ACCREDITATION
Accreditation refers to third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body conveying formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks” Accreditation, with its many potential benefits for the quality of goods and in the provision of services throughout the supply chain, is underpinning practical applications of an increasingly wide range of activities across all sectors of the economy, from fishing to forestry, construction to communications. Basically, it is an endorsement of a conformity assessment body’s (CAB’s) competence, credibility, independence and integrity in carrying out its conformity assessment activities.
In everyday language the terms accreditation and certification are often used interchangeably. In the conformity assessment industry however, these terms have very different and specific meanings.
Certification is “third-party attestation related to products, processes, systems or persons.” (ISO/ IEC 17000:2004)
More and more businesses are voluntarily choosing to be accredited as they recognize the internal efficiency that it brings and the opportunities to demonstrate best practice.
BENEFITS OF ACCREDITATION
Accreditation helps CABs deliver services with confidence, as confidence is essential everywhere. Accreditation demonstrates a CAB’s competence to succeed and accomplish activities defined by its specific program scope of accreditation. CABs are able to obtain independent, third-party, credible outputs for themselves and for their customers.
IAFSTD Accreditation procedures and criteria’s are strictly as per applicable international standards and guidelines, Hence IAFSTD Accreditation Programs are internationally accepted.
Accreditation makes easier acceptance of products or services. Accreditation increases assurance to consumers that product or services confirms to applicable specifications.
