If your organisation has achieved ISO certification through Citation ISO Certification but you are struggling to keep your management system up to date in Atlas, Assent Risk Management can provide independent ISO consultancy and internal audit support.
We work with organisations that already hold ISO certification but need additional help managing the practical work involved in maintaining their management system. This can include keeping policies and procedures current, completing internal audits, undertaking management reviews, maintaining risk registers, managing objectives and corrective actions, and preparing for the next certification audit.
If your existing ISO management system is held within Citation’s Atlas platform, our consultants can work with your organisation and your existing system rather than requiring you to start again.
What is Citation Atlas?
Atlas is Citation’s online compliance platform. Citation uses Atlas as part of its ISO certification services, providing customers with access to their management system documentation, templates, tasks and other information associated with maintaining their ISO management system.
For organisations using Citation for ISO certification, Atlas can therefore become an important part of the day-to-day administration of their management system.
However, having software does not remove the need to actively operate the management system.
ISO standards require organisations to do considerably more than maintain a collection of documents. Processes need to operate, risks need to be reviewed, objectives monitored, audits conducted, management reviews completed and improvements demonstrated.
This is where independent consultancy support can help.
Independent ISO Consultancy for Citation Customers
Assent Risk Management is an independent ISO management systems consultancy.
We are not Citation and are not affiliated with, endorsed by or an authorised representative of Citation. Citation and Atlas are referenced on this page solely to explain our ability to provide independent consultancy services to organisations that use those services and systems.
If your organisation already uses Citation and Atlas, we can work alongside your existing arrangements.
Rather than replacing your existing system simply because it was developed using another provider’s platform, we can review what you already have, identify gaps and help your organisation maintain and improve the management system.
Help Keeping Your ISO System Up to Date in Atlas
One of the most common challenges with ISO certification occurs after you have achieved certification.
During implementation there is usually a concentrated effort to develop policies, procedures, risk assessments and other documentation but once certification has been achieved, responsibility for maintaining the system often returns to managers who already have demanding operational roles.
Over time, documents can become outdated, actions remain open and important activities such as internal audits or management reviews can be delayed.
Assent can provide ongoing consultancy support to help prevent this.
Where you have appropriate rights to provide our consultants with access to your Atlas environment, we can work with the information and management system you already have. Alternatively, we can provide the required advice, documentation and updates for your team to enter into Atlas themselves.
The objective is not simply to make Atlas look complete. It is to make sure that the underlying management system continues to reflect how your organisation actually operates and continues to address the applicable requirements of the relevant ISO standard.
What Can Assent Help With?
Our consultants can support the ongoing maintenance and improvement of management systems for standards including ISO 9001 Quality Management, ISO 14001 Environmental Management, ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety and ISO27001 Information Security.
Depending upon your management system and the support required, this can include reviewing and updating policies and procedures, risk and opportunity management, objectives and KPIs, compliance obligations, internal audits, management reviews, corrective actions, continual improvement activities and preparation for external audits.
We can also help where the organisation has changed since certification. New employees, premises, technology, suppliers, services and business processes can all affect the management system and may require existing documentation and controls to be reconsidered.
Can Assent Conduct Our Internal ISO Audits?
Yes.
Internal auditing is a fundamental part of ISO management systems, but it is also an area where many smaller organisations struggle to maintain sufficient internal competence and independence.
Assent’s experienced ISO consultants and auditors can undertake your internal audit programme and provide documented audit reports and findings.
Where appropriate, the results can then be incorporated into the records maintained within your existing Atlas management system.
Using an external internal auditor can also bring a fresh perspective to the management system. Rather than concentrating solely on preparation for the next certification audit, we look for opportunities to improve processes, controls and business performance.
Can You Help Us Prepare for Our Next Citation ISO Audit?
Yes.
If your next certification or surveillance audit is approaching, Assent can undertake an independent review of your management system beforehand.
We can identify potential gaps, review whether required activities have been completed and help your team address weaknesses before the external audit.
Importantly, we cannot guarantee that you will pass an audit or dictate the findings of your certification provider. Certification decisions remain entirely with the relevant certification body.
Our role is to help your organisation understand the requirements and ensure that its management system is properly implemented and maintained.
Do We Have to Leave Citation to Work With Assent?
No.
If you are satisfied with your existing certification arrangements, there is no inherent reason why appointing an independent ISO consultant should require you to change them.
Assent can provide consultancy, maintenance and internal audit services while you retain your existing certification arrangements and continue using Atlas.
Looking for Help With Citation Atlas and Your ISO Certification?
If you already use Citation’s Atlas platform for your ISO management system and need additional help maintaining it, Assent Risk Management can support you.
We can review your existing management system, help bring outstanding activities up to date, conduct internal audits, support management reviews and provide ongoing ISO consultancy.
You do not necessarily need another piece of software or an entirely new management system. Sometimes you simply need experienced people to help you get more from the system you already have.
Citation and Atlas are names used by Citation Ltd & Citation ISO Certification Limited in connection with its products and services. Assent Risk Management is independent of Citation Ltd and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Citation Ltd. References to Citation and Atlas on this page are for identification and compatibility purposes only.
