What is accreditation?
Accreditation is the procedure by which an authoritative body gives formal recognition that a person or organization is competent
to carry out specific tasks.
Accreditation bodies are established in many countries, often by or with the encouragement of government, to oversee
organizations that provide certification services. Accreditation reduces risk for government, business, and clients by ensuring,
through regular surveillance, that certification/registration organizations are competent and independent.
What is the difference between accreditation, certification, and registration?
Accreditation is used to verify the conformance of an independent registrar (also called a certification body) or an auditor
training-course provider to the requirements of national and/or international criteria. Internationally, the terms registration and
certification are used interchangeably to refer to verifying the conformance of an organization's management systems to a
standard or other requirements. Certification also refers to the process of validating and verifying the credentials of individuals,
including auditors.
What does "international standardization" mean?
International standardization exists when most products or services in a particular business or industry sector conform to
industry-wide standards, established through consensus agreements among national delegations representing all economic
stakeholders: suppliers, users, and often governments. They agree on specifications and criteria to be applied consistently in
classification of materials, manufacture of products, and provision of services. In this way, international standards provide a
reference framework and a common technological language that facilitate trade and technology transfer among suppliers and
their clients.
What benefits does international standardization bring to businesses?
For businesses, the widespread adoption of international standards means that suppliers can base the development of their
products and services on reference documents with broad market relevance, giving them access to additional markets around
the world.
What benefits does international standardization bring to consumers?
Consumers benefit when the worldwide technological compatibility that occurs with international standardization brings an
increasingly wide choice of products and services, and an increase in competition among suppliers.
Accreditation is the procedure by which an authoritative body gives formal recognition that a person or organization is competent
to carry out specific tasks.
Accreditation bodies are established in many countries, often by or with the encouragement of government, to oversee
organizations that provide certification services. Accreditation reduces risk for government, business, and clients by ensuring,
through regular surveillance, that certification/registration organizations are competent and independent.
What is the difference between accreditation, certification, and registration?
Accreditation is used to verify the conformance of an independent registrar (also called a certification body) or an auditor
training-course provider to the requirements of national and/or international criteria. Internationally, the terms registration and
certification are used interchangeably to refer to verifying the conformance of an organization's management systems to a
standard or other requirements. Certification also refers to the process of validating and verifying the credentials of individuals,
including auditors.
What does "international standardization" mean?
International standardization exists when most products or services in a particular business or industry sector conform to
industry-wide standards, established through consensus agreements among national delegations representing all economic
stakeholders: suppliers, users, and often governments. They agree on specifications and criteria to be applied consistently in
classification of materials, manufacture of products, and provision of services. In this way, international standards provide a
reference framework and a common technological language that facilitate trade and technology transfer among suppliers and
their clients.
What benefits does international standardization bring to businesses?
For businesses, the widespread adoption of international standards means that suppliers can base the development of their
products and services on reference documents with broad market relevance, giving them access to additional markets around
the world.
What benefits does international standardization bring to consumers?
Consumers benefit when the worldwide technological compatibility that occurs with international standardization brings an
increasingly wide choice of products and services, and an increase in competition among suppliers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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