Why should I invest in UKAS certification?

In the UK, the only recognised BS/ISO accreditation body is the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). Certification bodies are independently assessed by UKAS and enabled to provide Certificates bearing the UKAS Crown and tick symbol. An increasing number of both public and private sector organisations are specifying certification by a UKAS accredited body in many of their contracts.

By not investing in UKAS certification you run the risk of your management system being rejected on tender submissions or preferred supplier framework agreements. Be aware if of the so called certification bodies that offer to provide consultancy (which is actually an off the shelf manual) and certification within a month. This is similar to buying a degree on the internet. This is not accredited by UKAS and the certificate and manual is worthless.

NB:

Not everyone decides to certify their management systems, and this is perfectly fine. Business improvements and best practice can still be derived just as effectively from an un-certified system as long as it is continually maintained.

Contact Blackmores to discover more about ISO standards.