Understand the Requirements of ISO/IEC 17021 for Better Implementation

The ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 is a global standard aimed to determining how organizations that provide audits and certifications for management systems should operate. This standard, issued by the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission, strives to increase the reliability and uniformity of these audits and certifications by establishing the key requirements that these organizations must meet.

This standard addresses many audits and certification issues, such as staff competence, reporting, and procedures. It covers the requirements for auditor competence, impartiality, consistency, and the auditing and certification procedure.

As you go through the ISO/IEC 17021 standard, you’ll come across these broad sections that outline all of the standards and practices that are necessary. It can also helpful to you to understand the requirements while preparing ISO/IEC 17021 documents for your organization or your clients.

The Requirements of ISO/IEC 17021

General Requirements

These include the certifying body’s legal and contractual requirements, which ensure that the organization is competent and can work impartially.

• Legal and Contractual Issues: The certifying body must be a legally recognisable entity that is accountable for its actions. The certification organization must have legal agreements outlining each party’s responsibilities, including clients.
• Liability and Funding: Certification bodies must be able to accept responsibilities and weaknesses, as well as have the financial resources to operate. This ensures that the certifying body is adequately insured and has the resources to carry out certification activities.
• Non-discriminatory Conditions: The certifying organization must give its services to all applicants impartially and without discrimination. Access to certification must be equitable and open, regardless of the size or affiliations of the organization seeking certification.
• Confidentiality and Public Access to Information: The body must have measures in place to ensure the confidentiality of information while also making some certification-related information publicly available. To keep confidence, confidentiality and transparency must be balanced.
• Structural Requirements: This refers to how the certifying body is organized, particularly to ensure impartiality. This involves avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring that events such as consulting do not interfere with the impartiality of the certification process.

Information Requirements

This section of the standard describes the standards for management system documentation, such as records of complaints and appeals and information that must be made public.

• Management of Information: The certification body must manage and maintain all information connected to certification activities. This includes the management of secret material as well as information that will be made public.
• Certifying Documents: The certifying body must produce ISO 17021 documents that accurately reflect the scope and contents of the certification. This is critical for openness and the utility of the certification to the organization that obtains it.
• Certified Organizations Listing: A publicly available listing of certified organizations may be required. This enhances transparency and allows interested parties to verify certification status.
• Control of Records: Certification-related records must be securely held and controlled. Audit reports, certification documentation, and related information must be kept accessible for future reference, complaints, or appeals.

Management System Requirements

The standard requires the certifying body to have a management structure in place. ISO provides organizations with two options for streamlining adoption:

• Using general management system needs (drawn from the sections given above) and
• Compliance with ISO 9001 (the standard for Quality Management Systems).

What are the Steps Involved in ISO/IEC 17021 Consultancy Services and Its Advantages?

ISO/IEC 17021 is a standard that was formed for assessing certification bodies to certify that they are competent and that they conform to all types of management systems. ISO/IEC 17021 is an international standard that gives a lot of prerequisites that must be trailed by a Management System Certification Body to confirm that the Certification procedure is fair, energetic, reliable, and is done by an individual. ISO 17021-1:2015 holds principles and requirements for the competence, consistency, and impartiality of bodies providing audit and certification of all types of management systems.

ISO 17021 is an International Standard that provides Certification Bodies (CB), with a lot of requirements that will authorize them to guarantee that their administration framework (such as Quality management system, Environmental management system, etc.) certification process is carried out in a competent, consistent and impartial manner. ISO 17021 standard was developed to fulfil the need to have an International Standard that could facilitate the recognition of bodies that are performing conformity assessments and the receiving of their certifications on a national and international basis and making it easier to recognize management system certification in the interests of international business.

What are the advantages of the ISO/IEC 17021 System?

ISO/IEC 17021 system helps to increase efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness in the overall Examination of bodies’ operation. It also helps to Rises the level of motivation, cooperation, workmanship, and quality awareness including competence, and Boosts confidence in inspection data and of personnel performing work. Better control of processes and activities throughout inspection bodies. ISO/IEC 17021 system helps savings in terms of time and money due to reduction or elimination of the need for re-inspection / rework etc. ISO/IEC 17021 provides insights from the analysis of data and record keeping. Provide guidelines and better control for maintenance of equipment, preservation of inspection records, etc. Establish confidence of management and customers as regards results as well as reports and increase customers’ trust as well as market share. Better image of inspection bodies as Quality inspection bodies in the global market. Also, it provides global recognition and credibility. An ISO 17021:2012 accredited inspection body has a certain advantage over competitors.

What are the steps are involved in ISO/IEC 17021 consultancy service?

