ANAB Webinar – Thursday, September 29, 2022

This Webinar is intended for anyone who wants to understand the key differences between Accreditation and Certification.

“Accreditation” and “Certification” are oftentimes used synonymously, and while related and equally important in the conformity assessment system, the two terms mean quite different things. Using the terms appropriately, allows for better understanding of conformity assessment and the role that each term plays.

• Accreditation is a third-party attestation of the competence of an entity to specified requirements (e.g., international standards). It is used to confirm an entity has the appropriate competence and management system to properly perform conformity assessment activities, such as certification of organizations, persons, systems, processes, or products within a defined scope
• Certification demonstrates that a product, service, system, process, or person meets (conforms to) specified requirements (e.g., international standards), confirmed by a third-party entity.

In this webinar, we will define accreditation and certification and examine how they are related within the conformity assessment system and review the differences between the terms. We will discuss different types of accreditations and certifications available. And finally, we will demonstrate through examples how to use the terms appropriately.

Key Takeaways

• Define accreditation and certification
• Understand the relationship
• Understand the differences
• Understand how to use the terms appropriately
• Learn different types of accreditations and certifications available

Presenter:

Technical Products Developer

Melanie Ross has over 20 years of experience in quality assurance, quality control, and quality management.

She has worked in several different industries, including chemical, biological, oil and gas, and aerospace.

Her main role in each of these industries was the development of management systems, including internal audit programs, vendor qualification procedures, and implementation of lean six sigma.

Currently, Melanie is a Technical Products Developer for ANAB designing and delivering training courses and supporting client outreach through business development activities.

Her role serves as a technical resource to customers, assessors, and other interested parties.