5 Ways to check if the ISO 9001 Certificate is Valid

Being an ISO Certified company like PAPTI in the Philippines has a lot of benefits, advantages and competitive edge to those who are not. Have you asked yourself “Yeah, this company has this certification, but how will I know is this is true, authentic and valid?” Yes, same here, I also asked the same question and as I do searched the internet for answers I found this five incredible ways to check if the ISO 9001 certificate is valid or not.

1. It is good to remember that only registrars are allowed to give ISO 9001 certificates. An organization, company or any entity cannot self-grant a certificate. So, first thing to do is to look for the name of the registrar.

2. Next thing to do is to look for the name of the accreditation body like UKAS, ANAB, etch. If there is a stamp from an accreditation body, check out if they are a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). If there is no stamp, you should start walking to the exit.
Take note also that a registrar may option to not seek accreditation, but that may or not be an indication of their ability and competency. Take a look at this excerpt from ISO website:

"In most countries, accreditation is a choice, not an obligation and the fact that a certification body is not accredited does not, by itself, mean that it is not a reputable organization. For example, a certification body operating nationally in a highly specific sector might enjoy such a good reputation that it does not feel there is any advantage for it to go to the expense of being accredited. That said, many certification bodies choose to seek accreditation, even when it is not compulsory, in order to be able to demonstrate an independent confirmation of their competence."
 
3. Okay you see that there is a registrar on the certificate, how will you know is they are legitimate? Pick up the phone and call them. Ask if they are the one who issued the ISO certificate, if not then walk to the exit. There is no more such talking to do.

4. Take note that if an entity certifies Plant A, it does not mean that all their plants are certified. Each plant and offices need to be certified separately. It is not like all for one and one for all. So verify that the company you’re dealing with is location and processes certified.

5. Closely look at the expiration. Make sure that the certificate is not expired. If it is expired, ask them what happened and why the certificate is expired.

With these five simple but incredible tips, you are to be sure that the ISO certified Company you are dealing with is a legitimate one and not just a hocus pocus.
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