If you’re navigating the compliance journey, I strongly recommend taking the time to understand these terms thoroughly. Understanding the comparison of accreditation vs certification is a key step in mastering compliance practices.

Let’s examine what accreditation and certification mean, how they are applied in various industries, and how they are relevant for businesses operating in Australia and globally.

A Certification is a formal recognition that an organisation, product or individual meets specific standard requirements once they go through an independent assessment conducted by another company (commonly known as a certification body or accredited lab). Let’s take a look at each “certified” example:

Certified Company — When a company or organisation has undergone a certification process and has met the specified criteria of a particular standard.

Example: a “certified company” under ISO 9001 has demonstrated compliance with the quality management system requirements set by this standard.

Certified Product — When a specific product of a company or organisation has been tested, evaluated and confirmed to meet certain standards or criteria.

Certified Person — When an individual has been formally recognised competent for meeting specific qualifications or standards.

 

Importance of Certification

Once you understand what certification means, the follow-up question should be: Why is certification necessary?

The simple answer is: Assurance.

Let’s take a closer look at the importance of certification:

Quality and Consistency — You know that the products or services you’re receiving or producing meet high standards of quality and reliability.

Trust and Reputation — You can trust an independent, impartial assessment because your products or services have met specific criteria or standards.

Competitive Advantage—Being certified can help your business or products gain an advantage over competitors in a crowded marketplace.

Following Rules—Certain certifications mean your products or services meet the legal requirements, which means keeping your business out of trouble with fewer risks.

Working Efficiently—Getting certified usually means a business has to examine its operations and find ways to improve them, making it more efficient.

Common Types of Certifications

Given the wide range of certifications available in the market, I’ll review the most common ones to help you understand how certifications are applied differently.

For Consumers — When picking out something to buy or a service, you tend to favour businesses or products with certifications. It’s a bit of a no-brainer; these certifications give you the peace of mind that you’re choosing quality and reliability.

For Employers — As an employer, you’re looking for staff with the right qualifications. Certified professionals are a top pick because their credentials mean they’ve got the skills and knowledge you need to get the job done right.

For Businesses — Running a business means you want suppliers or contractors you can rely on. Certified ones are the go-to because they tick all the boxes for quality and compliance, saving you a heap of worry.

For Healthcare Providers, it’s crucial to use certified medical equipment and supplies. This certification concerns patient safety and care, ensuring everything used meets the strictest health standards.

Who Conducts Certification Assessments?

Accredited compliance service providers, such as certification or inspection companies, carry out independent assessments, verifications, inspections or validations. When these assessments are completed, a business, product, or individual can be recognised as “Certified.”

This does not mean you are accredited. Why? Let’s find out in the next section.

What is Accreditation?

In simple terms, accreditation is about checking and confirming that an organisation that offers independent assessment services to businesses or individuals is competent, authoritative and credible.

You may have encountered two terms that sound quite similar: “accreditation body” and “accredited body.” It’s important to note that these are NOT the same!

Accreditation Body — An independent national-level organisation that oversees a specific industry’s compliance (such as education or laboratories) and evaluates the organisations providing compliance services within that industry.

Accredited Body — An independent provider of compliance services (such as certification or inspection companies), dedicated to verifying and recognising businesses for their compliance efforts.

A follow-up quick question:

Why is it necessary for certification or inspection bodies to be accredited? Let’s find out in the next bit.

Importance of Accreditation

Picture this: you’ve received your ISO certification and presented it to stakeholders or perhaps submitted it through a tender application, only to find out it’s not recognised and, therefore, not accepted.

Having an accredited certification brings a lot to the table. For example, global recognition of your products and services, customer confidence and trust, return on investment, business growth, efficient systems, fewer risks and broader access to different markets.