Certification process SPG | Description of the certification process

DESCRIPTION OF CERTIFICATION PROCESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

For all organisations interested in certifying its management system: this document genreally describes the criteria applied by SPG, to carry out the assessment and certification of these systems. To clarify any doubts or expand the information contained herein, please contact the addresses indicated in the footer of this document.

GENERAL CONCEPTS.

SPG does not apply, at any level of its organization, guidelines or discriminatory procedures. Any organisation interested in the certification process, and which meets the requirements and which requests the certification, has the right to be certified by SPG.

SPG does not provide consulting services, and certification activity is completely independent and impartial.

SPG maintains absolute confidentiality regarding all information, non-public customer property used during the certification process, using all means at its disposal to ensure absolute confidentiality throughout the process.

The only information made public about SPG’s customers is the information on the issued, suspended and withdrawn certificates, which will include the name, the reference standard, scope and geographical location.

Any other information will only be made public prior written authorization from the customer or when SPG is required by law to disclose confidential information, in which case the customer will be notified in advance on the information provided, unless prohibited by law.

SPG carries out its work with its own staff; In both cases, .SPG maintains full responsibility for all decisions concerning certification, as well as the independence and confidentiality of personnel involved in the various stages of the process.

PROCESS OF CERTIFICATION

Before the start of any process, it is sent to the applicant an offer indicating the scope of the certification work and associated costs.

The customer must accept, in writing (certification request) the offer. From this moment, from the technical department of SPG, the audit (dates and qualified audit team) is planned.

By signing the certification request the customer declares that he has read and accepts the rights and duties contained herein.

If the client had requested a will take previous audit before the certification audit. This audit is intended to verify broadly the degree of implementation of the management system and detect possible deficiencies thereof. An audit report is issued with the deviations and subsequently agreed with the customer conducting Phase I audit, when the client believes they are ready.

In any case, the audit certification is audited again the whole system and it may be that non-conformities not identified in the previous audit appear. The previous audit report is informational only and is in the certification audit that the company has an obligation to demonstrate that the implemented system meets all requirements of the audited statement.

The customer can apply to SPG background audit team assigned to, if deemed appropriate, to object to the appointment of any member of that team.

To start the certification process, the customer shall at least : have documented and implemented a management system that complies with the reference standard and have sufficient evidence that the procedures for conducting internal audits and management review they have been implemented and are effective.

Accepted the offer and assigned the audit team, the evaluation process itself, divided into two distinct phases starts.

PHASE I

The objectives of Phase 1 are:

Review of documentation management system client. The auditor carries out an examination of the documentation to verify compliance, in the documentary field, the requirements of the applicable standard.
Assess the specific customer site conditions and exchange information with client personnel to determine the preparedness for Phase 2.

Check the status of the client and their understanding of the norm, particularly as regards the identification of key performance or aspects, processes, objectives and significant management system operation.
Collect the necessary information for the scope of management system certification: customer locations, processes and equipment used, the levels established controls (particularly in the case of multisite customers), as well as legal and regulatory issues affecting them.
Risk levels adequately managed given the context of the company.
Review the allocation of resources for stage 2 and agree with the client the details of this.
Provide a focus for planning the stage 2 by sufficient understanding of customer management system and site operations in the context of the standard.

Assess whether internal audits and management review is planned and performed, and if the level of implementation of the management system substantiates that the client organization is ready for the stage 2 audit.

Phase I audit will be performed in situ on customers when the customer information available and previous communications not ensure compliance with the objectives of Phase I.

The audit team will issue a report of Phase I audit, with findings documented with respect to meeting the objectives of Phase I and preparedness for Phase 2, including identification of any areas of interest that could be classified as nonconformity during phase II.

If significant changes which could impact the management system occur, SPG will consider the need to repeat the entire phase I or a part of it. The results of phase I can lead to postponement or cancellation of phase 2.

PHASE II / monitoring / Renewals

The audit will be conducted at the customer’s premises and (if applicable) in delegations and fixed workplaces, by checking documents and records, observation of activities and interviews with different personnel involved in the development of work .

