A certification body is a legal entity or individual entrepreneur accredited in the prescribed manner to carry out certification work.
Accreditation is a procedure by which the ability of a quality systems certification body to carry out certification work in the declared area is officially recognized.
The scope of accreditation is a list of products, according to which the certification body has the right to carry out certification work and issue certificates of conformity.
Today, the choice of certification bodies in Russia is extremely wide, because the number of voluntary certification systems in various fields of activity is constantly increasing.
When choosing a certification body, the following criteria should be considered:
1. Experience of the certification body. Usually confirmed by a reference sheet, i.e. a list of clients who have used the services of this certification body.
2. Contents of the report. Not all certification bodies include observations in their reports, since the formulation of observations requires highly qualified auditors and additional efforts during the audit. Observations help identify potential inconsistencies by describing those circumstances that might lead to inconsistencies over time or under slightly different conditions. Observations provide valuable information to the client as they help prevent nonconformities and associated potential damage to the organization.
3. Possibility of implementing integrated systems at the enterprise. Standardized management systems are a continuously developing area of management science.
4. Are additional services offered, such as post-certification services, training services, etc.
5. Having our own quality system.
6. Level of preparedness (competence) of auditors.
7. The selected certification body must be accredited to carry out certification work for this type of product.
8. Reputation of the certification body.
9. Brand recognition. By receiving a certificate, an enterprise associates its brand with the brand of the certification body. The certification body must not only be known. His name should evoke positive associations among clients.
10. The policies and procedures under which the certification body operates must not be discriminatory and must not be conducted or implemented in a discriminatory manner.
11. The certification body must ensure that services are available to all applicants. There should be no excessive financial or other conditions.
Conclusion
In this course work An analysis of regulatory documentation and legal acts used in the production of capital bread was carried out. The procedure for confirming product compliance with ND requirements is considered, the procedure for analyzing quality and safety indicators is presented, and an application for voluntary certification according to scheme 3a, a decision on the application and a certificate of conformity are completed (Appendix 1, 2, 3).
The main task of food certification is to confirm the quality and compliance of products with quality standards. The certification procedure takes place regardless of the manufacturer, as well as the consumer. Only a special document certifies the results of the procedure.
Thanks to food certification, it is possible to identify low-quality and unsafe products for humans. As a rule, each of us should be protected from products that can negatively affect our lives and well-being. After all, certification of the enterprise’s products indicates that all products are of high quality, and they can be traded both in our market and in foreign ones. Certification of food products is a confirmation not only of the safety of the product for the human body, but also for the environment.
In a market economy, the production of competitive bakery products can be ensured only with the introduction of careful technological and sanitary-hygienic control, as well as the replacement of traditional analytical methods with instrumental ones using express analyzers. The use of such devices can significantly reduce labor resources for analysis, reduce the preparation of reagents characteristic of traditional methods, and reduce the area of laboratories.
Unfortunately, not all manufacturers produce bread responsibly, violating regulatory requirements and deceiving consumers by providing them with inaccurate information on product packaging, which is the only source of information. Due to the failure of manufacturers to comply with the relevant requirements, bakery products cease to be healthy products, which can lead to a decrease in consumer demand for these products.
You have decided to obtain certification according to one of the ISO standards. Now it’s just a matter of small things - from the many companies offering certification services, choose one that you can trust.
A little history
ISO certification appeared on the Russian market in the early 90s, and over the past three decades, almost all leading companies have issued some kind of certificate. However, the lack of a legislative framework at that time led to the emergence of a huge number of companies offering “certification services” under various conditions. Many of these companies were “gray firms”: they inexpensively printed beautiful forms, and after a while (as in the case of questions about the legitimacy of such certificates) disappeared without a trace.
We are on the threshold of improving the certification market and are doing our best to speed up this process. We offer you a list of the main characteristics that we recommend you pay attention to.
How to quickly weed out gray companies?
Before you even discuss the details of certification, consider the following points:
- The presence of the words “certification body” in the company description. Anyone can print a “certificate” on paper and sell it to clients. But in order to be officially called a “certification body”, you must have the appropriate accreditation. (*)
- Availability of an accreditation certificate.If there is no accreditation, there are no guarantees. We are talking about official confirmation of the right to carry out certification activities, which is issued by Rosakreditatsiya (“national accreditation system”). You can check your accreditation using your individual number in online in the registry Rosaccreditation.
