Quality Management Consulting
Ready for the New ISO 9001; AS9100 Updates?
Estimated release dates: ISO 9001:2026 September 2026; IA9100:2026 Late 2026 - Mid 2027; ISO 14001:2026 April 15, 2026; ISO 45001:2026 Mid - Late 2027.
We specialize in providing expert consulting services to small to medium businesses, particularly Machine Shops, Sheetmetal, Laser/Water Jet Cutting, and Plating/Cleaning Shops. Whether you are a new company startup, facing a lack of a key quality management representative, or experiencing growth and need assistance in maintaining your current QMS solutions, we can help.
Core Consulting Services
- Gap Analysis
- Assessing your current operations against industry standards or frameworks to identify missing procedures or processes to support international standards.
- System Design & Documentation
- Writing Quality Manuals, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and work instructions, and using Microsoft Excel for maintaining QMS evidence. If your organization is utilizing Microsoft 365 Online and would like to structure your QMS in SharePoint, Nova has 20 years' experience in developing custom QMS's in SharePoint.
- Internal Audits
- Conducting objective reviews of your systems to prepare for official certification audits, which can be done on-site and remotely.
- Training & Implementation
- Training internal teams and leadership on quality awareness, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions.
Start-ups Nova consultants can help with new machine shop start-ups, as well as any manufacturing start-ups for other business lines. Please let us know if you would like to have a conversation about what is needed to support the aerospace, semiconductor, medical, automotive industries.
Considerations That Affect Certification
Factors That Affect ISO 9001 or AS9100 Certification
Understanding the factors below helps you budget accurately and plan a realistic certification timeline.
Company Size & Number of Employees
The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) sets mandatory audit durations based on your 'effective employee count.' More staff typically translates to more audit days and higher registrar fees.
Industry Complexity
High-risk or highly regulated sectors (such as aerospace or medical devices). Complex processes also demand more extensive documentation and verification.
Existing Documentation
If you already have robust SOPs and digital records, your consulting costs will be significantly lower. Organizations starting from scratch will invest more in manual development and system design.
Number of Locations
Each additional site or branch requires its own audit time.
Project Timeline
An accelerated 'rush' implementation often increases costs due to intensive consulting hours and the need to prioritize your audit in the registrar's schedule.
Plan for After ISO 9001 Certification
Ongoing Surveillance Audits
Your registrar will conduct mandatory annual audits; expect these to cost roughly 50% of your initial certification fee.
Recertification Every 3 Years
Your certificate expires every 36 months. Recertification audit is more intensive and costlier than a standard surveillance visit.
About Us
Mission
Our mission is to assist small to medium-sized businesses in achieving certification to the ISO 9001 and AS9100 standards. We provide comprehensive QMS solutions to enhance your quality management processes and help you meet industry-specific requirements.
Approach
We take a holistic approach to consulting, focusing on every aspect of a business's operations, including compliance to international standards, to identify areas for improvement and growth. Our team collaborates closely with clients to develop customized QMS solutions that meet their unique quality management needs.
Team
Our team has over 40 years of experience in Quality Management Systems (QMS), including expertise in international standards. We are passionate about helping businesses succeed by providing tailored QMS solutions and are committed to delivering exceptional service to our clients.
Ready to Start Your Certification Journey?
Contact us today to discuss your quality management needs and how we can help your business achieve certification.
Call (828) 674-2921