Which is the best Certification Body?

[uk2china - 2008]

My intention was to receive a balanced view from all parts of the world with regard to my question. In part I have received that, which I thank you for.

I also thank you for your 'welcome messages'. It is great to feel part of a 'family' network that this site offer's.

Claes.... yes would do work with China by way of partnerships with our contract manufacturer's.

Primarily we look to work with manufacturer's that have ISO9001, ISO14000 and TS16949 as the majority of our customer base request this requirement. As and when we move into different market area's, we will work with our manufacturer's to achieve the additional approval's.

I agree with the comments regarding good, bad and indifferent Certification Bodies and it is not only the big gun's that are the best.
But, because we are so remote to begin with from our manufacturing source, initially we do look for this type of approved manufacturer because our customer's do prefer the likes of BSI, etc.
We then go deeper into the capabilities, processes, record's, training programmes, quality, etc, etc. As you can imagine this can take several month's but working with them ensure's they are not just paying 'lip service' to the approval.

We currently have six manufacturer's and they have been associated with 'us' for several years. When they fall over, we work with them to understand how and why and then put measures in place to ensure it is not repeated.

This then ensures complete understanding, trust and partnership between our manufacturer's, us and our customer's.

Again, thanks for your responses.

[Harigovindan]

In India there are several bodies give the certificates without conducting the Audts and there are also conducting both the consultancy and Certification to same company. Both are not accepted as per the accreditation rules. But how these can be controlled and regulated? Because ultimately most of the companies want just certificates. Because of this scenario no body can control or regulate these certifying bodies.

[Sidney Vianna]

In Reply to Parent Post by Harigovindan

But how these can be controlled and regulated?

You have resurrected a thread that was dormant for many years.

It is very easy: educate the USERS of the certificates. Why do companies get certified to a QMS Standard? Because their customers require them to do so. So, the real users of the certificates are the registrants' customers, who MUST PROPERLY specify (ISO 9001:2008 7.4.2) the requirements associated with the QMS Certification for their suppliers.

Such users must understand that non-accredited and pseudo-accredited certificates might not provide them with the expected CONFIDENCE in the supplier's QMS robustness. Only them, after the users are educated, they would properly specify the controls associated with the certificates required of their suppliers.