- Date of foundation of the legal entity. faces
and the history of the company’s development (usually in the “about the company” section). It is important that the company exists on the market for at least several years.
- Availability of in-house experts and/or freelance specialists. Without experts, legitimate certification is impossible. The number of experts (as well as employees in the company in general) should be directly proportional to the number of standards for compliance with which the company carries out certification.
- Company reliability:
- Participation of the company in thematic events: seminars, forums.
- Offer of additional services for education and training of specialists
- Partnerships with government agencies, industry unions, self-regulatory organizations (SRO)
- Information about clients, their reviews (on official forms)
Certification body- an organization accredited by the relevant authorities, engaged in the certification of quality management systems for compliance with ISO 9000 series standards, having sufficient equity capital and transferring sufficient amounts to reserves to cover its risks. It is well known that in addition to large international organizations There are numerous national certification systems providing certification throughout the world.
In Russia, the leading certification body is traditionally considered to be VNIIS-SERT-SK at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Certification, Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, Electrostandard, Test-St. Petersburg (accredited by the State Standard of Russia for the right to carry out certification of quality systems in the GOST R system).. In addition, the most active in Russia are the world-famous certification bodies, accredited for certification in most developed countries, Bureau Veritas Quality International (France); Uet Norske Veritas (Norway); Lloyd Register (UK); SGS (Switzerland); TUV-CERT (Germany).
But, unfortunately, for many Russian entrepreneurs it still remains a mystery what market capitalization the Russian-registered subsidiaries of these reputable brands in Europe have and what financial reserves they are able to create to cover certification risks. If such information is missing, then in the USA, for example, the activities of such a certification body for companies in the USA may not be recognized. Unfortunately, in Russia this situation is facilitated by the situation with certification law and the Laws of the Russian Federation. Typically, in Europe and the USA, knowledge of these integrated indicators allows one to quite accurately calculate the level of financial responsibility of the certification body for certificates of conformity issued to entrepreneurs.
In addition, few people realize that every international certification body, even with the best brand in the world in Russia, is essentially a company registered in Russia, with all the ensuing legal consequences. To this it should be added that each international certification body must have an international accreditation sheet that discloses in detail information about those countries in which Governments or Parliaments have delegated, under certain conditions, their powers to certify, classify, supervise and inspect products and production of organizations carrying out specific activities. An analysis of the information listed may well give an objective and correct judgment about the responsibility of the certification body, both to clients and to accreditation bodies.
But here, too, of course, you need to know when to stop. This measure consists of maintaining a reasonable balance between the form and content of certification. You can absolutely correctly follow the form of choosing a certification body and its accreditation at the proper level, taking into account many years of work in the market. But at the same time, its employees may not have sufficiently high professional knowledge regarding, for example, the production and at the same time financial spheres of activity of an organization that supplies unique products or provides unique services. In addition, many even very reputable auditors are skeptical about innovations in the field of QMS. And then, despite the authority of the certification body, the result of the QMS activities will be negative. To remove this barrier, you will need to hire an outside auditor who will demand higher rates and negotiate all sorts of conditions. Naturally, in this case, you can invite such an auditor directly, and he himself will decide which organization will issue the certificate.
How not to make a mistake in choosing the Company that you entrust to provide you with certification services for a product, service or enterprise as a whole?
Certification is a very responsible process, because the slightest mistake can have unpleasant consequences and lead not only to disappointment and loss of time, but also to legal problems and, of course, additional financial expenses.
There are a number of optimal criteria for preliminary assessment of the performing company that will help you navigate the huge number of offers, make the right choice and avoid paying twice. Simply conduct a comparative analysis of all candidates based on the information received from them and about them and select the best one using these criteria:
1.WORK EXPERIENCE
Serious experience in the market allows the company and its specialists to acquire the necessary knowledge and experience and develop the most effective methods of work in this direction.
How to check: Be sure to check the date of registration of the company in the registration certificate, Extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities or other documents. A few years is nothing for any field of activity; it is a newcomer to the market, which means an amateur, not a professional.
