I'm just now reading the February 12 edition of Quality Manager's Alert and seeing that Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance has announced that it's out of the certification business! Anybody have any insight on this?

I've been hearing for a couple of years that they were thinking about 'de-emphasizing' this aspect of their business, but I had no idea it would come to this. My experiences with them were very good.

To expand the question, is anyone seeing a 'shaking out' of registrars? There's a lot of competition and maybe this is a natural part of the process.

Alf

I have a question....what happens when a Registrar goes out of business???? Do the "sell" our registration to someone else? This was one aspect I never considered during our registration process.

Ummmmm,

CarolX.

Out of the registration business effective when?

Does it mention whether they are just going to discontinue initial assessment or are they just going to pull out completely and immediately?

I have worked with them in the past and found them to be highly professional. I can't imagine them surprising the customers by not showing up for their next surveillance audits.

Carl-

I spoke with my account rep. at LRQA this past Thursday (2/22). He didn't mention anything about discontinuing this service.

As I understand it, you would be faced with finding a new registrar and convincing them that you're still qualified to keep your registration. The article suggests that much of that arguement would be based on records - so keep very good records. Otherwise you'd have to buy another Initial Assessment ($$$).

I might suggest that a company only sign with a registrar that they're sure will be around for a long time, but I would have bet money on Lloyd's.

Maybe we need a performance clause in the contract that guarantees the registrar will perform audits for the entire two or three years (with a money penalty for non-performance)?

Alf

BTW - For what it's worth, I just looked at the LRQA website and there's nothing about them shutting down.

[This message has been edited by Alf Gulford (edited 23 February 2001).]

don't panic...you have plenty of time if its true.......and you won't get dropped or loose your cert.

typically your account is sold....and you have options....stay with who bought you...based on their terms...or find someone else to transfer to, Either way you are in the drivers seat...use it to your advantage, everyone wants your business....negotiate...email me if you are still worried......

See alot of it, dealt with some.....most were fairly uneventful unless the original registrar was 'shady'... new transfers are typically that....all you pay (or should pay?)is the surveillance fee that is due....and the schedule stays the same unless you want it to change. The records that apply are the registrars not the clients. Seasoned clients are no problem, new issued certs may require an extra day or so, but at no cost to the client...BE FIRM

[This message has been edited by barb butrym (edited 25 February 2001).]

I am a Director of a UKAS accredited certification body, I have not heard any thing about Lloyds, but I can tell you if a certification body is to sell out (like a couple recently have) your certificate is simply transferred into the buying bodies system. If the certification body goes out of business, the appropriate accreditaion body would notify all other certification bodies they have accredited, then all the certified clients would receive many offers of transfer from organizations like ours.
I would be surprised if Lloyds were getting out of the business.
Graham


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Business Development Director

Please note the following from Quality Manager's Alert which is self-explanatory:
Quote--
Correction
Date: March 2, 2001
The Feb 12, 2001, issue of Quality Manager's Alert contained a story that mistakenly said Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) had ceased doing business. While LRQA had announced its intention to reorganize service in South Africa, the company continues its normal and aggressive operations in the United States and other parts of the world. The editors of Quality Manager's Alert regret the error and any misunderstandings that resulted from it.
Jim Giuliano
Editor-in-chief
Quality Manager's Alert
--Unquote
D Bradshaw
LRQA,Inc. Management Secretary