Certification Procedure

INTRODUCTION

Quality Asia Certifications Private Limited offers a comprehensive certification process designed to objectively assess your organisation's compliance with relevant management system standards. This document outlines the general steps involved in achieving certification with Quality Asia. The certification of a management system based on standard ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, ISO 27001, ISO 22000, ISO 13485 and ISO 26000 consists of the offer and contract phase, the audit preparation, performance of the Stage 1 audit with evaluation of the management documentation, performance of the Stage 2 audit, issue of certificate and surveillance/recertification.

CERTIFICATION PROCESS

Inquiry and Application

Contact Quality Asia - Reach out to Quality Asia to discuss your certification needs. We will provide information on relevant standards, answer your questions, and guide you through the selection process. You can contact on https://www.qualityasia.in/contact.php
Application for Certification - Once you've chosen the desired standard, submit a formal application form with all the required information as per the form. Application form - SLS-02 Application form

Certification Agreement

On acceptance of the Quotation, the certification agreement is signed between QUALITY ASIA and the client for providing certification of the client’s management system by QUALITY ASIA to the applicable international standard.

The Auditor will be selected as per the technical requirements of the Client’s Operations.

The Auditor prepares the audit plan based on the application form filled by the client and the mandays allotted to him for stage 1 audit and discusses and agrees the further procedure with the organisation to be audited

Certification Audit - Stage 1

QUALITY ASIA shall conduct a stage –1 audit at client site to

verify the adequacy of documentation of clients with respect to the requirements of the applicable standard
evaluate client's location and site-specific conditions and the preparedness for the stage 2 audit
review the client's status and understanding regarding requirements of the standard
collect necessary information regarding the scope of the management system
evaluate if the internal audits and management review are being planned and performed.
review the allocation of resources for stage 2 audit and agree with the client on the details of the stage 2 audit
understand and gather further information on the client activities and processes including applicable statutes, to plan for the stage –2 audit.

If weaknesses were identified in the Stage 1 audit, these must be corrected by the customer before the Stage 2 audit.

If at the end it cannot be established positively that the customer is ready for the Stage 2 audit, the audit is broken off after the Stage 1 audit.

The client shall satisfactorily resolve all the observations raised in document review along with other concerns / issues highlighted during the audit and the same confirmed to QUALITY ASIA before planning the stage –2 audit.

QUALITY ASIA shall submit a formal report to the client.

Certification Audit - Stage 2

QUALITY ASIA’s audit team shall visit the client’s premises, as per an agreed plan, to verify

effectiveness of the client’s management system in meeting the requirements of the applicable ISO and other international management system standards.
information and evidence about conformity to all requirements of the applicable management system standard.
performance monitoring, measuring reporting and reviewing against key performance objectives and targets
the client’s management system ability and its performance regarding meeting of applicable statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements
operational controls of the client processes
internal auditing and management review
management responsibilities for their policies

QUALITY ASIA shall submit a formal report to the client.

Surveillance Audit

Surveillance audits shall be conducted regularly at the client site at least once in a year to confirm that the Client’s Management System continues to conform to the requirements of the standard to which it is certified.

The first surveillance audit shall take place within twelve months from the date of certification decision and failure to comply with this requirement will lead to suspension and subsequently withdrawal of certification. All the subsequent surveillance audits are planned on the basis of the planning-relevant date and must be conducted at at least once per calendar year.

For the non-conformity raised during the surveillance audit the conditions stipulated in section 2.7 shall be applicable

In the case that a surveillance audit cannot be carried out because the client’s operations are affected owing to factors outside its control, e.g.: employee union strike, natural calamity, etc. the case shall be presented to QUALITY ASIA for a decision.

QUALITY ASIA shall submit a formal report to the client.

Recertification Audit

The purpose of re-certification audit is to confirm the continued conformity and effectiveness of the client’s management system as a whole and its continued relevance and applicability for the scope of certification.

The Re-Certification audit shall include site audit and shall consider the performance of the management system over the period of certification and shall also include a review of previous surveillance audit reports. The re-certification audit may have a stage –1 audit in situations where there have been significant changes to the management system, the client or changes to legislation.

