What to look for, what to avoid and why it matters
First, the good news.
Whether you’re engaging an accreditation consultant for the first time or looking for a better experience than what you’ve had before, this guide will help you choose.
Simply asking questions puts you ahead of the game because the right consultant makes the accreditation process smoother, less stressful and genuinely useful to your organisation…not just a NATA box-ticking exercise.
The challenge in finding the right accreditation partner is that the market is mixed. Some consultants are excellent, others are ISO generalists with accreditation bolted on as a sideline, and still others are sole operators who present as if there’s a whole team supporting them, which is a little misleading to say the least. Knowing what to look for when choosing an accreditation consultant makes all the difference.
What a good consultant looks like
The best consultants have:
- Specific, demonstrable experience in NATA laboratory accreditation, not just quality management generally.
- A willingness to provide references and examples of past work, including the kinds of reports and recommendations they deliver.
- Transparency about who will actually do the work, their background and their availability.
- A consistent approach to scoping: what’s included, what isn’t and how fees are structured, always confirmed in writing. Evidence of ongoing professional development in their field.
- Professional indemnity insurance (worth asking about as it signals they take their advice seriously).
What you get from an accreditation consultant depends on whether you’re looking for a transaction or a relationship. O’Dwyer Accreditation is interested in the latter: working alongside you as your accreditation partner, not just completing a job and moving on.
What to watch out for
- NATA accreditation offered as one service among many rather than a core specialisation.
- Vagueness about who specifically will be working with you.
- A one-size-fits-all approach with no interest in understanding your specific circumstances.
- No references, testimonials or case studies available.
- Unclear or verbal-only scope and pricing.
A few questions worth asking
Before you commit, it’s worth having a conversation. A good consultant will welcome your questions…and have plenty of their own.
Here are a few to start with:
- Is laboratory accreditation your primary focus, or one of many services you offer?
- Who specifically will be working with us, and what is their background?
- What happens if our consultant is unavailable at a critical point?
- Can you show us examples of the reports and recommendations you provide?
- How do you tailor your approach to our specific circumstances?
- Do you have available any testimonials from past clients?
If the answers feel vague, rehearsed or defensive, trust that instinct and take a step back.
How you can make things happen more easily
- Know WHY you are getting accreditation and WHO the clients are
- Find out the specifics of what these clients want from your NATA accreditation
- Keep copies of all correspondence with NATA organised in a way you can share with the consultant.
The bottom line
Accreditation is not a one-size-fits-all process. Your laboratory has its own history, its own team and its own pressures. The right consultant will take the time to understand all of that and will tell you honestly what you need, rather than what generates the most work for them.
At O’Dwyer Accreditation, laboratory accreditation is all we do. We see ourselves as your accreditation partners. There’s nothing that pleases us more than helping you meet your accreditation requirements and improve your business practices at the same time.
If you’d like to talk about what’s involved for your organisation, or simply ask about how we operate, we’re happy to have that conversation. It’s not a numbers game to us, so there’s no pressure and no sales pitch: just a straightforward discussion of how we can help your laboratory meet its obligations…and thrive.