Ukas iso standards

Who are UKAS? What are certification bodies? Consultants Consultants like 2SB are used to help guide businesses implement management systems. Contact an ISO Consultant. First Name. Last Name. Email Address. Phone Number. I agree that my data will be used and stored as outlined in our privacy policy. I would like to receive further marketing and promotional information from 2SB.

From time to time we understand that clients may be required to move towards UKAS accredited certification. We can assist with the complete transition from the non-accredited certification that we provide, to a UKAS accredited certification by another provider. Most often than not companies that require UKAS accredited certification do so because their client base demand it. Should this be the case we will aim to make the transition as simple and cost effective as possible and will even assist you in sourcing an accredited certification partner.

We can then continue to work with you on an internal audit basis should you wish, as the main difference between accredited certification and non-accredited certification is that the accredited provider will be unable to offer any form of consultancy service, which is part and parcel of the non-accredited certification process we provide.

Any organisation that offers certification in the name of UKAS must have its processes regularly vetted. Obtaining initial UKAS accreditation is a lengthy and arduous process. Keeping hold of UKAS accreditation is even tougher. This is because UKAS wants to ensure that any assessment bodies that operate in their name are competent enough to assess businesses to ensure that they meet ISO standards. This is to help ensure that any certification provided by these bodies means something.

It guarantees that an industry professional has determined that a company does, indeed, meet ISO standards. Non-UKAS certification providers will come up with their own certification processes. They are under absolutely no obligation to ensure that they are genuinely assessing businesses to ISO standards.

In fact, many are not. In many cases, there is no financial incentive to do so. Therefore, many of these certification providers may be offering ISO certification to old standards. This means the certificate is worthless. Non-UKAS certification providers do not have any obligation to employ competent assessors or technical experts. In fact, many do not. Their certification process may often be nothing more than a few checkboxes. This is how these certification providers are able to offer their services so cheaply and quickly.

There have been several cases where these organisations have been successfully prosecuted by Trading Standards. A key provision for obtaining UKAS accreditation is impartiality. Any accredited ISO consulting organisation must adhere to strict guidelines on the advice that they are able to offer to their clients. UKAS prohibits any assessment organisation from receiving accreditation if they also offer consultancy services.

As a result, any accredited body is solely an assessor. While they may be able to provide transparent advice for companies wishing to meet ISO standards, these organisations are not permitted to offer any paid advice outside of the assessment services that they offer. Non-UKAS certification providers do not have to meet the same standards. In fact, offering consultation is often a key part of their business model. This can create a conflict of interest where the certification provider is unwilling to offer their certification unless the business they are working with is willing to pay for their expensive consultation services.

While the initial cost of obtaining the certification may be cheap, the long-term costs may end up becoming rather extravagant.