Certificates for different locations

Hi,

Our company has installed several new production lines using a building which is located at another location . In our main plant, we are currently certified in QS-9000, VDA 6.1 and TS16949.

My question is… Is our new production building covered by our certificates, considering that these were issued before the new lines started to operate? Or.. is it neccesary to perform a 3rd Party Certification Audit for that specific facility?

Just to clarify; the parts that we are producing were transferred from a plant that is also certificated in the Standarss that I mentioned previously.

I would appreciate your help.

[JodiB]

New facility must be audited. All facilites are listed individually on a certificate.

[RosieA]

Illyon,
Most Registrars would consider your moving a production line to be a major change to your QMS and thus, need to be apprised of it. That would trigger a discussion that may or may not result in a re-audit, based on the significance of the change. (same people involved, same equipment, same procedures, or lots of new people etc.)

At a minimum, you must report the change to your Registar. Good luck!

Let me tell you a few more facts in order to clarify this case:

* This lines were transferred from one of our plants in the USA
* That plant is certified in QS, VDA, etc.
* Here, we are using the same people and same procedures for the new building as in the main plant.
* We passed the last certification audit in April'02 and we started the production in the new facility two days ago.
* In the last audit, we informed to our Registar about the transfering plans, but the certificate was issued before the start of the production in the new building.

- In case that we have to conduct a specific audit for this facility, should we do it a.s.a.p.?, or could we wait for the next surveillance audit?

[Aaron Lupo]

Contact your registrar and let them know the move was completed. They will let you know what they require.

[E Wall]

For ISO 9001:2000 the certification applies to the indicated locations QMS only - not a validation of the product or process. Not having worked with QS for 5 years and never with 16949 or VDA 6.1.... I do not know, but don't they also take the same approach?

In the Lead Auditor program I just attended last month they indicated it was necessary to ensure the product was not packaged in such a manner that would indicate the the product itself was certified.

Can anyone shed some light for me?

Thank you, Eileen

[RosieA]

Good Morning Eileen,

You are correct that ISO 9001 is not a product cert, and shouldn't be advertised as such.

It is a system cert. If the Registrar has looked at the client's system and certified that the system meets the standard, then any significant changes to the system need to be reported to the Registrar so they can determine the impact it has on the QMS and how to handle the change.

Things that should trigger a call to the Registrar are: changes in ownership, changes in plant location, changes in scope (adding or removing).

Illyon's change may be something that the auditor looks at in the next routine surveillance, or something that triggers the need for an off-schedule audit. Only the Registrar can answer that question.

[D.Scott]

Eileen - yes, you are right - QS takes the same approach.

Dave