Firms interested in obtaining license for quality systems as per the IS/ISO 9000 family of standards, should ensure that they are operating quality system in accordance with the relevant standard.
They should apply on the prescribed proforma in triplicate at the nearest Regional Office of BIS along with the prescribed application fee as applicable. The application fee is non-refundable.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The application is to be signed by the proprietor, partner or the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the firm or any other person authorised to sign any declaration on behalf of the firm.
The name and designation of the person signing the application must be recorded legibly in a space set apart for the purpose in the application form.
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Each application must be accompanied by a supplementary questionnaire duly filled in along with the documented quality system (such as quality manual, quality plan, etc) prepared by the firm. The documented quality system shall be in he with the requirements of the relevant quality system standard.
If necessary, BIS shall provide to the applicant, further information about the scheme and also ask for further information from the applicant.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
BIS reserves the right to reject an application which is incomplete and does not fulfill one or more of the following requirements –
i) Application fee not accompanying the application;
ii) Application form is incomplete
iii) Annexures to the application are not clear
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The reason for rejection of the application shall be communicated to the applicant by BIS.
BIS will acknowledge the receipt of the application and application fee. Every application will be given a serial number known as the Application Number’. In all future correspondence, reference must be made to the Application Number’.
Adequacy Audit:
After the application has been accepted, the documented quality system (Quality Manual/Quality Plan, etc) shall be examined by the BIS for verifying the conformity to relevant standard.
Any significant omissions or deviations from the prescribed requirements intimated by BIS, will have to be corrected by the applicant and BIS will advise accordingly to process the application further.
Preliminary Visit:
BIS official(s) may make a visit to the premises of the applicant to acquaint himself/themselves of the size, nature of the operation and firm’s readiness for the audit. The number of the auditors for audit and its duration will vary according to the size and nature of operation of the firm being assessed.
Assessment Fee:
Assessment fee will be payable in advance, estimate of which will be provided by BIS, depending upon the man-days expected to be spent on the audit of the firm and the anticipated expenses for travel/stay, etc.
Assessment:
An Audit team from BIS will visit the firm for assessment of the firm’s compliance to the procedures and activities enumerated in the documented quality system and relevant quality systems standard. The Assessment will comprise the following sequence:
a) Opening Meeting:
This meeting will be conducted by the leader of the audit team in which the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, the management representative and heads of all the departments being audited are expected to be present.
During this meeting, the leader will explain the scope and extent of the audit and the important terms used in the assessment.
b) Conduct of Assessment:
Each auditor should be accompanied by a guide who is conversant with the activities of the department(s) the audit team is auditing. Observations recorded by the auditors must be signed by the guide as a token of acceptance.
c) Closing meeting and report:
i) All the members present in the opening meeting should preferably be present in the closing meeting as well when the audit team presents their findings to the firm.
ii) The non-conformities observed by the audit team will be handed over to the firms at the end of each day for necessary corrective action.
iii) Time frame for the corrective action(s) will be decided by the firm.
iv) The non-conformity reports will be signed by the Management Representative or authorised signatory as a token of acceptance.