About Sterling · The Sterling Promise
The Sterling Promise: two commitments, each at 100%.
The Sterling Promise is what Sterling stands for as a firm, stated as two commitments, each at 100%: on-time completion and success, backed by 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries. It is the standard every Sterling consultant is held to, wherever we work, and it keeps one clear boundary: Sterling does not certify; an accredited body audits and decides.
- On time, by designMeasured against the dates agreed with you, starting from the deadline that brought you to us.
- Success, agreed at the outsetThe outcome is fixed in writing before the work begins, and that is the result we answer for.
- Satisfaction, kept in viewA weekly working session gives you a standing place to say what is working and what is not.
- A clear boundarySterling does not certify. The certificate is the decision of an accredited certification body.
The promise
One line, and the standard Sterling holds itself to.
Most consulting firms describe themselves by what they do. Sterling would rather be judged by what it commits to, and it puts that commitment in one line, worded the same way in each of the 18 countries where we have an office.
The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements. Sterling does not certify; an accredited body audits and decides.
- Two commitments, because clients judge a consultant first on two things: whether the work arrived when it was needed and whether it achieved what it was for
- Each set at 100%, because a promise that holds most of the time is not one a client can plan around
- One boundary stated beside it, so the promise is never mistaken for the certificate itself
Each 100%
What the two commitments mean to a client.
100% on-time completion is a commitment to your calendar. A customer deadline, a tender closing date or a regulator's timetable is usually the reason an organisation calls us, and the promise takes that date seriously from the first conversation: the plan is built back from it, and anything that threatens it is put on the table early, while there is still time to act.
100% success means the outcome you engaged Sterling for is reached; on a certification engagement, that is the certification outcome agreed at the start.
- On time: measured against the dated plan agreed with you in the opening weeks
- Success: measured against the outcome agreed at the start of the engagement
- Satisfaction: measured by you, through the engagement team you work with every week
How it is kept
Kept by the way Sterling works, not by the wording.
The Sterling Promise is not a slogan added to a proposal. It is carried by Sterling OS™, the delivery method the group has refined since 2003, and by the people who deliver it: expert and experienced consultants who stay with the engagement from the gap analysis to the certification body's decision.
The promise also holds whichever level of support you choose. With Design™, we develop and your team implements under our expert advice and supervision; with Drive™, we design and build under your approval. The two are alternatives, and the commitment is identical in either.
- One engagement team, so one person is always answerable for the promise on your engagement
- A weekly working session, where progress and concerns are dealt with week by week rather than saved for the end
- Effivity, the group's ISO and GRC software used in 50+ countries, so progress is visible to you as well as to us
What it does not cover
The promise stops where the certification body's decision begins.
Sterling does not certify. An accredited certification body audits your management system and decides whether to issue the certificate, and no consultant can make that decision for it. The Sterling Promise is a commitment about Sterling's own work, from consulting and training to the internal audit and support through the certification audit, and it never claims the body's decision as its own.
Nor does the promise replace the terms of an engagement. The detail that applies to yours, what each side delivers and what is assumed or excluded, is set out in the proposal, which you can read before you commit to anything.
- Sterling's part: building the system with you, training your people and preparing you for the audit
- The certification body's part: the audit, the decision and the certificate
- Your part: the scope decisions, people and time the proposal asks of your organisation
How the promise works on a certification engagement, stage by stage, is set out on the success guarantee service page.
Client experience
On the record: what clients say about working with Sterling.
The director writes that, for a growing firm, putting in place the systems and processes needed for certification was an important milestone: work began in late June, certification followed in mid-September, and Sterling's practical guidance helped the firm move through the process in a short timeframe while establishing management systems that fit its business and operations.
The president writes that the team's expertise, professionalism and dedication were central to achieving the company's certification goal, and that from the initial gap analysis to final audit preparation the systematic approach and practical insights made the process clear, manageable and effective.
The managing director writes, on behalf of the whole organisation, that the guidance and support provided during its journey to ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification were invaluable, and that the certificate is a direct result of that support.
The president writes that staff and management found Sterling an efficient and focused service provider, and that the company would recommend Sterling without hesitation to others looking for a dedicated level of support.
Each account is drawn from a signed letter or e-mail on file and reported in our words, with the signatory's role and organisation attached; the original letters are available on request. Ask for references in your sector before you decide.
- 60+countries where Sterling has delivered certification
- 21countries with a Sterling office, eight regions, one coordinated team
- 2003the year the group began implementing ISO management systems; the same method, refined, since
- 8,100+client engagements across the group, from single-site SMEs to multinationals
FAQs
Questions about the Sterling Promise.
Short answers about what the promise means. For how it applies to a specific engagement, speak to a Sterling consultant.
The Sterling Promise: what does it say?
It makes two commitments, each at 100%: on-time completion and success, backed by 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries. In Sterling's wording: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements. It sits alongside one fixed boundary, that Sterling does not certify; an accredited body audits and decides. This page explains what the promise stands for; the success guarantee page shows how it works on a certification engagement.
Why does Sterling commit to 100% rather than a lower figure?
Because a client cannot plan around a promise that holds only most of the time. An organisation facing a customer deadline or a tender needs to know the work will be finished and will succeed, not that it probably will. Setting each commitment at 100% also shapes how Sterling works: plans are dated from the start, risks are raised early and one engagement team stays answerable throughout.
Is the Sterling Promise the same as a guarantee of a certificate?
No. A certificate is issued only by an accredited certification body after its own audit, and Sterling does not certify. The promise is Sterling's commitment about the work it does: building the system, training your people and supporting you through the audit until the outcome agreed at the start is reached. A firm that promises the certificate itself is promising something no consultant controls.
How does Sterling know whether a client is satisfied?
By asking, and by being easy to tell. Every engagement has one engagement team and a weekly working session, which give you a regular place to say what is working and what is not. Signed client letters on file, reported on the client feedback wall by standard, record what clients said about the work, and references in your sector are available on request.
Who is responsible for keeping the promise on our engagement?
Sterling is, through the engagement team for your engagement. That consultant plans the work with you, runs the weekly working session and raises anything that puts the date, the outcome or your satisfaction at risk. Your organisation keeps its own responsibilities, set out in the proposal, and the certification decision stays with the accredited body, as it always does.
Keep exploring
More about Sterling
Talk to a consultant
Talk to us about the promise behind your next certification.
Tell us your goals, locations and target date. We’ll help you define the scope, timeline and next steps.
hello@sterling-grc.com+1 201 263 4443 (global headquarters) · your nearest office and its number are at the top of this page
What would you like to achieve?
Choose a starting point. The enquiry form takes about a minute.
Book my free discovery callContinue to the enquiry form to share your details. Please do not include passwords, sensitive personal information or confidential files. A Sterling consultant replies within one working day. Privacy notice