The Road to ISO Certification Quality Auditing Services Ltd Email: Info@qualityauditingservices.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 7807 797663

Choosing a Certification Body: Once you have decided on which ISO standard best meets your requirements, you will need to choose a certification body to go through the certification process with. When choosing a certification body, there are several things to consider. These include; Accreditation: Anyone can provide you with a certificate saying that you are ISO certified. However, not everyone is accredited (licensed) to do so. Therefore it is important that you choose a certification body that holds accreditation with a government recognised accreditation body. For example, in the United Kingdom this body is UKAS; in the United States it is ANAB, in Germany it is DAkkS. The accreditation is your assurance that the certification body has been assessed against internationally recognised standards to prove competence and performance capability. Reputation: Choosing a certification body that is recognized and has a solid reputation will help to give clients confidence in your commitment to your chosen standard.

Choosing a Certification Body (cont.): Cost: Certification bodies generally charge by the day. These day rates can vary substantially between different certification bodies. Most certification bodies charge travel expenses. Therefore it is important that you consider the location of the auditor as these expenses can soon add up. The cost of certification will depend on the size of your business and the complexity of work carried out. The number of employees in your company (along with the activities carried out by your company) will have an impact on the duration (and therefore cost) of your audit. When applying to a certification body it is important that you don’t just state your total number of employees. You should provide as much detail as possible on the number of staff carrying out the same activity (e.g. a call centre may have a high number of employees but many will be performing the same process). If your company operates multiple shifts then you should inform the certification body how many people are on site at each shift along with details of shift activities. All of this information will enable the certification body to work out your ‘effective’ number of employees and allow them to provide you with a sensible audit duration.

The Certification Process Once you have appointed a certification body you are ready to go through the certification process. This process is detailed in the graphic below. To verify on-going effectiveness of your management system SURVEILLANCE AUDIT YEAR 2 YEAR 1 Very similar to the stage 2 audit. If successful a new 3 year certificate will be issued RE-CERTIFICATION AUDIT YEAR 3 STAGE 1 AUDIT The purpose of this audit is to confirm your company’s readiness for the main certification audit (stage 2). The audit takes place at your head office and is a document review audit. During the audit the assessor will verify the following; The accuracy of the data that you provided in your application. The scope of certification. The implementation status of your management system. STAGE 2 AUDIT This is the main certification audit. The purpose of this audit is to verify that your management system conforms to the requirements of the chosen standard. The audit will take place at your head office and any other operational locations (e.g. another office, site work). Audit the processes and activities referenced in the scope. Visit any remote locations to verify the effectiveness of the management system away from the head office. Report any non-conformities. Make recommendation for certification. Nb. The assessor cannot recommend certification until corrective action against any non-conformances raised has been taken and verified. 3 YEAR ROLLING CERTIFICATION CYCLE Certificate issued that is valid for 3 years

Quality Auditing Services Ltd is able to help you at all stages of the certification process. Helping you to choose a certification body. Helping you to prepare for the stage 1 and stage 2 audits. Carrying out your internal audits (required to be completed prior to the stage 2 audit). Attending the stage 1 and stage 2 audits in order to help the audit process proceed as efficiently as possible. For any queries please do not hesitate to get in contact; Quality Auditing Services Ltd Email: info@qualityauditingservices.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 7807 797 663