Jump to content

  • Quick Navigation
Photo

Following your audit how quickly do you get your Certificate?

Share this

  • You cannot start a new topic
  • Please log in to reply
34 replies to this topic

Poll: I get the BRC/IFS Certificate within (22 member(s) have cast votes)

I get the BRC/IFS Certificate within

  1. 1-2 weeks (3 votes [10.71%])

    Percentage of vote: 10.71%

  2. 3-4 weeks (3 votes [10.71%])

    Percentage of vote: 10.71%

  3. 5-6 weeks (8 votes [28.57%])

    Percentage of vote: 28.57%

  4. 7-8 weeks (5 votes [17.86%])

    Percentage of vote: 17.86%

  5. 9-10 weeks (4 votes [14.29%])

    Percentage of vote: 14.29%

  6. 11-12 weeks (2 votes [7.14%])

    Percentage of vote: 7.14%

  7. 13-14 weeks (0 votes [0.00%])

    Percentage of vote: 0.00%

  8. 15+ weeks (3 votes [10.71%])

    Percentage of vote: 10.71%

Vote Guests cannot vote
- - - - -

Charles Chew

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,178 posts
  • 54 thanks
15
Good

  • Malaysia
    Malaysia
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Malaysia
  • Interests:Food, food and food!

Posted 31 August 2005 - 04:44 AM

(or don't let the auditor out of your site until he's typed up the report thumbup.gif


Customer always has the final say in decision making and they often forget that they are indeed the customer - how true!

My basic requirement is once auditors do not measure up to the expected standard, the CBs will be warned and if allowed to recur, either the CB or the Auditor will be "retired" unsuspectingly. In fact, an auditor was "retired" by us under such a situation about 3 months ago.

I can not recall during my time when an auditor leaves the audit site without giving an audit report. Most unbecoming. Bet you - that auditor would not be coming back for next year's audit.

CBs and auditors play an important role in ensuring that the objectives of the audit and certification are achieved within a reasonable lead time unless significant fundamental issues have not been addressed by the auditee. Or, are we witnessing a trend in the willingness to compromise quality work for the sake of driving business volume?

Charles Chew

Cheers,
Charles Chew
www.naturalmajor.com

pacepavicius

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 10 posts
  • 3 thanks
0
Neutral

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:UK

Posted 29 September 2005 - 06:52 AM

Dear All,

There appears to be some debate and misunderstanding on the issue of reports after an evaluation. May I quickly point out, though, that my comments refer only to the BRC/IOP Food Packaging Standard because this is the only one I am qualified to comment on as I am an active evaluator against this Standard.

On page 52 of the Standard under section 8.10.1 Reports, it states 'Reports shall be prepared and despatched to the company within a period typically no longer than 42 working days after the evaluation date.'

This raises two issues which have been commented upon here.

1. The report will be sent to the client company after the evaluator has left after the evaluation.
2. It clearly states the recommended time for submission of the report i.e. 42 working days.

If client companies are not receiving this level of service, then they have every right to complain and, if still unsatisfied, take their business elsewhere. Obviously there will occasionally be mitigating circumstances that prevent the report from being issued within the recommended timescale e.g. holidays, sickness, protracted close out of non-conformances etc. The time allowed for close out of non-conformances and subsequent issue or reissue of the certificate is consequently quite short i.e. only 14 working days and many CBs will struggle to meet this.

Hope this helps to clear the issue.

Peter


Peter Pacepavicius
Firecrest Consulting

Tel: +44 (0()1628 482709
Mob: +44 (0)77858 577466
E-mail: firecrest@onetel.com

Simon

    IFSQN...it's My Life

  • IFSQN Admin
  • 12,826 posts
  • 1363 thanks
880
Excellent

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Manchester
  • Interests:Married to Michelle, Father of three boys (Oliver, Jacob and Louis). I enjoy cycling, walking and travelling, watching sport, especially football and Manchester United. Oh and I love food and beer and wine.

Posted 29 September 2005 - 07:31 AM

On page 52 of the Standard under section 8.10.1 Reports, it states "Reports shall be prepared and despatched to the company within a period typically no longer than 42 working days after the evaluation date."

I don't like the word 'typically' in there and 42 working days is plain ridiculous. Reports are in a set format and after the initial evaluation it's a case of amending the previous report rather than starting from a blank piece of paper. It can be done in half a day tops. 42 (working) days - tsk. :rolleyes:

Obviously there will occasionally be mitigating circumstances that prevent the report from being issued within the recommended timescale e.g. holidays, sickness, protracted close out of non-conformances etc.

I'd accept death or serious illness - just. :thumbup:

I agree with you Peter if you're not getting at least this level of service (if that's what you call it) go somewhere else.
Can anyone confirm whether the 42 days also applies to the BRC Food Standard? And what about the IFS?

