Certification
If an organisation decides to seek certification from accredited body one must be chosen. The criteria for making a decision is usually based on cost and the approval of the body for the particular market sector.
Once the organisation has decided that they are ready the chosen body will visit and inspect the documents which make up the QMS. They will make any recommendations necessary for changes to correct any deficiencies in meeting the specification.
A date will then be fixed for a full audit to take place. The length of the audit will vary depending on the size of the organisation. It is rarely less than 1 person day.
The audits will categorise any problems they encounter as follows:
| Major Non Conformance |
This means there is a major system failure in implementing the QMS. The auditors are unlikely to issue a certificate until this has been corrected |
| Minor Non Conformance |
This is where a small error has occurred such as a document being at the incorrect issue or a form not correctly filled in. |
| In both the above cases the auditors will complete a non conformance report and agree with the organisation's representative what corrective action is required and by which date. |
| Observation |
This is when the auditor feels that whilst there is no specific non conformance something could be done better to meet the requirements of the specification |
Providing that there are no major non conformances the auditors will usually recommend certification and registration to the specification. Final approval is given by the board of the company and a certificate send to the organisation. This certificate is usually valid for 3 years. The company is also included in a listing maintained by the DTi.
The accredited body will re-visit the company regularly (usually every 6 months) to carry out surveillance audits to confirm that the QMS is meeting the requirements of the specification.
After 3 years a more comprehensive audit will be carried out which will enable a new certificate to be issued for a further 3 years. |
