What is the role of a Certification Body?
A certification body is responsible for independently assessing your management system through external audits and issuing certification to confirm that your organisation meets the requirements of your chosen standard.
The certification journey can seem complex, as it can differ slightly depending on the scheme. However, most management system standards, such as ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), follow a similar two-stage audit process.
The process begins with a Stage One audit, which marks the official start of certification. This initial audit focuses on reviewing your documented management system to assess its structure and readiness for certification.
During Stage One, the certification body checks that all required elements of the standard are addressed within your documentation. This review is often carried out on-site, although many certification bodies now allow it to be conducted remotely, depending on the nature of your business and industry.
Importantly, Stage One is not a pass-or-fail assessment. Any gaps or concerns identified can be addressed before moving on to Stage Two.
The second stage is the Stage Two audit. Unlike Stage One, which concentrates on documentation, Stage Two evaluates how effectively your management system is being implemented in practice. Auditors will sample records and activities to gather objective evidence that the system is operating as intended.
Typically, auditors expect to see at least three months’ worth of records during this stage. Whether the audit takes place on-site or remotely depends on your industry and the certification body’s requirements. Once Stage Two is successfully completed, your certification is issued.
Following certification, the certificate remains valid for a three-year cycle. During this period, surveillance audits are conducted—usually annually, or sometimes every six months—to confirm ongoing compliance with the standard.
At the end of the three-year cycle, your certification can be renewed with a recertification audit.
Why is a Certification Body required?
This is one of the most common questions around Certification, and it’s also one of the biggest areas of misunderstanding. Put simply, consultancies cannot issue certification because doing so would create a conflict of interest.
This separation works both ways. A UKAS-accredited certification body cannot provide consultancy services, and a consultancy cannot act as a certification body. These restrictions are set out within UKAS guidelines to ensure independence and impartiality throughout the certification process.
Once you have worked with a consultancy—such as All About Compliance —to support your ISO journey, whether through full system implementation, internal audits, or ongoing ISO guidance, a certification body is then appointed to independently assess the systems that have been put in place.
Ultimately, the key reason a certification body is required is to maintain independence. Consultants should not be assessing or certifying their own work, and the certification body provides impartial, third-party confirmation that your organisation meets the requirements of a UKAS-accredited standard.
Do Certification Bodies need to be UKAS accredited?
Certification bodies are not legally required to hold UKAS accreditation, but in most cases, they should. There are certification bodies operating in the market that are not UKAS accredited, and we have supported clients who hold certificates issued by these organisations. However, based on our experience, we strongly recommend working with a UKAS-accredited certification body in the UK.
Many public and private sector tenders will only accept certificates issued by UKAS-accredited certification bodies, as this provides assurance that the certification process has been carried out independently, impartially, and in line with internationally recognised standards.
UKAS is the recognised national accreditation body for the UK and provides assurance that certification bodies operate in line with strict international standards. Choosing a UKAS-accredited provider offers greater confidence in the credibility and acceptance of your certification.
It’s also worth noting that UKAS is not the only accreditation body worldwide. Other countries have their own recognised accreditation organisations. For example, in the United States, certification bodies may be accredited by ANAB.
What should you consider when choosing a certification body?
As a consultancy, we’re unable to advise you on which certification body to select, as doing so would compromise our impartiality. However, if a client requests support with obtaining certification quotes, we can approach several certification bodies to request quotations on your behalf. This allows you to compare pricing and options while ensuring the decision remains entirely yours.
One important factor to consider is the size of your workforce. In some cases, having a larger number of staff involved in the same processes can reduce the total number of audit days required. In other situations, the number of “effective” staff is used as an indicator of organisational complexity, which may increase audit time.
When you discuss your staff numbers and certification scope with a certification body, they will recommend a number of audit days and provide a corresponding quote. If you feel the proposed audit time could be reduced, you can challenge this and ask for the quote to be reviewed—certification bodies are generally open to revisiting their calculations.
Brand recognition is another consideration. Some certification bodies are more widely recognised in the UK, which can be appealing when using their certification mark across marketing materials, websites, stationery, or products.
That said, other certification bodies may specialise in certain industries or operate within niche markets, which can add value depending on your sector. It’s also worth noting that not all certification bodies offer all ISO standards, so their scope of services should be carefully reviewed.
Location can also have a cost impact. Travel expenses are not always clearly highlighted in quotations and may appear as additional charges, so it’s important to check for these. While ISO certification is internationally recognised, organisations operating across multiple countries—such as having a UK head office with sites in France or Italy—may incur additional travel costs if auditors need to visit overseas locations.
Many certification bodies continue to offer remote auditing options since the COVID epidemic, which can significantly reduce the number of on-site audit days required and can also reduce travel costs.
Finally, it’s sensible to think about your future plans when selecting a certification body. For example, if you are certified to ISO 9001 now but plan to add additional standards later, you’ll want to ensure your chosen certification body can support those standards. Otherwise, you may need to work with multiple certification bodies or change providers at the end of your certification cycle.
These are the main questions we face when asked about Certification but of course if you do have any other queries or doubts do not hesitate to get in touch and we will be happy to help.