• The ISO/IEC 17021 consultancy process starts with the micro-level survey for every management system of the certification bodies and the preparation of a detailed Gap Analysis report.
• After the analysis report starts the preparation of relevant documents mandatory by ISO/IEC 17021 based on a detailed study of all activities of the certifying bodies, such as ISO 17021 Quality Manual, Quality Procedures for ISO/IEC 17021 accreditation, SOPs for certification of various activities management systems used in the certification and formats to start the objective evidence of application and to ensure control over all the management system.
• Then the next step is to start the preparation of a Quality Assurance Plan for continuing and assuring the quality of services provided to its customers.
• Provide ISO 17021 auditor training to all levels of the workforces within the certification bodies.
• Help to active implementation of the system by intermittent visits till accreditation.
• Conduct internal audit for ISO 17021 system to check eagerness for the accreditation.
• Also, conduct management review meetings in the occurrence of Top Management to guide the certification bodies for effective application of all the issues related to inspection.
• And develop a suitable policy, as required by the standard.

Why is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Accreditation a good idea for your organization?

If you are working in an organization that is material testing or instrument calibration laboratories then ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation can enhance your business to the next level. The benefits range from strategic, to external business, to internal improvement. A few are highlighted here:

Increasing customer confidence – The accreditation of ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 demonstrates that the laboratory is capable of providing consistently valid results, that individuals are capable of performing it, and that the results of all accredited measurements can be traced to the International System of Units or appropriate references. This is the primary objective for your customers so that results are accepted between countries.

 Creating a proactive risk-based business and quality culture, not reactive – Defined activities, policies and quality objectives are the foundation of the strategic direction of the organization. A culture of risk-based thinking involves cost-effective operations and evidence-based decision-making. The laboratory must plan actions to take into account hazards and drive correction and ensure that key quality hazards related to tests and calibration are known and controlled.

Assuring your laboratory’s creditability – your testing and calibration methods must be reviewed and updated to make sure you are using the latest technology and documentation available. Assessment by a third-party accreditation body verifies that the tests and calibration are performed properly by trained laboratory professionals.

What ISO 17025 training with Certification is In-demand for an individual?

If you are in working in testing or calibration laboratory and looking to accelerate your career path to the next level by becoming certified auditor, many online courses are available these days that can be enrolled online.

ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Internal auditor training

The ISO 17025 internal auditor training online course helps the laboratory employees to qualify as ‘Internal Auditor’ for Laboratory Management System based on ISO 17025:2017.  Internal auditors must be trained in accordance with ISO 19011. Internal auditors must know not only the standard but also how to conduct an audit. Certification for an individual is possible by doing an ISO 17025 Lead Auditors training course certified by the Punyam Academy

ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Lead Auditor Training

ISO/IEC17025 lead auditor training course is designed to provide training and certification to become ISO/IEC 17025 lead auditor for Laboratory Management System. This ISO/IEC17025 lead auditor training is an online course; you will learn everything you need to know as the ISO/IEC17025 lead auditor. You can receive this training from your office or home or anywhere through your computer and internet at your convenient time with multiple login options. This course also helps the laboratory employees as well as certifying body auditors to qualify as ‘Lead Auditor’ for Laboratory Management System based on ISO/IEC17025:2017 and ISO 19011 and get auditor certification.

ISO / IEC 17021 – Requirements for Certification Bodies and Accreditation

Accreditationconsultancy.com introduce ISO 17021 is an international standard that provides certification bodies with a set of requirements that will enable them to ensure that their management system certification process is run efficiently, consistently, and impartially.

The first ISO/IEC 17021 was distributed in 2006. As per this first publication, accredited IAF MLA the management system certification bodies were given two years from the principal date of production to comply with the norm. In 2011, there was a correction that was cantered around competence, and all CB were given two years to conform to the new standard.

The ISO 17021 Accreditation Consultancy services available offline and online that can helps to preparing documents for quick accreditation. The following are the ISO 17021 documents that conform to the compliance assessment requirements of certified Bodies as per ISO 17021: 2015 listed below:

• ISO 17021 Manual
• ISO 17021 Quality Policies
• ISO 17021 Procedures
• Standard Operating Procedures
• ISO 17021 Audit checklist

Why should you Accreditation to this standard?

To help achieve this in the field of compatibility assessment, ISO/IEC 17021-1 set out the requirements of audit and certification bodies. It is not specific to any specific market, applies to SMEs and large companies, both public and private sector, and covers quality, environment, and other management systems. The ISO 17021 accreditation to Certifying Body is a procedure by which an accreditation body gives formal recognition of technical competence for specific system certification

ISO 17021 are called Accreditation Bodies, and the CBs accredited by them are referred to as Accredited Certification Bodies. It’s not mandatory for a CB to comply with ISO 17021 in order to perform conformity assessments and issue a given certificate; however, the value of the certificate issued may not be recognized by all stakeholders.

Any personnel that looking for having education as a graduate and working with certifying bodies or any private company and wants to make their carrier as an auditor, can Enrol for ISO 17021 auditor training – Online Certification Course offered by Punyam Academy