Regards,
Simon

By the way 42 days is about 8 ½ weeks and 50% of the survey respondents quoted ‘time to receive report' as greater than 8 ½ weeks.

Get FREE bitesize education with IFSQN webinar recordings.
 
Download this handy excel for desktop access to over 180 Food Safety Friday's webinar recordings.
https://www.ifsqn.com/fsf/Free%20Food%20Safety%20Videos.xlsx

 
Check out IFSQN’s extensive library of FREE food safety videos
https://www.ifsqn.com/food_safety_videos.html


GMO

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 2,791 posts
  • 721 thanks
224
Excellent

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom

Posted 28 July 2011 - 06:11 AM

Interestingly very soon BRC will be publishing a 5 star rating system of certification bodies including an assessment of how long it takes to submit reports so if you're unhappy you can look elsewhere.

Hopefully a nudge to those who are slow!



Thanked by 1 Member:

Simon

    IFSQN...it's My Life

  • IFSQN Admin
  • 12,826 posts
  • 1363 thanks
880
Excellent

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Manchester
  • Interests:Married to Michelle, Father of three boys (Oliver, Jacob and Louis). I enjoy cycling, walking and travelling, watching sport, especially football and Manchester United. Oh and I love food and beer and wine.

Posted 22 August 2011 - 06:24 PM

Thanks for the update GMO.


Get FREE bitesize education with IFSQN webinar recordings.
 
Download this handy excel for desktop access to over 180 Food Safety Friday's webinar recordings.
https://www.ifsqn.com/fsf/Free%20Food%20Safety%20Videos.xlsx

 
Check out IFSQN’s extensive library of FREE food safety videos
https://www.ifsqn.com/food_safety_videos.html


Charles.C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Moderator
  • 20,542 posts
  • 5662 thanks
1,544
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:SF
    TV
    Movies

Posted 12 September 2017 - 10:03 PM

Interestingly very soon BRC will be publishing a 5 star rating system of certification bodies including an assessment of how long it takes to submit reports so if you're unhappy you can look elsewhere.

Hopefully a nudge to those who are slow!

 

I wonder if it ever, ever, appeared ?! :smile:


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


EvanAUS

    Grade - AIFSQN

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 37 posts
  • 5 thanks
2
Neutral

  • Australia
    Australia

Posted 05 June 2018 - 04:14 PM

Hi All,
Until 2015 I was the National Technical Manager for SGS in Australia and I have been a BRC Food Auditor for nearly a decade.
The BRC requires that CBs issue certificates within 42 days (6 weeks) of the closure of NCs - a total of 10 weeks from the last day of the audit. The BRC has had the 5-star rating of CBs in place for as long as I remember (possibly since the beginning of the scheme).
The CBs must achieve at least 3 stars (I stand to be corrected here) to remain approved to deliver the scheme. Many CBs have been delisted for failure to do so.
The process for the CB cannot start until NCs are closed by the client. The CBs have a technical review process in place to ensure that reports meet the standard required by the BRC - this is an unbelievably detailed process that causes great frustration to auditors - who are required to fix spelling mistakes in reports, often 8-9 weeks after the audit. And before you comment, even the most diligent auditor makes “silly/uncharacteristic” errors in reports that do not confuse the intent for any reasonable person - but are not acceptable to the technical review Nazis.
During 2014/15 the TR process (conducted in the UK for SGS audit reports globally) caused the expiration of many BRC certificates in Australia - to the great frustration of the Aussie management team - and many clients took their business elsewhere.
In short, the process to meet the exacting requirements of the BRC requires the full 42 days after completion of the audit. Check the expiry date on your certificate - don’t expect your new certificate until or just before this date.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



mgourley

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,403 posts
  • 997 thanks
274
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Plant City, FL
  • Interests:Cooking, golf, firearms, food safety and sanitation.

Posted 05 June 2018 - 09:33 PM

Also depends on if you pay your invoice on time :)

 

Marshall



PFTC

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Active
  • 19 posts
  • 5 thanks
3
Neutral

  • Canada
    Canada

Posted 23 September 2018 - 03:25 AM

 

28 days for completion of CA. Start acting on CA as soon as NC identified. Total of 5 to 6 weeks including 28 days referred above.



Charles.C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Moderator
  • 20,542 posts
  • 5662 thanks
1,544
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:SF
    TV
    Movies

Posted 24 September 2018 - 03:47 PM

 

 

28 days for completion of CA. Start acting on CA as soon as NC identified. Total of 5 to 6 weeks including 28 days referred above.

 

 

Hi JT,

 

Was there a comment/query ?

 

This thread ranges through 2005, 2011, 2018 !!


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C




Share this

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users