Certification Body - Should I contact them before Documentation Process or After?

[AndyN]

John has given some good advise on selecting your CB. Contrary to other posts, I'd suggest that you don't 'shop around'. You are NOT buying a loaf of bread! We read here, all the time about the disasters of entering a CB service arrangement based on price, or some other equally tenuous criterion.

As John suggests, look to see who has accreditation and experience in your industry, with competitors, clients etc. Talk to them about their approach to customer service, their scorecard, etc. In fact draw up a set of criteria you'd expect to get from a certification service provider and see what's ahead of price! You've got 2 so far, but you might want to recheck who you have against those criteria.

I can tell you that 'shopping around' wastes a lot of time and money, plus you'll end up fielding a lot of phone calls with CBs who shouldn't even have been on your list!

 

[LUV-d-4UM]

I will try to attach the documents (interpretation). I have never done that before.

 

[Sidney Vianna]

Contrary to other posts, I'd suggest that you don't 'shop around'.

I can tell you that 'shopping around' wastes a lot of time and money, plus you'll end up fielding a lot of phone calls with CBs who shouldn't even have been on your list!

Andy, I think shopping around does not mean to make a selection based on price alone. I wholeheartedly agree with you about the risks of selecting a CB with costs as the ONLY criteria. But, as long as registrants have more than one CB to select from, they will be continuously assessing the cost-benefit aspect of that relationship.

I have a collection of emails from organizations that were forced to switch to a cheaper CB (primarily because of pressure by their own procurement function) and tell me how much they regretted the decision. As we know very well, a moronic auditor can create much damage, like demanding corrective actions for issues that are not relevant, bringing opinion into the picture, or, and worse, giving an organization a clean bill of health (no nonconformities for an extended period of time) when the system at hand is full of gaps. That old cliche' applies:

The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten.​

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[AndyN]

Andy, I think shopping around does not mean to make a selection based on price alone.

Excellent points, Sidney - I thought "shopping around" was exactly making a selection based on price - including the lowest auditor travel expenses! I've no doubt that an eye has to be given to the cost of such things, but it seems strange that the real criteria - those that matter once the arrangements are in place and services are implemented - aren't (very often) the ones used to select the CB in the first place!

 

[LUV-d-4UM]

I agree with all the comments. I evaluated the CB based upon the value they add to our business for the price they offer.

 

[harry]

Andy, I think shopping around does not mean to make a selection based on price alone. ................................

Thanks for pointing that out. I think people who bother to search for information till they found the Cove forum would had exceeded that level of sophistication.

But, as long as registrants have more than one CB to select from, they will be continuously assessing the cost-benefit aspect of that relationship.

Inevitably, one would be faced with the final hurdle of having to justify why a particular CB or CBs are recommended. It's here that I think some guidance on selection or justification is needed.

Shopping around means gathering information - both qualitative and quantitative. Apart from finding out from your customers if they had any preferred or recommended CB's (mentioned previously), you can ask potential CBs for a list of their customers. You can try and find out who are the CBs of your main competitors. You can check reputation of CBs through informal means such as through your connections in trade organizations, professional bodies or friends or other connections in the industry.

With regards to cost, don't look at just the initial cost. Look at the cost for the whole 3 year cycle (CBs here usually quote you for that). Apart from those 'certificate to hang on the wall' type, you will find that there are usually not much difference. The difference is how and where each of them choose to load their cost (back loading means the initial cost looks very attractive).

If one knows how to identify all these, then it becomes very easy to justify the cost-benefits to their organization.