FAQ
You can learn more from our asked questions
NO !!!! The quotation covers all fees for the three-year certification period.
We can process your certification as fast as you require. If your system is well implemented and maintained and the audit outcome is good the certification can be approved within a few days of the audit visit.
We are accredited by EGAC (https://www.egac.gov.eg) therefore we are audited by this organization regularly. We also have a comprehensive internal audit program where we audit all of our offices against our procedures and all applicable standards, i.e., ISO 17021, ISO 19011, IAF MDs, etc.
Some certification programs do charge royalties but none of ours do. Some other certification programs charge an annual fee which is a percentage of your turnover. All our programs are royalty free.
The main reason companies change to International Certifications is pretty basic, it is the human fundamental fact that people choose to do business with people they like – people like us and our attitude towards assessment and certification.
The main reason for wanting to implement a management system standard is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a company’s operations, pretty simple.
You must always bear in mind that the cheapest might prove to be the costliest if its auditing is below standard, or if its certificate is not recognized by the organization’s customers.
Founded in 1947 by a group of delegates from 25 countries, the 67 original technical committees of ISO came together with a unified goal of ensuring products and services are safe, reliable, and of good quality. The very first ISO standard, called “ISO/R 1:1951” – was first published in 1951 to set a standard reference temperature for industrial length measurements. Today, that standard still exists (after many updates) as ISO 1:2002.
Over the decades following, ISO created committees and published standards for everything from units of measure to freight containers and environmental quality. It was not until 1987 that ISO 9001 – one of the most recognizable standards today – was published as ISO’s first quality management standard. The environmental standard ISO 14001 followed not long after in 1996, and ISO has only increased its output of new guidance since, branching out into fields such as information security, social responsibility, energy management, and even corporate integrity.
Having celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2017, ISO stands as a strong player in international industries. Today, with 22,401 International Standards covering all aspects of business and technology, and members from 161 countries, ISO has its eye on the future of quality and safety certification.
A standard, by definition, is a set of rules to help companies develop, control, and manage not only processes, but materials, products, services, technologies, and systems to a specific set of requirements. Some examples of accredited standards include ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001, and ISO 22000.
In order to be recognized as meeting a standard’s requirements, companies must become certified. Certification can be attained through accredited third-party certification bodies (CBs) such as Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc., which will audit clients to ensure that the requirements of the standard in question are met. Only once conformance with the standard is verified will a certificate (certification) be issued.
Certification through an accredited CB is similar in concept to receiving a degree from an accredited university; it signals to others (potential clients, buyers, suppliers, etc.) that a company has taken the extra steps to prove they meet the requirements of a standard and that they are committed to the integrity necessitated by certification.
An audit seeks to establish the robustness of the management system and its historical compliance, whereas an inspection is a physical verification on the day. An example is with food safety; an audit looks at the system to manage food safety issues whereas a local council inspection is a look at the building for cleanliness and hygiene issues.
YES!!! Certification logos can be used anywhere you wish to use them. The only rules are with EGAC accredited programs these logos cannot be used on the actual products or product packaging. Quality Warranty, Safe Food Warranty, Eco Warranty etc. can be used on the actual products and packaging to advertise the fact that company runs a certified management system.
Third-party certification is a process by which a product, process or service is reviewed by a reputable and unbiased third party to verify that a set of criteria, claims or standards are being met.
Any business with defined processes and systems can benefit from the structure and added credibility of quality certification. For some industries, such as automotive or aerospace manufacture and supply, certification is all but mandatory to prove conformance to mandated rules and requirements.
- ICI understands the difficulties of the small business owner. We hear all the time, “ISO 9001 is a nightmare! It’s so much work!” Our goal is to provide a friendlier approach to certification.
- ICI auditors have an understanding of small business, how they operate, and the resource constraints that business owners have to deal with.
- ICI auditors think outside the box and appreciate that there are different ways to meet the standard requirements.
- ICI provides free webinars on strategic topics monthly.
- ICI conducts risk-based surveillance audits, targeting the areas to best assist our clients in improving their systems.
- ICI auditors are human beings. They understand that shop floor employees at a small business are nervous and often intimidated by the audit process.
- ICI provides an official Notice of Pending Registration upon signing registration agreement, which communicates that the organization’s certification journey is underway.
- ICI is always conscious of travel cost and we try to save customers money at every turn.
- ICI offers the option of conducting the Stage 1 audit “offsite” to defray travel costs.
- ICI provides a Project Manager who looks out for the best interest of the small business owner. We take the time to get to know your business.
