Many companies have implemented quality management systems that conform to ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and/or QS-9000 without pursuing third-party registration. But registration is a fact of life in some industries due to customer requirements or competitive advantages.

With environmental management systems, registrations to ISO 14001 remain limited, especially in the United States, although a few industries see internal and competitive advantages to implementing it. The potential for ISO 14001 registration to become a trade barrier may accelerate company decisions and customer requirements. In other words, even though a company can use these standards without obtaining registration, not registering may prove a business disadvantage.

Companies pursuing registration must select a third-party registrar to conduct an assessment and surveillance audits. Many companies pursuing ISO 14001 registration in addition to ISO 9000 use the same registrar for both. However, even if a company already has a registrar, it isn't required to continue working with the same one in the future.

Selecting a registrar includes two steps:

  Obtain a list of registrars qualified to conduct registration of a company's operations. An accreditation body can provide a list of registrars it has accredited, including the scope for which each registrar is authorized.

  Make sure a potential registrar has adequate experience in your company's industry. First, see that your industry is included in the potential registrar's accredited scope, and then check references to ensure the registrar's customers are satisfied with its services.

Using the registrar's accreditation status is a good method to screen candidates. Accreditation means an independent, objective body recognizes that an organization is qualified to provide specific services. An accreditation body should assess a registrar's facilities, procedures and staff against a set of criteria that define acceptable competence levels and capabilities.

When it comes to ISO 9000 and ISO 14001 registration, most countries support a national body to objectively assess the registrars applying for accreditation. For this reason, the risk of losing accreditation pressures registrars to maintain competent staffing and provide objective, ethical services.

Registrars should automatically provide a list of their accreditations. If not, ask for one. Most accredited registrars in the United States receive accreditation from the ANSI-RAB National Accreditation Program. The American National Standards Institute and Registrar Accreditation Board jointly operate NAP. Many registrars also have accreditation from bodies in the United Kingdom [United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)], Netherlands [Raad voor Accreditatie (RvA)] and Canada [Standards Council of Canada (SCC)], which are all recognized and desired accreditations in the United States and elsewhere.

An accredited registrar affixes the mark of its accreditor when it issues a registration certificate. Thus, to satisfy customer and/or industry accreditation requirements, a company may need to request certificates with several different marks, provided the registrar has more than one accreditation.

Some companies and industries may contend that one accreditation body has stricter criteria or applies its rules more vigorously than another, but this is unlikely, especially since the International Accreditation Forum was created. The IAF has established a peer evaluation program to designate member accreditation programs as equivalent.

Under the program, UKAS, for instance, recognizes an NAP or RvA accreditation as equivalent to its own. These equivalencies may influence accreditation mark preferences in some instances. As part of the program, all IAF accreditation body members apply ISO Guide 62 requirements, which establish accreditation criteria. Thus, strictness of an accreditor's criteria shouldn't be an issue.

What exactly are accreditation bodies? Most are not-for-profit organizations that maintain the registration process's integrity by establishing registrar criteria and qualifications; conducting assessments of registrar facilities, staffing and audit procedures for accreditation purposes; and ensuring that registrars follow appropriate practices on a continuing basis.

While national governments operate some accreditation bodies, many function as independent organizations established by standards groups and associations. For example, in 1989 the American Society for Quality established RAB -- which jointly oversees NAP with ANSI but serves as the administrator -- to operate as a separate body funded through fees charged for applications and accreditation services.

The U.S. government doesn't control RAB or NAP, and any organization could compete with RAB in offering U.S. accreditation services. However, U.S. industry, registrars, and quality and environmental professionals, as well as other accreditation bodies worldwide, recognize RAB as the U.S. accreditation body.

Companies might use a nonaccredited registrar to achieve registration for various reasons, including:

  The reason for registration. "Those companies that seek registration only because of market pressures may not care whether the registrar is accredited," explains George Lofgren, who helped establish RAB and serves as its QMS president. "However, such organizations should consider that their customers may very well care.

"The prudent organization will establish, before contracting with a registrar, that it's competent and reliable -- regardless of the reason for registration. Few companies have the expertise and resources to do this themselves, so they rely on a registrar's accreditation. This is particularly important for an organization seeking to institutionalize improvements in its operations."

  High-cost avoidance and slick salesmanship. "Many companies don't understand the registration process and the registrar's role, so they are influenced by price and an enticing offer," observes Rich- ard C. Barbieri, president of Barbieri Quality Registrars Inc., which achieved NAP accreditation Jan. 9.

  Small companies may feel more comfortable with small registrars. "I think most cases of companies using nonaccredited registrars involve small companies that want to work with small, local registrars," says Daugharthy, who noted that this doesn't necessarily provide better service. These registrars sometimes offer more competitive prices by advertising consulting and registration services as one package, which compromises the registration's value due to conflict of interest. Accreditation bodies prohibit this practice.

  Ignorance. Companies might use a nonaccredited registrar because they are unaware that it lacks accreditation. Many companies assume a registrar is accredited and neglect to ask.

"Just because a registrar isn't accredited doesn't necessarily mean it's inadequate," acknowledges Lofgren. "However, a nonaccredited registrar lacks an independent, third-party evaluation of its effectiveness. Accreditation assures suppliers that a registrar meets specific requirements on an ongoing basis."

Nonaccredited registrars also can create problems with the registration's acceptability. "There may not be systems to ensure that auditors are properly qualified for the industry specialty," says Lofgren.

Barbieri concurs. "Some registrars, either knowingly or unknowingly, may not have the specific safeguards in place or a proper system to allow them to audit suppliers objectively," he explains. "If a supplier requires an unbiased, objective, professional audit in order to be granted registration, then a registrar should have an equivalent unbiased, objective, professional audit of its own system."

During accreditation, a registrar's operations and procedures are audited to ensure the registrar can conduct effective, objective registration audits. Barbieri doesn't believe a nonaccredited registrar can offer objective, full-service registration. "There is just too much to learn and too much financial pressure," he contends.

Some companies might want to use a nonaccredited registrar to suit their business needs. However, accreditation provides an added safeguard against improper and fraudulent activities. It also increases pressure upon a registrar to enforce internationally sanctioned registration standards and practices within its organization and among its auditors.

Carefully choosing a registrar and developing an active working relationship with it will ensure the value of a company's registration certificate. The registrar's accreditation should play a determining part in that choice.