Process
Accreditation: our status
Sertiva is not accredited by DAkkS. We explain exactly what that means and when our certificate is the right choice.
The short answer
Sertiva is an independent, non-accredited certification body. We work according to the principles of ISO/IEC 17021-1 but are not supervised by the German accreditation body. Our certificates do not carry the DAkkS symbol.
What accreditation is – and is not
Accreditation is oversight of a certification body. It confirms competence and procedures; it is not a statement about the quality of your management system.
There is no general legal requirement for accreditation in management-system certification. The market recognises both models.
Why we are not accredited
- The administrative cost would directly increase audit prices for the SMEs we serve.
- Accreditation is a meaningful control mechanism and is essential in some situations; we state those limits openly.
- Additional administrative requirements can create overhead beyond the standard itself.
What we do instead
- Two-stage audit process
- Separation of auditing and certification decision
- Impartiality oversight
- Published complaints and appeals procedure
- Audit time based on recognised principles
- IRCA-qualified auditors with at least five years’ experience
When we are not the right provider
Ask your customer in advance if unsure. If accreditation is expressly required, we will recommend an accredited provider.
- A tender expressly requires accredited certification.
- Your customer requires a certificate bearing an accreditation mark.
- Certification is a regulatory requirement in your supply chain.
- A supplier questionnaire explicitly requires accreditation.
Changing provider later
Your management system remains independent of the certification body. You can later move to an accredited provider without rebuilding the system.
Unsure whether our certificate is sufficient?
Tell us who requires the certificate. We will give you an honest answer.
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