Choosing an EMS Consultant:
Practical Tips

Gabriele Crognale

One good thing that has come form this proliferation of services is that the cost of services has come down and can be negotiated. But, you may ask, where does that leave me? In addition to the sources we previously identified, there are also a number of websites devoted to ISO/EMS services - a quick search can easily reveal dozens of them. For my money, the most useful site I have come across is www.trst.com. You might find your own personal favorite as you search the internet.

To help you on your search, whether it is from the internet, a magazine or referral, let me offer you this quick little primer to help you in your quest to choose the EMS consultant that can address your EMS needs:

1. Check your referrals: what did they like about the firm they chose, and would they use them again? What are their strong points, weak points? Did they provide the client added value?

2. Does the consultant have the requisite skills to perform the tasks you need executed? What is their level of understanding of ISO 14001 elements and how these interact with other business considerations, in addition to the obvious environmental, health and safety considerations?

3. What additional information can you glean from their previous EMS projects? Are they willing to provide you such detailed information, or do they seem reluctant to share that information as if it were proprietary or confidential?

4. Is the consultant able to take his consultant's hat off once in a while and be perfectly adept at providing some facilitating or coaching in other areas that may pop up that may have an impact on the facility's overall function?

5. How are their training skills? Do they have any training experience?

6. What else can they bring to the table that you may perceive as value-added?

You may have your own list of questions to add to this list as you refine your search. For additional perspective, let me share with you my discussion with a fellow ISO 14001 practitioner and colleague, Ms. Carolyn Palmer, who shared her insight into choosing an EMS consultant.

One Practitioner's Perspective

I interviewed Carolyn and asked her what she considers important in choosing an EMS consultant, and to focus specifically on the added value that the consultant can bring to the facility. The following are among the items she considers important in choosing an EMS consultant. These include:

• Do your homework - namely, she may begin by scouring various trade pubs for ads that feature EMS consultants and begin her interview campaign, or she may contact some of her colleagues in industry and ask them who they used in this category and whether they provided added value, and then begin the process by interviewing the prospective consultants.

• The "Subtle" Factor - Whether the consultant is chosen may come down to their phone etiquette and how they come across. For example, she refers to several instances where she has made a phone call to a consultant's office asking for more information, and she judges them on their response, the timeliness of the information provided and the "chemistry" the consultant radiates. In her estimate, if she is looking for a consultant to help in a paper mill, that person should have the requisite skills to address various environmentally sensitive issues, as opposed to, say, a small machine shop. There is an economy of scale here.

• What past and present clients have to say - Some of the best referrals come from previous satisfied clients and from various lessons learned from the EMS community. Where EMS consultants can provide value to their clients is the wealth of previous experience they bring to the table to each new client.

• Some Hard and Fast Questions - Some of the questions you may want to pose to prospective EMS consultants in your quest may include the following:
1. What is the main purpose of calling in an outside EMS expert?

2. Are the company requirements process or system focused?

3. Who will be involved in working with the EMS expert and why?

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