Why use a UKAS accredited certification body for ISO9001?
The benefits ISO 9001 can bring to your business may be obvious, but rushing into a quick solution could be a costly mistake.
The path to ISO certification would normally involve the assistance of a consultant, who would help the company to impliment the quality management system, once this was in place he would put them forward to a UKAS accredited certification body for assessment.
There is an increasing number of companies offering both consultancy and accreditation to ISO 9001 in a "one stop shop" format, this is a similar situation to a driving instructor handing out driving licences.
Although it is not compulsory for your ISO standard to be certified by UKAS, doing so by a UKAS-accredited certification body means that it has been independently verified. An increasing number of customers are insisting on UKAS-accredited certification.
UKAS certified certification bodies are not allowed to offer consultancy, assessment and certification. They are also required to carry out a contract review with their potential clients to ensure that they are able to supply the certification that is required by them.
Not choosing a UKAS accredited body for certification is perfectly legal, but you run the risk of dealing with a company who may not be competent. More importantly, you may end up spending money on a scheme which your customers do not recognise.
A full list of UKAS-accredited certification bodies is available on www.ukas.com.
Advice from government websites suggests finding a company or consultant that uses a certification body who has been accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) see the links below:
