ISO/IEC 17065:2012

Introduction, Purpose, Steps, Benefits

R C Mathew
Director
Center for Quality Development
Kochi
ISO/IEC 17065 Accreditation

• The ISO/IEC 17065 Accreditation is issued by accreditation

body, which is authorized to provide accreditation under the
ISO/IEC 17065.
• The ISO 17065 certificate is issued for the specific period after
successful completion of registration (final) assessment.
• Surveillance audits are conducted by the accreditation body
after one year.

ISO/IEC 17065 is an accreditation, which is granted to the

certification bodies by approved accreditation body. It is an
accreditation not certification like ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and other
system certifications.
Why ISO/IEC 17065?

•  ISO/IEC 17065 Accreditation demonstrates to the marketplace

and to regulators that the agencies' have met the requirements
for operating certification schemes in a competent, consistent
and impartial manner. 
• The purpose of ISO/IEC 17065 is for conformity assessment or
the certification of products, processes and/or services.
• More than any other type of conformity assessment activity,
product/process/service certification is primarily focused on the
establishment of confidence in the certified products, processes
or services.
Steps involved in ISO/IEC 17065

1. Micro-level survey for each and every inspection parameter of the product
certification bodies and preparation of detail Gap Analysis report.
2. Preparation of applicable documents required by ISO/IEC 17065:2012, based on
detailed study of all activities of the product certification bodies, such as

*ISO 17065 Manual,

*ISO 17065 Policy
*Procedures for ISO/IEC 17065:2012 accreditation (mandatory procedures
required by the standard),
*Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs),
*Formats to establish the objective evidence of implementation

3. ISO 17065 training to all levels of employees within the certification bodies.
Steps involved in ISO/IEC 17065 cont.

5. Help in effective implementation of system by periodic visit till

accreditation.

6. Conduct internal audit for ISO 17065 accreditation system to

check readiness for the accreditation.

7. Conduct management review meeting in presence of Top

Management to guide the product certification bodies for
effective implementation of all the issues related to inspection.

8. Witnessing / demonstration of activities to build confidence

among the employees, etc.
Benefits of ISO 17065 Accreditation
• Improved efficiency, productivity and effectiveness in the overall
ISO 17065 certification operation.

• Improved level of motivation, co-operation, and quality

awareness including competence.

• Increased confidence in the certificate issued by certification

body and competence of its auditors performing the audits for
the certification of management system. Greater control of
processes and activities throughout certification bodies.

• Provide tips on analysis of data as well as perfect record-

keeping.
Benefits of ISO 17065 Accreditation
cont.
• Provide guidelines and better control for maintenance of
records, etc.

• Establish confidence of management and its customers on the

certificate and increase customers' trust as well as market share.

• Better image of certification bodies as a quality certification

body in global market.

• Worldwide recognition and credibility.

• An ISO 17065 accredited certification body has a definite edge

over competitors
Table of content
• Importance / Impact of product certification for global trade 4
• Product, Process and Service Certification 5
• Timeline of Revision ISO/IEC Guide 65 to ISO/IEC 17065 7
• Purpose of Revision ISO/IEC Guide 65 to ISO/IEC 17065 10
• Content of ISO/IEC Guide 65 to ISO/IEC 17065 11
• Changes of revision ISO/IEC Guide 65 to ISO/IEC 17065 13
• ISO/IEC 17065:2012 22
• Cross reference ISO/IEC Guide 65:1996 to ISO/IEC 17065:2012 37
• Cross reference ISO/IEC 17065:2012 to ISO/IEC Guide 65:1996 46
•Back-up slides: examples 55
Product, Process and Service
Certification ( 1)
Product, Process and Service
Certification (2)
Examples of resources used for
testing, inspection and auditing

Certification body

All those examples are covered in Clauses 6 of ISO/IEC 17065

Examples of Resources Personnel

All those examples are covered in Clause 6 of ISO/IEC 17065

Example of possible
arrangement for Organizational
Control

Organizational Control is to
supervise that the related Agreement to
company does not influence follow CB
the person in its work for rules and
the CB procedure

Work contract

This relates to Clause 7.6.4 of ISO/IEC 17065. This is one possibility for
organisational control among many
Functional Approach
The functional approach is described in ISO/IEC 17000 (left part of the chart below)

Evaluation

Insuance of a
certificate after
decision

The right part of the chart (evaluation – Insuance of certificate) is the terminology
used in ISO/IEC 17065
Process steps / requirements