CERTIFICATION & ACCREDITATION EXPLAINED

What is a Standard, and how can a certified UKAS-accredited body aid my business?

A standard is a set of guidelines, requirements, or specifications that define how a particular product, service, or process should be developed, implemented, or performed. Standards can cover a range of areas, including quality management, environmental management, health and safety, information security, and many others.

A certified UKAS-accredited body is an organisation that has been accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to provide certification services for specific standards. UKAS is the national accreditation body for the United Kingdom. It is recognised internationally for its expertise and impartiality in assessing conformity assessment bodies such as testing and calibration laboratories, certification and inspection bodies, and more.

Some organisations claim to offer a convenient one-stop shop for consultancy and certification, which may appear to be the most efficient, cost-effective, and straightforward option. However, this practice directly violates the regulations that UKAS-accredited certification bodies are obligated to follow.

These organisations may assert that they are accredited, but their accreditation is not obtained through UKAS. Non-UKAS accreditation is not bound by the same regulatory standards and does not provide adequate guarantees of impartiality, integrity, or accountability.

Certificates issued by these organisations are frequently disregarded by customers and clients and may even have a negative impact on business growth and tender applications.

By using a UKAS-accredited organisation, businesses can have confidence that the certification or testing results are reliable, accurate, and trustworthy. The UK government strongly recommends that businesses seeking certification or testing services use UKAS-accredited organisations.

This is because UKAS is the only national accreditation body in the UK that the government has recognised as meeting the relevant international standards for accreditation bodies. By using a UKAS-accredited organisation, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to meeting high quality, safety, and environmental sustainability standards, which can be essential for winning new contracts and customers.

AVISO, THE ISO CONSULTANTS, OUR PHILOSOPHY

At AvlSO, we work with only UKAS-accredited certification bodies to ensure you get the absolute best from your investment.

The ethos is always to develop a system that meets your needs first whilst still complying with the standard. We have shown that a management system tailored to your individual goals and objectives can be more than just a certificate and will bring about positive company improvements.

Our experience and approach uniquely position us to offer and deliver the most meaningful advice in a way that best suits you.

UKAS-ACCREDITED CERTIFICATION BODIES

AvISO takes pride in being an ISO Consultancy that regularly works with major UKAS Accredited Certification Bodies, such as BSI, SGS, NQA, and QEC. Through using these organisations, we have gained a thorough understanding of their operating practices, enabling us to guide our clients efficiently towards ISO certification from the start of the process to the final assessment.

If you are trying to decide which certification body to use, below are some useful contact details of UKAS-accredited certification bodies we associate with. Please get in touch with us for area-specific contact details.

If you would like to check if a business is UKAS accredited, please follow this link to the UKAS website, which lists all their accredited bodies.