Expiration Dates On Certifications

[CharlieMay]

I want to apologize if this is not the forum for this topic but I wasn't exactly sure where to ask this.

I have a customer that is requiring an expiration date on my QS9000 Certification. She is telling me that I should receive a new cert each year with an expiration date on the cert and that her procedure for approved suppliers requires this expiration date on the cert. I faxed a letter to her from our registrar stating that I was current showing my last audit from Jan 2003 and when my next audit was scheduled.

This still does not satisfy her requirements.

I guess my main question is, Is it normal for Certifications to have expiration dates on them?

Thanks

Charles

[D.Scott]

Mine does Charles - QS is a 3 year certificate but maybe because QS goes away in 2003 they have re-designed the certificates. Each one is designed by the registrar so I guess it is possible your's is different.

Dave

[Bill Ryan]

We're no longer "QS" (we did have one on that certificate) but our "TS" certificate has an expiration date.

I don't understand your customer's demand. While I believe we do receive a new certificate yearly (or after each 6 month audit), nothing changes on the certificate (unless the company's scope might have been altered).

Bill

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Hullo Charles and welcome to the Cove.

I'm not all that familiar with QS, so I'll skip that one, but:

Our ISO14001 certificate has an expiration date. It's valid for three years at the time.

Our ISO 9002 certificate on the other hand (Another registrar), does not have an expiration date. It's valid until further notice, and the validity can be verified by the registrar. I would in fact prefer it to have a stated expiration date because of all the endless explaining I have to do to customers who just like in your case have a hard time accepting that. They do accept it in the end but it costs me valuable time (groan...).

/Claes

[CharlieMay]

I've had the same certification hanging on my wall since July 2000 when we became certified. Up until now, there have been no real problems with this cert. Now a customer that I've had for quite a while is stating that I need this expiration date. If you go to my registrar's page you can look up our company and see that it is current and still active. This along with the letter (mentioned in my original post) I would have though would be enough.

I mean, after all, she has this documentation for her proof of registration to an auditor. I just kinda feel like printing an expiration date on a piece of paper, copying the cert with this sliver of paper on it and faxing it just to get it over with.

[M Greenaway]

Some CB's operate by issuing a certificate valid for three years. In this time they audit your entire system over 6 monthly visits in the three year period (a bit at a time). When the three years are up they do a 'renewal visit' where they look at the entire system again over a longer audit. This is my experience of LRQA and SGS Yarsley, who issue certificates with an expiration date.

Currently however we are certified by BSi, who operate a system of 'continuous' assessment. No three year renewel but ongoing assessment, and a cert with no expiration date (QS and ISO9001).

[D.Scott]

Good point Martin - If some still do that, there may be confusion over the recent interpretation by IASG (or was it RAB) that instructed registrars not to allow any "roll-over" certifications. They stated a "re-assessment" audit was required at the end of the 3 year period.

Maybe this is where the customer is coming from.

Dave

[Randy Stewart]

I believe all QS/ISO 9000:1996 certificates expire on 12/15/03 when ISO 9K:96 is gone. At that time the 2 certs (ISO9K2K and QS) will be split.
Our registrar operates under the 3 year renewal as mentioned by Martin but our ISO-14001 has an expiration date in 2005.