ISO accepting complaints about Management System Certificates to ISO Standards

[Sidney Vianna]

Even though ISO is not directly involved with the conformity assessment process of organizations against ISO standards, they are now accepting complaints from users:
http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue...complaints.htm

Complaints



A. Managements standards systems:



Management system refers to what the organization does to manage its processes, or activities, so that its products or services meet the objectives it has set itself, such as:

• satisfying the customer's requirements,
• complying with regulations, or
• meeting environmental objectives

Management system standards provide a model to follow in setting up and operating a management system. This model incorporates the features on which experts in the field have reached a consensus as being the international state of the art.

B. Conformity assessment:


Conformity assessment can be defined as all the actions necessary to demonstrate that a management system complies with requirements. When these actions are performed by an independent body, this is referred to as third party certification. The independent body is usually called a certification body (registration body in the USA).
Accreditation is an independent verification that the certification body is competent to perform certifications. The organization performing the accreditation is called an accreditation body. Accreditation is done by an IAF (International Accreditation Forum, www.iaf.nu) member body.
ISO is a standards developing organization and is not involved in any way in the implementation of the standards it develops. ISO has no role in certification or accreditation except to develop the standards (CASCO toolbox) to which accreditation and certification organizations should comply.

C. Steps to take before sending a complaint to ISO:


Before submitting a complaint, please make sure you have completed the following:
1) Officially complained to the certified company in question. The complaint should give all necessary information on the nature of the complaint.
2) If you are dissatisfied with the response from the certified organization you should make an official complaint to the certification body. The name of the certification body is obtainable from the certificate or alternatively can be obtained from the certified organization.
3). On receipt of an unsatisfactory response from the certification body you should contact the national accreditation body and make the complaint directly to them. The name of the national accreditation body can be obtained from www.iaf.nu. Click on the "IAF members" and then clink on "IAF MLA members". This contains a list of accreditation body members by economy. Select the one for your economy and obtain the contact details.
4) If you receive an unsatisfactory complaint from the national accreditation body you should then make your complaint to ISO by submitting the complaint on our web page or to IAF at www.iaf.nu.

D. Important information about sending your complaints to ISO:


ISO welcomes the opportunity to address complaints in relation to its management systems standards, namely ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
Using the information you provide (see section E. What to include in your complaint below), ISO will attempt to help you work towards a resolution. This may require ISO to contact the parties that you referenced in your complaint or any other body ISO deems appropriate. By submitting your complaint, you hereby authorize ISO to share any parts of the information contained in your complaint, including your name and contact details, to these parties at ISO's entire discretion. If you wish your complaint to remain confidential, you must clearly specify this in your complaint. Please note that the ability of ISO to work towards a resolution will be severely limited if you wish your complaint to remain confidential.
ISO's objective in addressing complaints is to encourage and facilitate dialogue between you as the complainant and the other parties involved, with a view to finding a mutually beneficial resolution. ISO does not guarantee a resolution to your complaint, nor does it assume any liability for any consequences arising out of the steps taken to resolve your complaint.

E. What to include in your complaint:



In order to help us in addressing your complaint, as much of the following information as possible should be provided:

• Your contact details;
• Information about the parties that are the subject of the complaint (including contact details, if possible);
• Details about your complaint, including a chronology of events (including dates, parties, etc.);
• Information about the steps that you have taken to address your complaint (see section: C. Steps to take before sending a complaint to ISO); and
• If this is regarding a certification, information about the certificate in question (including the name and contact details of the certifier, the certificate number and the date of certification).

After you have:
1) read and understood all of the information contained in sections A to F;
2) followed the steps described in C. Steps to take before sending a complaint to ISO and you have not received a satisfactory response; and
3) gathered the information listed in E. What to include in your complaint,
please send the information listed in section E to MSSComplaints@iso.org.

F. Timeframes:


An automatic message will be sent to you confirming receipt of your complaint. An update of the progress in addressing your complaint will be sent within 14 days, following which every effort will be made to keep you updated of any significant developments.
In the meantime we encourage you to consult our web site for information about International Standardization, including management systems standards.

[Raffy]

Hi Sidney,
Do they also accept complaint for TS Certifying Bodies?
Thank you very much in advance for the usual prompt attention you will give this request.
Best regards,
Raffy

[tomvehoski]

Interesting concept, but I don't see this doing much. I would think the vast majority of complaints would be from a customer, concerning an ISO registered supplier. I think I would end up severing the business relationship long before I bothered to go through four levels of escalation up to ISO. I don't see what ISO could do if a complaint gets to their level anyway. I don't think they have the authority to pull or suspend someone's certificate. Most complaints are going to be the "he-said she-said" variety which are next to impossible to resolve, especially from thousands of miles away.

[Sidney Vianna]

In Reply to Parent Post by tomvehoski

Interesting concept, but I don't see this doing much. I would think the vast majority of complaints would be from a customer, concerning an ISO registered supplier. I think I would end up severing the business relationship long before I bothered to go through four levels of escalation up to ISO. I don't see what ISO could do if a complaint gets to their level anyway. I don't think they have the authority to pull or suspend someone's certificate. Most complaints are going to be the "he-said she-said" variety which are next to impossible to resolve, especially from thousands of miles away.

I agree. But, think of situations such as: one could bring to ISO 's attention the fact that some CB's are issuing certificates against standards which CLEARLY state they should not be used for certification purposes, such as ISO 10001, ISO 10002 and ISO 10004. I wonder what ISO would do....