's daily work too much.

    You want to keep the knowledge of building an ISO management system within the company.

  • Implementation with a Consultant

    Time is an important concern. Hiring a consultant can shorten the preparation period.

    No one has time to spare for the implementation project. A consultant can fill that role.

    Cost is not a major concern.

    If you can secure a top-level consultant, this is the approach that offers the greatest value.

    * In the AI functions of eiso, AGENT Co., Ltd does not artificially write or review the documents of individual companies. Consultant support is separate from eiso and can be requested through Management System Establishment and Training Inquiries by agreement and quotation (certification audits are conducted independently by the certification body you choose).

  • Make Active Use of the Preliminary Audit System When Seeking ISO Certification
  • Depending on the certification body, you can receive a preliminary audit (an optional audit performed when the client wants one) before the initial audit. The number of preliminary audit days is decided in consultation with the client, and some certification bodies set it by internal rule at no more than half of the initial audit days. A preliminary audit lets an auditor check in advance, before the main audit, whether the management system is set up to meet the standard's requirements and ready for certification.
    We hope that organizations preparing for ISO certification will make active use of this system.

    You can learn about weak points before the main audit, so you can reduce nonconformities in the initial audit and save preparation time and cost.
    You can have your company's management system checked objectively from the viewpoint of an experienced auditor (an expert).
    Whether you built the system yourself or with a consultant, it is one more chance to check before certification.

    AGENT also strongly recommends using the preliminary audit. If you reflect, with eiso functions, the points that the preliminary audit of the certification body you chose found need improvement, you can refine the management system built with eiso to fit your company.
    Use this system to save cost while having experts check your system, build your management system and obtain certification.

    Note: A preliminary audit is not consulting and does not guarantee a certification result. Complete any improvements yourself. The days, number and cost of a preliminary audit are decided by the certification body in consultation with the applying organization (IAF MD 5, the international standard for audit time, has no rule on preliminary audit days, and some standards such as IATF 16949 have separate certification rules). Ask the certification body you chose, together with how to apply.
  • Conclusion
  • In the past, hiring a consultant was the surest way to build an ISO standard, but now there are more choices. Instead of searching for information on many online sites one by one, you can solve it in one dedicated online service.
    In line with this trend, AGENT created the eiso AI Management System Platform, which companies can realistically use.
    Before you start building, it is important to choose the method that best fits your requirements. Which method is right depends on your company's situation. In some cases, hiring a consultant may be the best choice.
    The eiso AI Management System Platform aims to give many companies one more option.
    What is clear is that online solutions are expanding worldwide and have proven to be a realistic alternative when building ISO management system standards. It can be a useful tool for building your management system too.
    Whether you use a consultant or build the management system yourself, we are confident that eiso will be a helpful tool for your company.

    Now the building and operation of management systems also need the introduction of AI. With AI, you can quickly and consistently draft documents tailored to your industry and size, integrate your existing documents and analyze gaps, respond to standard revisions, write training materials and lesson plans, check implementation records, and prepare for internal audits and management reviews.
    As time and staff are saved, the organization can focus on improving the performance of its management system. Whether you use a consultant or build it yourself, please make active use of the benefits of AI.
    eiso was built in exactly this direction. It is a platform that adds AI AX functions and documented information management (your storage folder, the company workspace and operating data registers) on top of AGENT's knowledge base (the document system for each standard, the Information Collection library and knowledge materials). Your company reviews and approves the drafts AI makes, and operates by keeping records.

    If you build it yourself, you can receive drafts with eiso's AI functions (Find ISO Reference Materials · Training Materials and Lesson Plans · Management System Documentation · Integrated Management System Document Development · Standard Revision Response · Individual Document Development · Management System Operation Guide, ICT Management System Operation Guide (ISO/IEC 42001 and 27001, 16 steps)).
    For the order of work, you can follow the process a representative company went through in Management System Documentation (ISO/IEC 42001) Example.
    Judgment and final decisions are yours, and AI output is a draft for reference.

    Thank you.