Selecting a Registrar

Selecting a Registrar

• When to select a Registrar
• Registration Costs
• Choosing a Registrar
• Registrar Questionnaire
• Recommended Registrars
• Complete List of Registrars

The contract you set up with your Registrar (or Certifying Body or CB) will be for the three year period. You would renew your contract after three years to start the cycle again. Since you are starting a relationship that will last at least 3 years or longer, you will want to choose carefully.

Registrar Basics

Generally, when you sign a contract with a Registrar, it will include the Registration Audit, and Surveillance Audits. The Registration Audit is the initial audit that will be done to see if you will achieve ISO 9001 registration (the requirements of the ISO 9000 series standards). Once you are approved, your certificate will be valid for three years. (See typical Registration Process Flowchart)

After you have your registration, the Registrar will come back every 6 months or year for a Surveillance Audit to see if you are maintaining your system and continuing to meet the requirements of the standard. ISO 9000 Registrars vary in their approach, so you will want to find out details from each Registrar you are interested in.

Your certificate will be valid for 3 years. After that period your registrar will be required to do another Registration Audit to renew your certification.

When to Select a Registrar

Organizations often wait until they feel their QMS is running smoothly before they select a registrar. However, we recommend choosing them earlier in the process - like when they are creating their documentation. Why?

1. This assures that you can find one who is able to meet your timeframe.
2. The advantage of interviewing them early is that they will ultimately be the ones who will evaluate your QMS. A registrar CANNOT consult for a company who they audit, but they can explain (based on their experience) how they intend to audit your organization.
   So if you choose them earlier in the process you can ask them questions along the way.  It's like asking the teacher what you're going to be tested on.  This can be important because much is up to the individual's discretion (like a referee in a sporting event) and you'd be wise to consider it.

Costs

The costs for the audits and registration will be dependant on the size of your company, the number of locations, the accreditations that you need, and the distance between you and your Registrar.

The costs are typically dependant on the number of audit days required for the registration audit and the surveillance audits, the travel costs for the auditors, and the administration fees and accreditation fees for the registration.

• A good estimate is $1400/day + expenses, but contact a registrar for a quotation.
• The number of days is based upon the size and complexity of your operation
• Expenses include travel expenses for the auditor to your facility.
• Number of auditing days a CB can assess is regulated by ISO 17021

Choosing a Registrar

When choosing a certification body for ISO ISO 9001 certification, these are the aspects the organization needs to take into account.

• An independent QMS audit to confirm ISO 9001 certification is a business decision:
  • Does a customer or agency require it?
  • Does it help with risk mitigation?
  • Would it improve public relations?
• Cost is not the only consideration. Criteria to consider include:
  • Evaluate several certification bodies using our Registrar Checklist
  • Has the certification body has been accredited? Accreditation, in simple terms, means that a certification body has been officially approved to certify organizations.
  • Is there accreditation Internationally recognized/accepted? there are some organizations who are not internationally recognized.
  • Does the Certification Body follow ISO/IEC 17021:2006?
    ISO 17021 - Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems. Read who is accredited.
  • Do the auditors have experience in your industry?
  • Is the CB approved for certifications you may consider in the future?

The most important factor in choosing a Registrar is how well they can work with you. This includes how well they know your industry, how much experience they have with similar companies, and how well they communicate with you and your employees. There are many rules that a registrar must follow, issued by organizations like the ANAB. See ANAB Rules...

Interview 3 or more Registrars to get a good idea of the options available and differences between Registrars. Look locally if you have good choices, it will save on costs, but if you do not find a good fit look farther. The benefits of your relationship with your Registrar will pay off. Remember that these are experienced professionals that spend day after day evaluating how companies do business. The feedback you get from them is one of the best ISO 9000 certification benchmarking tools available.

Recommended Registrars

Registrars should be accredited by an IAF approved body! Read More...

Free Download

View Questionnaire to help you select a registrar

BSI is the leading registrar and training organization offering services to the following standards: ISO 9001:2008, AS9100, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and ISO/TS 16949:2002.

Other registrars we have worked with:

DNV Certification

PRI Network

Complete list of Registrars

Download a complete list of ISO Registrars for all of the major ISO standards:

• ISO 9001 Registrars
  
• ISO 14001 Registrars
  
• ISO 13485 registrars
  
• ISO/TS 16949 Registrars
  
• OHSAS 18001 Registrars
  
• AS9100 Registrars
  
• And more