The Benefits of Choosing an ISO/IEC 17065 Managed Scheme

Process and Product Certification

First and foremost, ISO/IEC 17065 schemes provide process and product certification versus only management systems certification. That means, when choosing BRC, IFS or SQF, your processes and product achieve certification – which includes the certification of the system designed to deliver product and process – a complete assessment of the operation. Choosing another scheme only provides certification to your management systems – something already covered by your certification to a process and product based scheme.

In simpler terms, ISO/IEC 17065 looks at the intent, the method and the result. Systems certification will focus on the intent only. Also, Good Auditing Practice will be focused on product specification and product sampling; whereas, ISO 17021 schemes focus much more on documentation.

Quality and Regulatory Achievements

With BRC, IFS, and SQF, you have the ability to certify the quality components of your processes and products. Things that are important to you like meeting customer requirements, providing quality products, and delivering products that satisfy the ever-growing request of the consumer to provide higher quality products are all certified by choosing an ISO/IEC 17065 scheme. Regardless of your business size, the quality components of BRC, IFS, and SQF prove to your customers that you have a system in place to provide them the level of product quality that they expect.

When you achieve the quality components of any of the particular standards, you reach a certain level of product consistency and status that gives your company marketing benefits beyond those of other schemes. Finally, ISO/IEC 17065 schemes mandate that regulatory requirements are met in the country of origin and the country of destination – something not managed by ISO 17021.

Independence and Impartiality by Certification Bodies

One of the main components of schemes following ISO/IEC 17065 is the requirement for independence and impartiality by Certification Bodies. These are specifically related to the management of auditors, reporting, and evaluation. With ISO 17021 schemes, there is no centralized management or control of the certification bodies and their auditors. Working with BRC, IFS, or SQF schemes ensures that your certification bodies and auditors have the checks and balances in place to provide you with strong centralized management programs, and consistent reporting structures.

Production Scope Knowledge

Although some may consider it a benefit that an auditor has no understanding of product or process scopes when doing an audit, ISO 17065 Auditor Training to have an understanding of what a manufacturer produces and the technical knowledge to challenge the company in their processes and identify food safety risks. Knowing what you make, and how you make it is an important part of a good audit that is not managed by ISO 17021.

Continuous Improvement Processes

Continuous improvement through the implementation and check of corrective actions is an important part of the BRC, IFS, and SQF schemes. These schemes require that corrective actions are developed and implemented as part of the process. In each of these schemes the corrective actions are checked so that the company makes improvements to its processes and products for long term preventative control.

ISO/IEC 17065 certification ensures you reach a certain level within your processes and make improvements from that level, ISO 17021 certification only requires that there is improvement – regardless of the minimum level. If you start with poor quality products or a high level of complaints, an ISO 17021 certification can still be achieved as long as "improvement" is shown.

To add simplicity again, a system audit is typically centred around the ISO mantra of "say what you do, do what you say." ISO/IEC 17065 requires an additional requirement of "produce what your customer wants.