Does it replace our quality manager?

It can complement the role or cover it entirely. Many mid-sized companies keep a part-time internal liaison and leave system administration to the retainer.

Can you maintain a system another consultant implemented?

Yes. The first month is a start-up assessment to learn it and spot what is urgent.

What is the minimum term?

We recommend a full annual cycle, because the system is measured by year: internal audit, management review and surveillance.

Does it include the internal audit?

Yes, with auditors who do not take part in administering your system, to keep the independence the standard requires.

A fixed monthly fee based on standards, workplaces and service level; three retainer levels are presented.

Monthly retainer

ISO management system maintenance, on a monthly retainer

An external system owner, month after month: KPI tracking, corrective actions that actually get closed, internal audit program, management review and preparation for every surveillance audit. Your certificate stops depending on one person.

Quality engineer reviewing the management system maintenance dashboard with indicators and actions on a laptop

What is ISO management system maintenance?

It is the ongoing service that keeps a certified system alive between one audit and the next. Getting certified is a project; staying certified is a routine: measure, correct, audit, review and improve every month. When that routine falls on someone who also holds another job —or who leaves the company— the system collapses and is rebuilt in a hurry before each surveillance audit.

What the retainer includes

An annual plan with monthly activities and a report management actually reads.

KPIs and objectives

Monthly tracking, trend analysis and alerts when an objective drifts.

Corrective actions

Cause analysis, plan, follow-up and verification of effectiveness through closure.

Internal audits

Annual program and execution with auditors independent from your operation.

Management review

Preparing the inputs, running the meeting and minutes with agreements.

Legal requirements and changes

Updating the legal register and managing changes in standards such as ISO 9001:2026.

Surveillance audit

Preparation, support with the certification body and closing of findings.

Continuity

So the certificate does not depend on one person

Turnover of the system owner is the most common cause of scares before a surveillance audit. With the retainer, system knowledge is documented and the calendar is met even if the team changes.

Annual calendar of system activities
Monthly report for management
External owner backed by a team
Handover training for your staff
A system ready to be audited at any time

Document control coordinator checking the digital management system on laptop and phone

Process

How the retainer starts

The first month is spent getting to know your system; after that, routine.

Start-up assessment
System status, open findings, KPIs and audit dates.
Deliverable: annual maintenance plan
Monthly routine
KPIs, actions, documents and training according to the calendar.
Deliverable: monthly report
Internal audit and review
Full cycle of internal audit and management review.
Deliverable: report and minutes
Surveillance or recertification
Preparation, support and closing of nonconformities.
Deliverable: valid certificate

Internal owner, per-event consultant or retainer

Three ways to maintain a certified system.

	Internal owner only	Per-event consultant	Monthly retainer
Continuity	Depends on one person	Only before the audit	All year round
Internal audit	Audits their own work	Hired separately	Included, with an independent auditor
Cost	A full-time salary	Peaks before each audit	Fixed monthly fee
Risk from turnover	High	Medium	Low

When is your next surveillance audit?

We review the status of your system for free and propose three retainer levels at a fixed fee.

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What it covers and what it combines with

The retainer maintains ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 or an integrated system, and includes the ISO 9001:2026 transition within the annual plan.

Less manual work

With management system digitalization KPIs, actions and documents live on a platform, and the legal requirements register is updated whenever a regulation changes.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about maintenance on retainer

Shall we maintain your system for you?

Tell us which standards you hold and when your next audit is.