During the course of the audit, the audit team shall inform the organization detected at all during it. Similarly, once finalized, will communicate the recommendation that the audit team to perform .SPG address, the system regarding compliance with the requirements.

To ensure that the process is carried out properly, the customer must take appropriate measures to:

Appoint an interlocutor between the organization and .SPG
Comply with the provisions set out in the audit program.
Allow the audit team, examining documentation and records.
Facilitate access to all areas or activities to visit and staff that the audit team deems necessary to interview.

The deviations detected during the certification process, are documented and set a specific time for the customer to define the appropriate corrective actions for their solution and generate evidence. Deviations are classified as major or minor: each will have a different treatment but both have a resolution within 2 months.

If GSP can not verify the implementation of corrections and corrective actions of the largest departures within 6 months after the last day of Phase 2, you must perform another audit Phase 2.

When necessary (for closing deviations, if your number and / or significance required it ), is scheduled extraordinary audits. The scope of this audit will cover only the verification of the implementation of deviations and generated costs are borne by the customer.

Once .SPG has verified that the management system of the applicant meets the requirements of the reference standard, it gives the customer a certificate.

In order to ensure the maintenance and improvement of certificate system they are carried out follow – up audits. The scope of these audits will cover some of the elements of the system, at the discretion of the assigned auditor and also fixedly for all monitoring will be checked:

The entered changes,
Verification of the previous audit NC (if any),
Treatment of complaints and / or claims,
System management (corrective and preventive actions, internal audits and management review)
The effectiveness of the management system in relation to the achievement of the objectives,
Continuity in operational control,
The progress of activities aimed at continuous improvement,
The organization makes use of the certification mark of SPG.

Follow-up audits will be scheduled according to the needs of the certified organization at least once a year; be taken into account when scheduling the first follow-up audit after initial certification, it should not be done after more than 12 months from the date the certification decision was taken.

If the follow-up show that maintaining and improving the conditions that once enabled the certification, a certificate will be issued equal to the initial, but indicating that it has successfully completed the follow-up audit.

If the customer agrees to extend the validity of the certificate for another three years, the renewal audits will be conducted in a manner similar to that described for the initial audit, the audit excluding Phase I.

If SPG was unable to complete the audit of renewal or unable to verify the implementation of correction and corrective action for any major deviation before the expiration date of the certification, you can not renew certification.

It is possible to obtain a widening of the scope of certification (both geographically and activity), for this written request will be made and a supplementary audit is conducted.

If it is decided to reduce the scope of certification, simply written communication to SPG, which will take appropriate action depending on each case.

SPG may have to perform audits notification short term (in order to investigate complaints, in response to changes or customer tracking with certification suspended). In these cases, .SPG will pay special attention to the appointment of the audit team because of the inability of the client to formulate objections to the audit team members.

Following the granting of certification, customers must notify the .SPG address any changes, for example, those relating to:

the legal, commercial, organizational status or ownership;
organization and management;
address and contact location;
and l scope of operations covered by the certificate management system;
l os major changes in the management system and processes.

SPG will take action where appropriate, if the changes are not reported promptly.

COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS

Customers may submit complaints regarding staff performance .SPG, occurring throughout the entire certification process.

All complaints received will be considered by persons .SPG address other than those who participated in the phase of the affected process and communicated its decision to the customer.

Also, customers have the right to appeal against any differences that may arise in connection with the issuance of non-conformities against a decision not to grant, suspension, withdrawal or non-renewal of certification.

Appeals shall be in writing and within 15 days after receipt of the communication.

All appeals will be reviewed by the agencies concerned address based on the evidence presented.

Ultimately the decision will be taken by the Monitoring Committee, this being binding decision for both .SPG and the customer.

REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION

Any request for information can be directed to our website, and the tab CONTACT can indicate your data and note application. As well as the tab REQUEST FOR CERTIFICATION can tell your data.

SPG will contact you as soon as possible to meet your request and provide the necessary information on the certification process and audit.