The subject of certification and standards is a wide and complex one, but it is best to start at the beginning. A “standard,” by definition, is a set of guidelines in place to help organizations in the development, management, and control of everything from processes and products to services and systems. These guidelines satisfy specific requirements in areas such as quality, safety, and efficiency.
In order to certify an organization to a particular standard, accredited third-party certification bodies such as INFINITY CERT INTERNATIONAL ICI .must verify that the requirements are met via an audit process. Only after the audit process is successfully completed can an organization be issued an official certificate, with the receiving company agreeing to maintain the systems in conformance with the standard’s requirements in continuous improvement.
Just like the companies they certify, third-party certification bodies (also referred to as “CBs”) must meet certain requirements in order to receive and maintain accreditation. This is ensured via audits overseen by an accreditation body, or AB. Oversight by an AB creates confidence that a CB’s certification process is impartial, and without conflicts of interest.
But why submit to the work and expense of the certification process? What is the benefit to a company or their clients? Accredited third-party certification demonstrates to both current and potential customers that an organization is dedicated to quality, and has taken the time to build and maintain a culture within its processes to offer clients the very same.
ICI auditors boast an average of 15 years of auditing experience and an average 18 years of experience in quality assurance. Auditors undergo a thorough qualifications process, which includes not only interviews, background checks, and references, but mandatory training modules, technical competency exams, observation and supervision audits, and annual auditor training.
By conducting extensive evaluations of prospective auditors prior to hiring, ICI ensures that only the highest-quality candidates make it onto the ICI team. A combination of work experience, training, education, and audit days are required for ICI auditors to claim competence in a particular EA sector prior to auditing for a client. Many professional ICI auditors are industry experts who also teach classes on auditing skills for other auditors.
ICI has issued more than 1,000 registration certificates. New registration audits are scheduled daily; ICI contracts with more than 40 new companies every month.
ICI follows the guidelines contained in ISO 19011 to define its qualification criteria for quality system auditors. ISO 19011 details requirements for education, training, experience, personal attributes, management capabilities and continuing education. All Lead Auditors are professionally certified (RABQSA, IRCA and/or ICI) and take part in additional training specific to ICI policies and procedures.
No, but all ICI audit teams will have at least one ANAB-, IRCA- or ICI-certified Lead Auditor. Other team members, all of whom will have considerable quality auditing, teaching and/or consulting experience, are ANAB-, IRCA- or ICI-certified Auditors.
ICI’s scope of accreditation covers Most of scope codes in IAF ID1. We currently hold accreditation to certify clients to the following standards: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, ISO 45001, ISO 22000, ISO 27001, ISO 20000-1, ISO 22301, ISO 21001, and ISO 50001.
ICI, in accordance with ISO/IEC 17021, maintains strict confidentiality of any proprietary client information.
A pre-assessment is optional; ICI does not require it. However, the benefits of having a pre-assessment are numerous, including focusing your attention on your current quality system weaknesses, allowing you to gain experience and familiarity with an audit and ICI auditors, and increasing your overall chances of passing the registration audit. The pre-assessment usually takes about 60% of the time quoted for the registration audit.
ICI considers the pre-assessment to be a very important step toward a successful registration audit. Although pre-assessments are totally optional, 99% of ICI clients who have undergone pre-assessments pass their registration audits the first time.
ICI works with individual clients to promote consistency among audit personnel. We recommend that a minimum of one person from the pre-assessment team be on the registration audit team; however, no guarantees can be made as to auditor availability.
Clients usually contract with a registrar even before beginning the quality system implementation process. The reason is that by contracting with a registrar first, they can establish an early link with the audit team and program. ICI has found that by contracting with ICI prior to quality system implementation activities, clients can typically trim 30-40% off the time normally spent on the registration process. To participate in our “priority scheduling” program, you should contract with us as soon as possible. Our Audit Program Coordinators typically schedule audits 60-90 days in advance. Auditors in the field will tentatively schedule the next continuous or annual surveillance audit while physically on site.
Nonconformances are either major or minor. If the registration audit reveals only minor non-conformances, the Lead Auditor will recommend registration – pending the closeout of corrective action. Objective evidence of corrective action can be submitted by mail or fax within 90 days of the audit; once accepted by the Lead Auditor, the registration certificate will be issued (and corrective action verified at the next required surveillance visit). For a major nonconformance, a revisit will be required to evaluate the corrective action, except in rare cases. The revisit will be limited to the area of nonconformance. In any case, the ICI audit will continue, even upon discovery of major nonconformances; you will be notified of any deficiencies in your quality system before the audit team leaves your facility. This written notification is part of the formal audit visit.