Here are some of the key questions to ask when choosing the right ISO certification body to ensure a successful ISO certification.
When choosing an ISO certification body to work with, it is important to do your research to ensure that the auditor adds value to your organisation. Certification bodies must be accredited and members of the IAF. Use the following questions to assess certification bodies. As an ISO consultancy, we help you choose the ISO certification body that offers you the most value. Furthermore, we support you throughout the entire certification body audit process.
What should you bear in mind when choosing an ISO certification body?
Some of the criteria for choosing an ISO certification body are:
- What accreditations does the certification body have? The most common accreditation bodies are ENAC and UKAS. This ensures that your ISO certificate is accredited. In addition, certification bodies usually include a confidentiality agreement in their certification proposal.
- In which countries does it operate? This is an indirect way of assessing the value that the certification body’s brand may bring in the countries where the organization operates. It is useful for the certification body to be recognized in all the countries in which the company works.
- Are there differences in audit days? Normally, there are no major differences in audit days, as all certification bodies use the same tables to calculate the time required for ISO certification.
- Do they use the same auditor throughout the audit cycle? It is positive to maintain the same audit team during each audit cycle, which usually lasts three years. When auditors know the organization, they are better able to provide value during the audit.
- What profile will the certification body’s auditors have? In a certification audit, auditors should have experience in the standard to be certified, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 or ISO 45001, as well as in the organization’s sector of activity and company profile. This allows auditors to provide real value during the certification audit.
- How many auditors will take part in the audit? When the audit requires many audit days, it may be more efficient to carry it out with a team. This reduces the number of days in which the organization needs to attend to the auditors. It is useful to know whether the certification body can provide a broad audit team to complete the required audit days in fewer sessions.
- Can we know which auditors will be assigned to us? This allows the organization to understand the auditor’s criteria and the level of empathy they can convey. Although it is not usual to meet the auditor before the audit, it can be helpful when there are significant doubts.