What is the certification process?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Description of the certification procedure
2. Initial certification
- A) Preliminary phase
- B) Evaluation phases
- C) Proposal phase
- D) Decision phases
- E) Certification phase proper
3. Duration of certification
4. Surveillance audit
5. Extension of certification scope
6. Renewal of certification
7. Confidentiality
8. Suspension and withdrawal of certifications
9. Appeals by the certified company
10. Handling of complaints
11. Publicly accessible information
1. DESCRIPTION OF THE CERTIFICATION PROCEDURE
The certification process of the company applying for certification is organized in accordance with the general operating criteria of a certification body as defined in the ISO/IEC 17021 standard.
2. INITIAL CERTIFICATION
The certification procedure comprises 5 main phases broken down into 9 steps:
A. Preliminary phase
1. Application review
This step recommends a preliminary information visit by a member of our Management Board or a sales manager to the applicant company’s facilities. The admissibility of the application is decided following a comprehensive review of the candidate’s quality, safety and/or environmental system, thus verifying that all requirements of the reference standard are covered. This preliminary information visit is at no cost to the company.
This step translates the application request into the agreement signed between Euro-Quality System France and the company applying for certification.
B. Evaluation phases
2. File processing
The audit team is selected and receives a mission brief. The company applying for certification is informed of this choice and may challenge this audit team within 8 days.
3. Review of the company documentation
The audit team reviews the company’s documentation. This review is generally carried out at our organization’s offices unless the company wishes it to be done at its own premises. A report highlights any remarks and/or non-conformities in the documentation and concludes on the possibility of proceeding to the next phase 2 of the certification process.
4. Audit preparation
At the same time as the documentation review report, an audit plan is sent to the company, which has the opportunity to provide remarks within eight days.
5. Conduct of the audit
The audit is conducted on the dates set out in the audit plan and in accordance with the planned schedule. The audit team finalizes the audit with a written report presented to the company’s management. This report may be supplemented by remarks from the company’s management. This report is transmitted to the Management Board of our certification body.
The maximum time frame for implementing corrections and corrective actions for any major or critical non-conformity, during the conduct of an audit, is 6 (six) months after the audit date.
C. Proposal phase
6. Reviewers’ opinion
The documentation review and evaluation audit reports, as well as the client’s responses to any action requests (following non-conformities against the reference standard), are reviewed by one or two reviewers from the organization. These individuals, independent of the audit team, give an opinion on the certification file.
D. Decision phases
7. Certification decision
Based on the reviewers’ opinion, the organization’s Management Board makes the decision, either:
– to grant certification, without or with reservations on the scope;
– to put the decision on hold:
– for additional documentary information;
– for the results of a supplementary audit;
– to refuse certification.
8. Supplementary audit
This audit is intended to gather information or evidence on the actions requested during the previous audit to address certain non-conformities in the company’s quality, safety and/or environmental system.
E. Certification phase proper
9. Materialization of certification
The company benefiting from a favorable decision from the organization’s Management Board receives:
– its certificates and logo(s) referring to its certification,
– a document explaining the terms of reference to the certification issued by our organization and in particular the rules for using the logo(s).
– The certification mark (the logo(s)) is used to promote the certification.
3. DURATION OF CERTIFICATION
Certification is granted for a period of three years and renewable for periods of three years (Special case: the ELV – End-of-Life Vehicle – approval is granted for a period of 6 years).
4. SURVEILLANCE AUDIT
During the certification period, the organization conducts periodic surveillance audits. These audits may be combined with other audits of the organization within the company.
The surveillance audit must cover at minimum the effectiveness of the actions taken following the previous audit and, by sampling, the maintenance and application of the other points of the certification standard.
These audits also help identify areas for improvement that will increase the effectiveness of the quality, safety and/or environmental system in place, and improve the company’s profitability.
Closer surveillance audits may also be triggered following:
- the degradation of the management of the company’s quality, safety and/or environmental system,
- a substantiated complaint filed by a client of the company concerning its quality, safety and/or environmental system,
- any other information seriously calling into question the management of the company’s quality, safety and/or environmental system.
5. EXTENSION OF CERTIFICATION SCOPE
The certified company may request an extension of its certification scope at any time. The decision to grant or not grant the extension is made by our organization based on the report of the additional extension audit.
6. RENEWAL OF CERTIFICATION
During renewal (3 years after certification, except ELV 6 years), the audit team:
- reviews the evolution of the company’s documentation,
- reviews all points of the certification standard in the same way as the initial audit. The decision to renew or not renew the certification is made by the organization’s Management Board based on the reviewers’ opinion and the auditor’s recommendations.
In the event of exceeding the expiry date shown on the certificate, for any reason whatsoever, the company may no longer rely on this certificate until the renewal notification is issued.
7. CONFIDENTIALITY
Strict measures are taken by our organization to ensure the confidentiality of information collected within the company.
8. SUSPENSION AND WITHDRAWAL OF CERTIFICATIONS
Our organization has the right to suspend, withdraw, reduce the scope or cancel the issued certificate in the following cases (by way of example – non-exhaustive):
- if the company has not responded to a reminder made by our organization to obtain tangible evidence of the implementation of an action request,
- if the company does not comply with the agreements made with the organization under the organization-company agreement,
- if the company abusively uses the certificate or the organization’s logo(s),
- if the company decides not to continue with certification.
Our organization does everything possible to avoid the withdrawal of a certification by allowing the company to remedy in time the anomalies that led to the suspension of the certificate.
The Management Board may request that the company return the original certificates in the event of suspension, withdrawal, cancellation or reduction of certification scope.
Restoration of certification is possible subject to compliance and in all cases within a maximum period of 6 months.
9. APPEALS BY THE CERTIFIED COMPANY
Following a substantiated request from the company, EURO-QUALITY SYSTEM acknowledges receipt of the appeal and contacts the company if necessary.
The appeal is reviewed by competent persons who did not participate in the audit activities or the certification decision concerned. The admissibility of the appeal is assessed and the actions to be taken are defined in full impartiality.
As far as possible, the decision takes into account the elements and expectations expressed by the company.
10. Handling of complaints
Any complaint or claim is handled by EURO-QUALITY SYSTEM provided it is submitted in writing. No anonymous complaint or claim will be processed, including if the applicant does not wish to be named, as handling would be impossible.
The complaint or claim is handled by the Management of Euro-Quality System. It is subject to a processing request and feedback to the entity concerned. The applicant is informed of the correspondence and the follow-up. Based on the response, substantiated by the certified company, EURO-QUALITY SYSTEM may decide on corrective measures or dismiss the request; in all cases, the applicant is informed in writing.
11. Publicly accessible information
Lists may be provided on request to certain organizations (e.g. chambers of commerce).
Any written request for certificate validity receives a response.
No anonymous request (e.g. by phone) is processed.
