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Certification Support Process and Pricing
Tennessee MEP consultants help manufacturers earn and keep ISO certification, priced by the consultant day and scoped to your facility.
A written scope before you commit. You see the steps and estimated consultant days before any work begins.
Pay only for the steps you need. Every step is a standalone service, so you never buy a package to get one piece.
Part of the University of Tennessee. Tennessee MEP is housed in the UT Center for Industrial Services, with consultants based across the state.
Delivered by certified ISO Lead Auditors. Tennessee MEP certification engagements are led by auditors who know what your registrar will look for.
Support through your registrar audit. A consultant can be on site for the audit and help close any nonconformances issued.
$1,800 per consultant day. Travel, preparation, and participant training materials are included.
Get a Scoped Estimate
Tell a Solutions Consultant which standard you need and when your audit is. You get a written scope with an estimated number of consultant days before any work begins.
Where Are You Starting?
Support follows one of two paths, depending on whether your facility already holds a certification. Open any step to see its activities and deliverables.
Path 1
New Certification
For manufacturers with no certified system. This path runs from your current state through a successful certification audit.
Step 1: Gap Assessment
Evaluate your current processes and documentation against your target standard, and identify what must be built before you pursue certification.
Activities and deliverables
Activities
- Pre-assessment review: evaluate existing documentation and process records before on-site work begins
- On-site assessment: interviews, process walkthroughs, and clause-by-clause comparison against the standard
- Gap identification: document missing elements, underdeveloped processes, and documentation deficiencies
- Findings review: walk through results with your leadership team and agree on a prioritized action plan
Deliverables
- Clause-by-clause gap analysis report
- Prioritized list of gaps and recommended actions
- Estimated scope for Steps 2 through 4
- Closing review session with leadership
Step 2: Build and Implement
Close every gap from the assessment by building the documentation, processes, and records your facility needs to meet the standard.
Activities and deliverables
Activities
- QMS documentation: build procedures, work instructions, forms, and records aligned to the standard
- Process mapping: map key processes to the clause requirements of your target standard
- Risk and opportunity assessment: develop and document your risk-based thinking framework
- Implementation support: work alongside your team to integrate new processes into daily operations
- Management review preparation: facilitate your first formal management review meeting
Deliverables
- Complete QMS documentation package
- Process maps tied to clause requirements
- Risk and opportunity register
- Management review records
- Implementation completion summary
Step 3: Internal Auditor Training
Train your team to plan, conduct, and report formal internal audits. On site, up to 15 participants.
Activities and deliverables
Activities
- Training needs assessment: customize the curriculum to participant knowledge and your standard
- Core modules: audit principles, clause requirements, audit planning, and reporting
- Hands-on simulation: live mock audit against your actual processes
- Corrective action practice: work through real nonconformance scenarios from your system
Deliverables
- Training materials, audit tools, and templates
- Mock audit report with findings
- Certificate of completion for each participant
- Post-training resource package for ongoing internal audits
Step 4: Pre-Certification Internal Audit
Audit your implemented system clause by clause before the certification audit, and resolve remaining nonconformances so your registrar finds a clean system.
Activities and deliverables
Activities
- Audit planning: define scope, criteria, and methodology for your target standard
- Full system audit: clause-by-clause review with interviews and process observation
- Nonconformance documentation: formal findings report with prioritized corrective actions
- Corrective action support: help your team close all findings before the certification audit
Deliverables
- Formal internal audit report
- Nonconformance and observation log
- Corrective action plan with closure tracking
- Audit-ready confirmation for your registrar
Optional
Step 5: Certification Audit Attendance and Nonconformance Resolution
A consultant supports you on site during the registrar's certification audit and helps resolve any nonconformances issued.
Recommended for first-time certification and for demanding standards such as AS9100 and IATF 16949.
Activities and deliverables
What is included
- Consultant present during the registrar audit
- Immediate debrief on any nonconformances issued
- Corrective action support within required timelines
- Closure confirmation for all issued nonconformances
Path 2
Maintaining or Recertifying
For manufacturers with a certified system preparing for surveillance, addressing nonconformances, or approaching recertification.
Step 1: Internal Audit of Your Certified System
Independently audit your certified system and identify nonconformances before your registrar's surveillance or recertification visit.
