How to Select a Certification Body

These are the factors you need to consider when choosing a certification body to audit your ISO 9001Quality Management System.

Cost

Certification bodies can vary substantially in this respect. Certification audits are undertaken in a three-year cycle. What you need to find out is the cost of the following services:

• Certification audit
• Surveillance audits – these are yearly audits. The frequency of these audits is determined by the size of your organisation.
• Recertification audits – these audits are conducted every three years and are more comprehensive than the surveillance audits.

Our experience shows that expensive service does not necessarily translate to value for money.

Experience

Establish whether the certification body has auditors with experience in your industry.

Accreditation

Find out whether or not the certification body has been accredited and, if so, by whom. Bear in mind that in most countries, accreditation is a choice, not an obligation; and the fact that a certification body is not accredited does not, by itself, mean that it is not a reputable organisation.

Recommendations

Our best advice is to ask for your consultant’s recommendations. Your consultant has already used a variety of accreditation services and can help you to seek out the most affordable and appropriate accreditation service for your business.