FAQs

One of the most common misconceptions with terminology in regard to our industry is the difference between certification and accreditation. Many companies openly advertise themselves as IS0 accredited where as in reality they are certified.

'Certification' refers to issuing of written assurance (the Certificate) by an Independent External Body confirming that it has audited your management system and verified that it conforms to the requirements specified by the appropriate standard.

On the contrary, using 'Accreditation' as an interchangeable alternative to Certification is a mistake because it means something different. In the context of management system Standards, Accreditation refers to the formal recognition by a specialised Body - an Accreditation Body - that a Certification Body is competent to carry out Certification within specified business sectors. In simple terms, Accreditation is like Certification of the Certification Body.

Accredited Certificates may be perceived on the market as having increased credibility but there should be no difference in the requirements that must be met, as these are set within the Standard.

CQS are currently accredited by the IAB (International Accreditation Board). There are in excess of 70 Certification bodies in the UK. Some are Accredited, and some are not. Registration to an Accreditation Body is not mandatory to operate as a Certification Body, indeed, there is no legal requirement for a certification body to seek certification at all and there are some very creditable Certification Bodies who hold no Accreditation at all. We, at CQS, felt that to add credence to the Certification process we would gain Accreditation.

Some companies, local authorities and regulatory bodies have different requirements with respect to who your Certification Body is accredited by. If you are unsure whether your certification requires Accreditation and who by, you should discuss this with them directly.

If you wish to learn more about the IAB (International Accreditation Board) you may visit: http://www.i-a-b.ch/.

Unfortunately not. Each Certification Body holds their own register of Certified Organisations. Certificates can be verified with the Certification Body who has issued the certificate. You will need to know the certificate number and company name in order to verify a certificate.

Your Management System, once implemented, should run seamlessly into the day to day operation of your organisation and should therefore require high levels of additional resource. You will be required to implement an Internal Audit and Management Review process specific to the Standard(s) you are implementing and allocate human resources to these. Other resources required will be defined by what you do as an organisation and what you need to provide those products or services.

The ISO 9000 family contains 3 main standards. There is ISO 9000 which is the basic concept and terms and definitions relative to the family of quality management system standards. ISO 9001 is a set of requirements you must meet in order to claim compliance or certification. Finally there is ISO 9004 which is a standard of best practice guidelines to enable your quality management system to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible. Some people are asked if they are ISO 9000 certified. This is incorrect as you can only be certified to a standard of requirements, in this case it is only ISO 9001 that is a Standard of requirements in the quality management system family.

The CQS team are experienced across a whole range of industries, wherever possible we will ensure that someone experienced in your industry is sent to you.