International standards organisation-ISO 9001 Quality management systems requirements.
ISO's Committee on Conformity Assessment (CASCO) has produced a number of standards related to the certification process, which are used by certification bodies.
Certification – the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements.
Accreditation – the formal recognition by an independent body, generally known as an accreditation body, that a certification body operates according to international standards.
Choosing a certification body
When choosing a certification body, you should:
· Evaluate several certification bodies.
· Check if the certification body uses the relevant CASCO standard
· Check if it is accredited. Accreditation is not compulsory, and non-accreditation does not necessarily mean it is not reputable, but it does provide independent confirmation of competence.