2. PARTNER NETWORK
A developed partner network and established contacts in the professional market allow the performing company to provide the most complete range of services and implement the most non-standard projects.
How to check: Do not forget that working with partners is associated with certain risks. Be sure to check whether the company is ready to bear responsibility for the partner to you. This responsibility must be secured in an agreement with you.
3. EXECUTION SPEED
In some situations, the timing of obtaining a particular certificate is very important, because Often the financial results of the customer depend on the speed of the contractor. In these cases, it is worth entrusting work only to those performers who can provide the shortest possible time for completing the services. And, of course, speed should not affect the quality of these services.
How to check: Specify the terms of service provision in advance and assess their compliance with your requirements. Often, many contractors give deliberately unrealistic deadlines for completing work; a truly responsible contractor will justify the named deadlines for you in accordance with the law and established practice and secure them in a contract and liability for their violation.
4. TRANSPARENCY OF CONTROL
It is very important for you, as a client, to understand what stage the process is at, which steps have already been completed and which are yet to be completed, whether everything is in order and whether there are any problems with your order. A self-respecting company is always ready to provide you with comprehensive information on the planned stages of work and the current state of affairs.
How to check: Before starting work, be sure to request an agreement under which you will be provided with a service, which does not have to be formal. Check for clauses in the contract that describe the process of interaction between the contractor and the customer. Also ask to provide you with the “Work Plan” document for the service you plan to order. This plan should describe not only the stages of work, but also the results of the work, as well as criteria for assessing the quality of these results.
5. PRIVACY
Certification of goods and services is often associated with certain risks due to information leakage, so it is very important role plays a role in ensuring data confidentiality. Differentiation of access to official information in electronic form, a unique archiving system, and a standard for working with information on paper - this is what will help avoid unnecessary risks.
How to check: check whether the contract contains a clause about the contractor’s responsibility for disclosing confidential client information, and also ask to tell you about the systems used in the company to ensure the confidentiality and safety of client information.
6. INTERNAL CONTROL SYSTEM
The task of any company is to ensure the maximum quality of services provided. This can only be achieved if there is a clear system of internal quality control of work results at various stages of order fulfillment and control levels. And the more these levels of control, the higher the quality of the services provided.
How to check: Before starting work, be sure to ask how many levels of internal control exist in the company, at what stages quality control is carried out and what system of responsibility is provided in the event of transfer of work results with errors to the customer, incl. in the contract.
Expert Center "Kraftsert" provides a range of certification services. Our company employs both specialists in product certification for compliance with the standards of the Customs Union and Russian legislation, and experts in the development and implementation of quality management systems within the framework of the requirements of GOST ISO 9001-2011, as well as preparation for their certification.
Certification is an important and often necessary procedure, so services related to it should be trusted to professionals. "Kraftsert" works with leading accredited testing laboratories and certification bodies for products and services. Our center also cooperates with organizations that have licenses to conduct industrial safety assessments.
There are two types of product certification: mandatory (confirmation of safety) and voluntary (confirmation of high quality). At the same time, most of the goods for which it is necessary to obtain a certificate fall within the scope of regulation of technical regulations of the Customs Union (children's goods, toys, light industry products, packaging, cosmetics, machinery and equipment, including household appliances, food products, etc.). Voluntary certification is carried out at the request of the applicant for any product for compliance with GOST standards.
A certificate issued within the framework of the requirements of the Customs Union is valid throughout its territory, namely in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, in contrast to certificates of compliance with the norms of the national legislation of our country, which can only be applied in Russia.
We offer Russian and foreign manufacturers/suppliers the following range of services:
The specialists of the Expert Center Kraftsert have extensive experience in providing services related to certification. Certification bodies - partners of the Expert Center - have been working in the field of certification of products and quality management systems for many years, they have a wide scope of accreditation.
We work with Russian and foreign companies producing and suppliers of various products. We provide services to both companies operating in the Moscow region, as well as organizations in the Far East, Siberia, the Urals, the North-Western and Central Black Earth regions and others. Among our clients there are companies from St. Petersburg, Pskov, Vladivostok, Kaliningrad and many other cities of Russia.