Quick answers to the questions procurement and compliance professionals ask most often about accreditation and certification. For fuller explanations, each answer links to the page that covers it in depth.
What is the difference between accreditation and certification? Certification is an assessment of an organization against a standard. Accreditation is an independent assessment of the certification body itself, of its competence, impartiality and consistency in carrying out that certification work. A certificate from an accredited certification body has been checked at both levels; a certificate from a non-accredited body has only been checked at one. See What ASCB accreditation means for the buyer for the full explanation.
Is ASCB a certification body? No. ASCB is an accreditation body. It does not certify organizations directly and does not issue certificates to end organizations. It accredits certification bodies, which then issue certificates to organizations such as your suppliers. See What ASCB accreditation means for the buyer.
Does an accredited certificate mean the product or service itself is safe or approved? No. It confirms the supplier's management system was independently assessed against a specific standard's requirements, not that a specific product or service has been approved or guaranteed safe. See What ASCB accreditation means for the buyer for what accreditation does and does not cover.
How do I check that a certification body is accredited by ASCB? Use the accredited bodies directory, which lists every certification body ASCB has accredited and the scope of that accreditation. This is a different check from verifying a specific certificate, which uses the public certificate register instead.
What's the difference between checking the directory and verifying a certificate? The directory confirms whether a certification body itself is accredited. The certificate register confirms whether a specific certificate, issued by that body, is genuine and current. You may need both, depending on the question you are answering. See Verify an ASCB-accredited certificate.
What does it mean if a certificate is suspended rather than withdrawn? Suspended means the certification body has paused the certificate, usually pending resolution of an identified issue, and it should not be relied on until reinstated. Withdrawn means it has been revoked and should not be relied on at all. See Verifying a certificate: what to check, when.
Can a single supplier hold multiple certificates for different sites or standards? Yes. A certificate's scope statement defines exactly what site, activity, or product line it covers, and a supplier operating multiple sites or standards may hold separate certificates for each. Always check the scope statement rather than assuming one certificate covers everything. See Reading a certificate scope statement.
How often should I re-verify a supplier's certification? There is no single fixed interval. Align re-verification with your existing supplier review cycle, and re-check immediately after any event that should prompt a closer look, such as a quality incident or contract renewal. See Verifying a certificate: what to check, when.
What should I do if I can't find a certificate on the register? Double-check the details you searched, since a data mismatch can produce a not-found result even for a genuine certificate. If it still doesn't appear, contact ASCB directly rather than assuming the certificate is valid on the strength of the document alone. See Verify an ASCB-accredited certificate.
Does accreditation apply to a supplier's whole organization, or just what's on the certificate? Only what the certificate's scope statement covers. A certificate can apply to a single site, product line, or activity while the rest of the organization is uncertified. Always read the scope statement rather than assuming organization-wide coverage. See Reading a certificate scope statement.