Some organisations believe that all certification bodies are the same. However, many organisations have learned to their cost that this isn't the case.
The Federation of Small Business (FSB) has reported that their members have been targeted by a certification company which was saying all the right things (e.g. low cost, quick and could do it all) but had proved a let down. Sadly, a number of organisations found that their certificates had been rejected, as the certifier they had used wasn't UKAS accredited. FSB policy since 2001 has been as follows:
"If a small business chooses to take the certification route we are strongly in favour that they select a certification body carrying UKAS accreditation. I commit the Federation to make known the importance of UKAS accreditation and the value, security and confidence it brings to small business."
Ian Handford, Chairman, FSB, February 2001
Why accredited certification?
Unfortunately, any organisation can set itself up as a Certification Body (CB) but unless they are properly regulated, the certificates they issue could be rejected. The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the only Government recognised body in the UK for the regulation of ISO certification services. UKAS accredited certification bodies must meet and maintain the internationally recognised standard ISO 17021. It’s your assurance of their objectivity, impartiality and technical competence.
You get what you pay for…
Using an unaccredited CB can be tempting because they may cost you less. However, this could prove a false economy as the lack of proper regulation might mean you receive an inappropriate service. How would you feel if the CB that was regulating you wasn't properly regulated itself? Clearly, it makes no sense to spend money on unregulated certification, especially as you'd have no way of knowing if their people or processes met the required standards.
Winning new business with accredited certification
Because our Government backs UKAS as the UK’s sole National Accreditation Body (NAB), it also means that it is Government policy to prefer UKAS accredited bodies, and this could affect you if you are bidding for any form of public sector work. And it’s not just Government that prefers UKAS accreditation either, you'll find that large supply chain tendering may also insist upon it too, to ensure continuity of supply. Sadly, many small businesses have tendered for work only to find that their certificates were rejected and they either missed out or had to start again.
Many professional bodies, including the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) warn that using an unaccredited Certification Body could prove costly:
"Certificates issued by such a certification body may well not be recognised by
your customers as valid for the purpose of qualifying you as a supplier."
Chartered Quality Institute website, August 2010
How do I know I’m using a UKAS Accredited Certification Body?
It’s easy to check if the CB you
are thinking of using is UKAS accredited. You can check by asking for
their accreditation number and checking it on the
UKAS website.
Alternatively, you can simply call UKAS on 020 8917 8400.
Finally, when comparing certification bodies, as well as
checking their status, it’s also important to make sure you’re
receiving an appropriate service. For example, be sure to check the
CB's policy on the following:
Do they provide consultancy?
Properly accredited CBs are not allowed to provide consultancy of any form, as this would affect their impartiality. However, most organisations can do without consultancy and ISO provide excellent step-by-step guides to implementing their standards. In addition, unless you have a resource problem, who knows more about your business than you? In our experience, having a 'champion' co-ordinating the implementation is all that's usually needed to successfully achieve certification.
Do they provide quality manuals?
Again, accredited CBs are not allowed to write manuals for you. And in any case, if someone else does it all for you, a key benefit of the process will be lost. Reviewing current procedures and getting buy-in from the workforce are things our clients said they gained great benefit from and again, no outsider can know your business as well as you do.
What are the timescales?
Do the timescales sound too good to be true? It's usual for unaccredited CBs to guarantee certification in 30 days or less, and this should be another warning sign. Will you simply be given a template where your name is inserted over the previous organisation they visited? In our experience, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!
For further information about certification to standards like ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, simply call us on 0800 404 7007 and, whatever you decide to do, make sure you choose a UKAS accredited certification body.
The British Assessment Bureau's reputation was established in 1969 and we achieved pre-eminent status in 1997. Today we are a revered UKAS accredited Assessment Body with an enviable reputation for customer service.
As well as providing certification to internationally recognised standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, we provide bespoke assessment services for people, services and organisations of all sizes.
For more information visit www.british-assessment.co.uk.
