Knowledge base: standard-independent guides on certification

Decision table by goal and sector, with links to all 14 standards.

Why all ISO standards follow the same structure and what that gives you.

What a certification body (CI) is, how to check accreditation and what to compare.

What the RvA is, and the difference between certification and accreditation.

Checking the RvA register, recognising the accreditation mark, red flags.

Stage 1 and stage 2, what the auditor does and the possible outcomes.

The three-year cycle, surveillance audits and what happens on expiry.

The difference, examples, deadlines and a template for your response.

Annual programme, carrying out the audit, reporting and following up nonconformities.

Plan for one audit: scope, criteria, timings and the evidence you are looking for.

Structure, template, and a good versus a poor finding.

Internal versus lead auditor, what you need to be able to do and personal certification.

Mandatory input and output, agenda example and frequency.

When Excel is enough and when you need dedicated tools.

Costs per standard, the three cost items and how to reduce audit costs.

Plan-do-check-act linked to the chapters of the HLS.

Scales for likelihood and impact, a 5x5 matrix and a completed register.

The guideline behind every risk process, and how to use it.

Causes, consequences and barriers around one unwanted event.

Scoring failure modes on severity, occurrence and detection, with a PFMEA example.

Finding the cause of a nonconformity, with a template.

Organising causes using the 6Ms and checking them with facts.

The 8 disciplines for complaints, with a completed example.

Corrective and preventive actions, with a register template.

Template and worked example of a quotation process.

Template, example and how to learn from complaints.