An auditor's view of
certification
IRCA’s online forums provide the perfect sounding box for ideas, concerns and questions about any aspect of auditing. takes a closer look at what auditors have been saying about certification
Role of accreditation bodies in a global market
With the European directive ruling that from January 2010 only one accreditation body will be recognized in each EU country, rumors have been circulating as to its impact upon certification bodies and its relevance in a global market. One forum member points out the political implication of forcing internationally operating certification bodies to become accredited by their national accreditation body: ‘All the principles of a Europe without borders are conveniently ignored!’
Another member thinks the EU directive will have little impact on the global market: ‘The potential battles for accreditation business are not really within the EU. The really interesting areas are the Indian sub-continent, China, Russia, South America and increasingly Africa.’ He makes the suggestion of removing geographic restrictions and allowing accreditation bodies to compete head-to-head globally; the argument being that monopolies work against the customer and increased competition would improve the service from accreditation bodies.
BSI’s move to use ANAB for its international certifications added another element to the debate. While some applaud its move as opening up competition between accreditation bodies, others see it more as a reflection upon the quality of service offered by UKAS.
Credibility of accredited certification
The most impassioned debates in the forums circle around the credibility of the certification industry as a whole. Worries discussed over a number of threads include the alarming trend in some countries of the ‘one-stop-shop’ where companies offer consultancy, training and certification. The problem, according to one forum member, is that customers are looking for the shortest (and cheapest) route to certification and that will often be such companies. He goes on to say that the conflict of interest lessens the credibility of the industry: ‘If you're working hand in hand with a consultant then I wonder if the objectivity is really there. I think we're heading down a slippery slope to give-a-way certifications without any real value.’
Most recently, the question of conflicts of interest was brought up regarding the commercial element of certification bodies. Concerns raised include: How can certification bodies remain objective if they are charged by their accreditation body for any non-conformities they raise? Do certification bodies risk irritating their clients by raising problems with certification and risk losing business? One member stated that as long as certification and accreditation bodies created profit and loss statements these conflicts will remain and increase over time: 'Consequently their credibility, and ours as an industry, will diminish’.
Suggestions made to tackle these worries include rejecting the continuing linear development that has occurred within the industry for a dynamic metamorphosis. Others place responsibility upon the shoulders of the accreditation bodies saying they should look at the overall trend of auditors raising non-conformities and closely examine the work of those that never raise any.
Another theory is that certification and accreditation bodies have not grasped who their customers are: ‘The customer is actually the organizations that use certifications as a tool in the supplier selection.’ And while certification bodies are focused on seeing the customer as the certified organization and try to keep them happy, the biggest risk to the success of the industry as a whole is if those organizations using certification to select suppliers stop using it ‘because they see it as meaningless’.
One proposed solution to reaffirm confidence in the industry was to make certification harder. ‘Most registered companies need to have certification to satisfy customer requirements, so if the bar was raised they would find a way to meet the standards. Those companies that choose to follow certification because they think it adds value may welcome more challenging standards’.
Do you agree that harder standards and tougher audits will help to reaffirm organizations’ confidence in certification? Why not add your voice to those on the forums and debate what matters to you most?
The opinions cited here are taken from the IRCA online forums and in no way reflect or represent IRCA’s attitudes or opinions towards the topics or ogranizations mentioned.
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