QUALITY ASIA shall conduct the re-certification audit at least 60 days in advance to the expiration of certification so that the client has time to implement corrective actions before the expiry of the certification

For non-conformities raised during the audit, the conditions specified in section 2.7 become applicable. QUALITY ASIA shall submit a formal report to the client.

Management of Non-conformities

If a nonconformance is detected during audit, a Nonconformity Report shall be issued to the client. For the non-conformities raised during the audit client shall submit the correction and the corrective action (based on root cause) to QUALITY ASIA office within 20 working days from the last day of the audit. QUALITY ASIA shall verify the submitted correction and the corrective action and confirm the acceptance of the same to the client. Client shall take the correction and corrective action within the stipulated date and submit the documentary evidence to QUALITY ASIA to verify the effectiveness of action taken and accordingly to close the non-conformances.

In case of a major non-conformance, the effectiveness of action taken shall be verified at client site by a follow up visit or as communicated by the team leader on the closing day of the audit. This shall be completed within 90 days from the last day of the audit.

In case of certification audit (fresh client) the QUALITY ASIA shall cancel the audit under the following conditions.

Client does not submit a Corrective Action Plan for the Non-Conformity raised within 20 working days as stipulated above.
In case of major Non-Conformity, the verification of effectiveness of corrective action is not completed within 90 days as stipulated above.

In case of certified clients QUALITY ASIA shall suspend the certificate under the following conditions:

Client does not submit Corrective Action Plan for the Non-Conformity raised within 20 working days as stipulated above
In case of major Non-Conformity, the verification of effective of corrective action is not completed within 90 days as stipulated above

Recommendation for Certification

QUALITY ASIA shall recommend certification of the client’s management system, based on the following

QUALITY ASIA has reviewed the audit reports and has accepted the recommendations of the audit team
The client has submitted the correction and corrective action for the non-conformities raised within the stipulated time and QUALITY ASIA has accepted the same
In case of a major non-conformance, the effectiveness of correction and corrective action is verified by QUALITY ASIA's auditors as agreed and the non-conformity either closed or downgraded to minor.

If the client is not recommended for certification QUALITY ASIA shall accordingly inform the client.

Issue of Certificate

QUALITY ASIA shall issue the certificate against the applicable standard to the client only after the closure of all the non-conformances as stated in section 2.7.

The Certificate is the property of QUALITY ASIA CERTIFICATIONS Pvt. Ltd., and shall be produced to QUALITY ASIA as and when requested.

The certification will be valid for a period of three years from the date of certification, subject to the satisfactory maintenance of the Management System as confirmed through agreed surveillance audits

Special Audit

QUALITY ASIA shall conduct special audits under the following conditions,

Extension of the scope of certification already granted, on the request of the client. This could be clubbed with routine surveillance audits.
To investigate complaints received by QUALITY ASIA about the client.
Follow up audit in case of suspension.
Follow up audit for Major non-conformance reported in any of the audits namely, certification, surveillance and recertification
Changes in QUALITY ASIA ’s certification requirements
Transfer of certification
Reduction in scope as requested by the client
Decisions by the Certification Panel based on the results of the review of the audit reports to re-verify and confirm certain aspects of the management system.
Addition of Sites, Change in address/location of existing sites, changes in scope of existing certified sites, removal of existing certified sites, or any changes of similar nature.
Reduction in scope of audit.

In case of short notice audits to investigate complaint, response to changes and follow up of suspension, QUALITY ASIA shall select auditors from earlier audits done on the client, because of the lack of opportunity for the client to object to the audit team

For non-conformities raised during the audit the conditions identified in section 2.7 shall become applicable.

QUALITY ASIA shall submit a formal report to the client.

For More information, kindly refer to our contact us page on the website - https://www.qualityasia.in/contact.php or reach us at email - operations@qualityasia.in QUALITY ASIA’s liability shall be limited to providing certification of the client’s management system and shall not in any way be responsible for the liabilities arising out of the client’s products or services