IAB and ANAB - Differences between these accreditation schemes?

[56flh]

We are coming up for recertification next year and are considering looking into a different registrar. I have seen some that are ANAB accredited and some that are IAB and I'm curious what the difference is. If we're switching from one to the other I sure want to make sure that the certification received from the new registrar has the same validity in the manufacturing world as the originating certification.

[Sidney Vianna]

Originally Posted by 56flh

We are coming up for recertification next year and are considering looking into a different registrar. I have seen some that are ANAB accredited and some that are IAB and I'm curious what the difference is. If we're switching from one to the other I sure want to make sure that the certification received from the new registrar has the same validity in the manufacturing world as the originating certification.

The accreditation process is supposed to "provide confidence" about the Registrar's competence, impartiality and integrity. ANAB is a signatory of the IAF Multilateral Agreement. What about IAB? What rules does IAB follow? What is their website? Who do they accredit? What is their accreditation process?

I don't even know IAB's website. Compare the information publicly available between IAB and ANAB. It will provide you some clues.

[56flh]

Originally Posted by Sidney Vianna

The accreditation process is supposed to "provide confidence" about the Registrar's competence, impartiality and integrity. ANAB is a signatory of the IAF Multilateral Agreement. What about IAB? What rules does IAB follow? What is their website? Who do they accredit? What is their accreditation process?

I don't even know IAB's website. Compare the information publicly available between IAB and ANAB. It will provide you some clues.

I realize Sidney, that you are affiliated with one of the ANAB registrars, but both seem to say the same thing...that they are certifying your business system to whatever ISO standard that is being sought, but one says we have to recertify every three years and the other continues my ISO certification with continuing surveillance audits.

I have wondered why our system that was robust enough to earn ISO registration and has continued to mature since, must be recertified, in essence start over, in order to maintain our certification. Logic tells me our system is stronger and more refined than it was at certification and that has been verified by the surveillance audits that been conducted since.

[Jim Wynne]

I don't have a dog in this one, but I just saw this on the IAB website:

ISO 9000 certification can be achieved by a company producing the poorest quality products in its marketplace, as long as that company always produces products of that standard.

To paraphrase Dizzy Dean, that might not be the dumbest thing I ever read, but it's right amongst 'em.

[56flh]

True, an odd statement when taken out of context, but add:

"The standard is NOT intended to be a proof of the quality of goods or services, and no business or organisation may ever imply that it is.
ISO 9000 simply demonstrates that a business can produce a consistent standard of quality."

I have not been audited for quality of product, only the paper trail that shows that I am following the ISO guidelines and I feel that is the thought being conveyed.

What I am looking for is who or what body controls the ISO guidelines and then sets the certification requirements making this registrar or that registrar the registrar that can bestow that piece of paper on your system that says all requirements have been met. So far I find two factions that are saying their way is right, but I can't find any information that discredits one or the other.

As I said when joining this group, my background is as a machinist who has worked his way through the company with no "formal" quality training. I don't know all the buzz words and don't care to learn them. I'm just trying to find the answer to my question about the validity of the certificate issued by one or the other accreditation groups.

[Jeff Frost]

Your certification will not have any value if you do not obtain it from a reconinized accreditation body that has signed multilateral cooperative arrangements (MLAs) with the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). By selection one of these bodies you are ensured that the accreditation certificate for your QMS will be recognized both nationally and internationally.

You will find that your customers are driving the requirement to use only recognized accreditation bodies. Yes there are a few companies that will correctly tell you that ISO does not require them to be a signature to the IAF MLA.

My organization will not accept any ISO 9001 (and or ISO 9001 based) accreditation certification issued by an organization that is not an IAF MLA signature. This requirement includes test/calibration laboratories certified to ISO 17025. Using the above link to International Accreditation Board web site you will note that the site does not state that their certification will be accepted by any national or international entity or that they have signed an MLA.

[Sidney Vianna]

Many users of management system certificates are totally ignorant about what accreditation is and what is supposed to do.

http://elsmar.com/Forums/showpost.ph...7&postcount=25

There are several threads that discuss the value of accreditation.

[potdar]

The certifications issued by different registrars accredited by different bodies have been a subject of disagreement for long. Something like whether an engineering diploma in US is equivalent to an engineering diploma in Australia? Who will define the equivalence?

Many regional associations were formed to recognise the certifications issued by their members as equivalent. Most of these have now aligned themselves with the IAF (ANAB-ASQ) and have become associates. Their members are recognised as equivalent to full IAF members.

Some accreditation bodies still stand apart. IAB is avowedly one of them. They take pride in being 'independant'. Its your choice to choose to go with them. A very risky one I would say. Today, they are among a miniscule minority.