MARITIME QUALITY CONSULTANTS,
INC. MARITIME QUALITY CONSULTANTS,
INC.
NEWSLETTER Vol. 6
SELECTING YOUR ISO 9001 REGISTRAR
A registrar is an independent company authorized to issue ISO 9001 certification. It is important for you to select your registrar well in advance of the date you wish to be certified so that the registrar can include your company in their schedule.
Over the years, I have heard many horror stories about registrars who were not customer focused and provided less than value added audits for their clients. Problems range from administrative – treating the company as just another number – to prescriptive auditors – issuing non-conformances for items not required by the Standard. Some registrars require the auditors to use standard checklists. This can lead to problems when the checklist items do not apply to your company’s Quality Management System.
There are over 70 registrars doing business in the United States. The number of registrars worldwide is even greater. If you are working with a consultant, he or she will be able to assist you in the selection process. If you are going it alone, it is even more important for you to do a thorough job of selecting a registrar. Time spent in the selection process could save your company problems in your initial certification audit and subsequent audits.
Not every registrar is accredited to issue ISO 9001 certificates. Steer away from new registrars who are still working on their accreditation. Their certificates do not bear any of the accreditation marks. The most common accreditation marks for US companies are the American National Standards Institute - Registrar Accreditation Board (ANSI-RAB) and the United Kingdom’s National Accreditation of Certification Bodies (NACB). For a list of US Accredited Quality Registrars see:
http://www.rabnet.com/qr_main.html (and click on "QMS Registrars")
Many registrars are accredited by more than one government entity. Selection of which scheme to be certified to depends on your clients. If you have a number of prime clients in Europe, the UK scheme might be preferable, as your European clients will recognize the NACB mark. If your clients are mostly in the United States, the RAB mark would be preferable. Select a registrar who can provide the accreditation mark that best suits your company.
Some registrars are not authorized to certify companies in the maritime industry. To be authorized, the registrar must demonstrate expertise in the field and must have auditors who have maritime experience. If you don’t know for sure, ask the registrar how many maritime companies they have certified. If you don’t get a sufficient response, look elsewhere.
I recommend that you select at least three registrars who have expertise in your industry and send a request for quotation to each. This request should include the following:
Describe your business including core activities, number of employees, location and size of offices, special equipment or facilities used to provide the services. State the scope of your Quality Management System and ask for a quotation itemizing the following:
Costs for certification and the on-going surveillance audits can vary significantly. If the registrars know that you are evaluating several bidders, they tend to lower their prices. If you have a small company, ask about special small company pricing.
Once you have reviewed the quotations, interview the low bidders. In addition to knowing what the man-days and costs will be, it is important to know who the auditor will be. It is preferable to have a regular auditor assigned to your company. Ask who the auditor will be and what his experience is with companies in your field.
After the certification audit, your company will be audited at least once per year (surveillance audit). Certificates expire every three years. At that time, the company must be re-audited for certification. Ask how many surveillance audits will be required during the three years. Your cost per year will be the surveillance audit fee plus auditor expenses times the number of surveillance audits in the year.
If you have multiple sites, the registrar will typically plan to audit your headquarters at least once each year and a sample of your branch sites each year. A surveillance schedule will be worked out so that each branch site will be audited at least once in the three-year period. Try to work out these details before you sign a contract with the registrar.
Ask for the registrar’s client list. Are any of the clients Fortune 500 companies? Are clients in many different industries? How many companies of the same size as yours has the registrar certified? Ask for references and call several of the registrar’s clients.
According to Quality Digest1, the most important registrar customer satisfaction items are:
After asking a registrar’s client the above questions, ask:
According to the Quality Digest report, most companies are satisfied with their registrar. Not withstanding that, taking the time and making the effort to select a registrar is worth the investment as you will reap the benefits for years to come.
Created by JoAnne Sterling, Sterling's Business
Services, jaganann@earthlink.net.
Copyright © 1999 [Maritime Quality Consultants, Inc.]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 11/01/04
1
"How Do Registrars Measure Up, Registrar Customer Satisfaction Survey," Dirk Dusharme, Chris Costello, and Thomas Pyzdek, Quality Digest, July, 1999