ISO certification and accreditation are often confused, but they serve different purposes and follow distinct processes:

ISO Certification: ISO certification verifies that an organization’s management system complies with ISO standards, such as ISO 9001 for quality management or ISO 14001 for environmental management. It involves an assessment by an independent certification body to confirm compliance and issue a certificate.

Accreditation: Accreditation is the formal recognition of the competence, impartiality, and reliability of certification bodies by accreditation bodies. Accredited certification bodies are authorized to conduct ISO certification audits and issue certificates that are globally recognized and respected.

While ISO certification demonstrates an organization’s compliance with ISO standards, accreditation adds an extra layer of assurance by validating the competence and integrity of the certification process itself.