Activities and deliverables
Activities
- Audit planning: define scope, criteria, and methodology based on your certification status
- Documentation review: assess current compliance and review records before on-site work
- On-site audit: clause-by-clause review, process observation, and staff interviews
- Nonconformance identification: document findings, observations, and opportunities for improvement
- Closing meeting: review findings with leadership and align on corrective action priorities
Deliverables
- Formal internal audit report
- Nonconformance and observation log
- Prioritized corrective action recommendations
- Closing meeting summary
Step 2: Address Nonconformances and Strengthen the System
Resolve the nonconformances from the internal audit, strengthen weak areas, and bring documentation in line with current processes.
Activities and deliverables
Activities
- Root cause analysis: facilitate structured sessions to find the underlying cause of each nonconformance
- Corrective action planning: build a plan with owners, timelines, and verification checkpoints
- Documentation updates: revise procedures, work instructions, and records
- Verification: confirm corrective actions are implemented and effective before the registrar visit
Deliverables
- Root cause analysis documentation
- Corrective action plan with tracked milestones
- Updated QMS documentation
- Verification and closure report
Step 3: Internal Auditor Training or Refresh
Retrain or refresh your internal audit team ahead of surveillance or recertification. On site, up to 15 participants.
Activities and deliverables
Activities
- Capability assessment: evaluate your team's current audit knowledge and gaps
- Refresher modules: standard changes, audit methodology, and nonconformance reporting
- Live simulation: mock audit using your actual processes and documentation
- Program review: evaluate your internal audit schedule and program for adequacy
Deliverables
- Updated training materials and audit templates
- Mock audit report
- Certificate of completion for each participant
- Internal audit program recommendations
Optional
Step 4: Surveillance or Recertification Audit Attendance
A consultant supports you on site during the registrar's surveillance or recertification audit and helps resolve any nonconformances so your certification is maintained.
Activities and deliverables
What is included
- Consultant present during the registrar audit
- Immediate debrief on any nonconformances issued
- Corrective action support within required timelines
- Closure confirmation for all issued nonconformances
What Sets the Number of Days
These six factors decide how many consultant days your engagement needs.
Facility size and shifts
More people, lines, and shifts mean more processes to document and more staff to involve.
Number of locations
Each site covered by the certificate adds assessment, implementation, and audit time.
What already exists
Informal but working processes take less time to formalize than a system built from a blank sheet.
The standard you are pursuing
Standards such as IATF 16949 and AS9100 add requirements beyond ISO 9001.
Your team's available time
The more work your staff carry between consultant visits, the fewer consultant days you need.
Your audit date
A tight deadline can require more days packed into a shorter window.
Investment Summary
A certification project has three costs.
Tennessee MEP Consulting
$1,800 per consultant day
Covers every step on both paths. Half days and remote days bill on the same basis.
Your written scope sets the number of days.
Registrar Audit Fees
Estimated $3,000 to $20,000
New certification: $5,000 to $20,000
Surveillance or recertification: $3,000 to $10,000
Quoted directly by your certifying body.
The Standard Itself
Estimated $175 to $325
Purchased from the standards body or an authorized reseller.
IATF 16949 also requires a copy of ISO 9001.
Certification Support, Explained
What is the difference between a gap assessment and an internal audit?
A gap assessment compares your current processes to the standard to identify what needs to be built. It is used when you do not yet have a certified system. An internal audit is a formal, clause-by-clause audit of a system that already exists, producing nonconformances and observations the way your registrar would.
Does this process work for any quality standard?
Yes. Both paths apply to ISO 9001, IATF 16949, AS9100, ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and ISO 50001. The activities and deliverables are adapted to the clause requirements of your target standard. NQA-1 nuclear quality assurance is a more involved engagement with its own program requirements, auditor qualifications, and timeline, and is scoped separately.
Do we have to complete every step?
No. Each step is available as a standalone service. Manufacturers with a certified system often need only one or two steps, such as an internal audit before surveillance or an auditor training refresh. Your Solutions Consultant recommends only the steps that fit your situation.
How many consultant days will we need?
There is no fixed number of days for any step. Your Solutions Consultant reviews your facility and where your system stands, then provides a written scope with an estimated number of consultant days before any work begins.
Can we use this process if we already started on our own?
Yes. Many manufacturers come to Tennessee MEP with part of their system already in place. The gap assessment shows what already meets the standard, and your scope covers only the remaining work.
Ready to Get Started?
Tell us which standard you need and where your system stands. A Solutions Consultant will scope the steps and days that fit your facility.
Get a Written Scope for Your Certification
One conversation with a Solutions Consultant starts a scope and day estimate built for your facility.
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