What is certification?

Certification is the act of verifying the conformance to a standard or other requirements. A certification body audits an organization and, if appropriate, a certificate of conformance to a given standard (for example, ISO 9001 for quality management systems) is issued. With regard to management systems, the terms certification and registration are used interchangeably. (Certification also refers to the process of validating and verifying the credentials of individuals, such as auditors.)

What is certification body (CB)?
A CB (also known as a registrar) is a third-party company contracted to evaluate the conformance of an organization to the requirements of the appropriate standard(s) and issue a certificate of conformance when warranted.

What are the benefits of management system certification?
Benefits of implementing quality management systems include increased operational efficiency; an opportunity to critically examine how employees do their work and interact between functions; establishing the proper processes for future operations; better documentation of methods and responsibilities; consistency of process; greater employee awareness about quality; cost savings from less scrap and rework, as well as fewer warranty claims; enhanced communication among employees; customer satisfaction; competitive edge; increased credibility; ease of trade; perceived higher quality; reduced customer audits; increased market share; and fulfilling supplier requirements for certification.

Benefits of implementing environmental management systems include potential reduction in process by-products and wastes ; greater employee awareness about the environment and the impact of their jobs on it; potential increased energy efficiency and energy conservation in design, production, and post production processes; creation of systematic structure for complying with environmental regulations; customer satisfaction/requirement; competitive advantage; ease of trade, avoiding non-tariff trade barriers; potential for improved market share; and improved image with community and environmental groups.

Implementing other management systems may offer some of the same benefits, as well as benefits unique to the specified type of management system.