Relocation Requires Audit?

Employees, Training, Working, Learning, Duties, Tasks, DFSS, Innovation

Question

One of my contract manufacturers who is ISO 9001: 2008 certified, submitted a Supplier Change Notice to relocate their factory to a new site/location. This will trigger many activities including re-qualification, etc. My question is, for their ISO 9001 certificate, do they simply refresh their company location / address in their ISO 9001 certificate with the Notified Body or they actually need to go through a full scale quality system audit by the NB?

Answer

Yes. They do need to have a full scale audit. The reason is very simple, a business is a system. When you change the environment, you alter that system. A full audit will be an adequate representation of the scope and magnitude of the change, and will indicate if this supplier is still a reliable manufacturer. Think about your most recent home move, the family is the same, your belongings are the same; however, everything is different at the same time.

Aura Stewart

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Is Certification Revocable?

Data review, data analysis, data migration

Question

If a company is ISO 9001: 2015 certified, is it revocable?

Answers

From Jim Werner:

A company can indeed have its certification revoked.  Being certified means the company has established a qualify management system that meets the requirements of ISO9001:2015.  The failure of the company to continue to meet those requirements can result in de-certification.

From George Hummel:

Most CBs will revoke a certificate if the client does not answer an audit non-conformance.  Their contract may define other instances.  The questioner should review his or her organization’s contract.

From Charles Cianfrani:

Certified companies receive surveillance audits periodically. If the company fails to maintain compliance with ISO 9001:2015 requirements, eventually (after a series of intermediary steps related to resolution of nonconformity have been unsatisfactorily pursued) their certification can be voided.

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Merging With a Non-ISO 9001 Certified Organization

Reporting, best practices, non-compliance reporting

Q: My federal agency is comprised of many different internal organizations. We have a scenario where a recently certified organization to the ISO 9001:2008 Quality management systems–Requirements is planned to be merged with a non-certified organization that has no type of management system. The certified organization’s certification runs for three years but it will be more closely integrated with the non-certified organizations. Will the merger affect the certified organization’s certification? Do you have any insights on how these types of occurrences typically affect the management system itself when an organization that is certified for 100% of its operations now becomes 50% of a larger organization? It’s quite likely that the certified organization’s name will change at least in part.

A: With regard to your question, if company “A” is already ISO 9001:2008 certified and is now being merged with a non-certified company here’s what should be considered.  First, the current ISO certification is only applicable to company “A” as defined in the scope of the quality manual as well as on the ISO 9001 certification issued by the ISO registrar.

Your ISO registrar needs to be immediately informed of changes effecting the company name, top management and/or processes.  The registrar may very likely require the newly merged companies to be reevaluated for ISO certification and listed under one ISO certification.

Most ISO registrars will not issue ISO certification for just a portion of a company.  All processes that comprise the quality system must be identified and included as a part of the QMS unless specific exclusion is stated in the quality manual as permitted by ISO 9001.  The management representative will need to ensure that top management is aware of how this merge may affect the current QMS so effective actions can be taken to bring company “B” in line with the established QMS procedures and other ISO requirements.  I hope this helps.

Bill Aston
ASQ Senior Member
Managing Director of Aston Technical Consulting Services
Kingwood, TX
www.astontechconsult.com

For more on this topic, please visit ASQ’s website.