Qualification/certification

In a market with ever greater global orientation, certification procedures have today become a fixed constituent of any claims made under private law and/or in a sovereign form. 

Here, certification procedures usually relate to (management) systems, personnel and products. In this respect, the products also include services today.

In simplified terms, it may be said that every certification procedure is a regulated process which is composed of investigation activities, an assessment and a certification decision.

Typical investigation types such as tests, inspections or audits serve to obtain complete information about the stipulated requirements, e.g. according to legal regulations, standards, technical specifications etc.

The subsequent objective assessment of the obtained information is used in order to establish to what extent the requirements are satisfied or not. The assessment is followed by the relevant certification decision. If it was possible to reliably state to the decision takers that these requirements are satisfied, a corresponding confirmation is issued by the neutral "third body". 

The confirmation itself is issued as written documentation, usually in the form of a certificate.

Certificates from so-called "third bodies" serve to provide neutral proof that corresponding requirements are demonstrably satisfied and support people and companies by forming a basis of trust.