About us
CBS Certification Services is an England-based, fully accredited third-party International Certification Body, specializing in management systems certification, training and auditing.
Operating since 2008, CBS audits and certifies thousands of organisations around the world and have built a great reputation for first-class service, market-leading pricing packages, and ease of use for our clients.
The CBS Register is used by a wide range of people and organisations, including those:
- assessing tenders
- checking credentials throughout the market supply chain
- Confirming if an organisation and person has been certified by a CBS Certification body.
We also use the register as a tool to better understand trends in the world of certification and we publish reports for certifiers to keep them up-to-date.
Management of Impartiality
Impartiality is not only an accreditation requirement for a Third Party Certification Body, it is an absolute necessity to maintain the credibility of the Audit and Certification Process. CBS maintains a culture and professional environment (through formal and informal meetings and discussions) that stresses the expectation that staff and auditors will act in the wider interest of promoting quality culture in auditee organisations and helping in enhancement of the credibility of audits and certification processes by ensuring total impartiality in their actions. As a preventive measure, importance of impartiality is emphasized during on-site evaluation of auditors during their first audit on behalf of CBS.
CBS has identified, analyzed, documented and incorporated controls on the following possibilities for conflict of interests arising from provision of certification and its relationship:
Conflict of Interests arising from Provision of Certification Services:
Self-interest threats and their safeguards
CBS– Financial Self-interest: The process of auditor selection, auditing and certification decision is carried out in a way which ensures that the issue of ‘Certificate of Approval’ is based upon objective evidence of conformity with the relevant criteria. The entire certification processes (including internal audits and management reviews) are carried out under the close supervision of management and is being reviewed at least once in a year by the independent CBS Advisory Board. CBS management and its employees will not exert undue financial conditions, practice any form of discrimination or other conditions upon applicant or certified organisation that may be detrimental to the reputation of CBS.
Auditors – Self-interest: CBS ensured through the in-depth review of the CV’s of auditors and their current affiliations that they don’t have any financial interest (shares etc.) in the clients being audited by them. Also, through signed Conflict of Interest Agreement it is made mandatory for all auditors to reveal all situations of potential conflict of interests. In such situations, it is ensured that the concerned auditor is not included in audit team or certification decision process. Should an auditor of CBS be found to be exerting undue financial or other conditions upon the auditee organisation then appropriate disciplinary action shall be taken against that auditor.
Self – review threats and their safeguards
Our documented system ensures that the decision for certification, complaint, appeal etc. will be taken by some body that was not associated with the related certification, complaint, appeal etc.
CBS direct employees are prohibited from engaging in management system consultancy activities, which includes, ‘Participation in an active manner in the development of a management system to be assessed by, for example: preparing or producing manuals, handbook or procedures; participating in the decision making process regarding management system matters; giving specific advice towards the development and implementation of management systems for eventual certification/registration.
All audit staff are prohibited from participating in the Audit of any organisation to which they have given assistance in document preparation, consultancy, in-house training, internal auditing, or where they have any financial or commercial interest for a minimum period of 2 years prior to the date of application of the organisation for certification.
All auditors associated with CBS are prohibited from conducting internal audits to its certified clients. Also, CBS will not undertake third party certification of management system of an organisation, where it has provided internal auditing services in the last two years.
Subcontracted auditors will not be involved in any certification activities (including audits) with any clients of the subcontracted auditor or his employer.
Certification activities for a client shall not be undertaken by CBS within two years of presenting an in-house course. Even after two years, it will be ensured that the trainer(s) involved in imparting training are not selected as an auditor(s) for that particular organisation.
As a fully independent certification body, CBS is not linked to any management system consultancy organisation and will take immediate action to correct inappropriate claims by any management system consultancy organisation stating or implying that certification would be simpler, easier, faster or less expensive if CBS were used. Similarly, CBS will not promote any management system consultancy organisation by stating or implying that certification would be simpler, easier, faster or less expensive if a specified consultancy organisation were used.
Familiarity (or trust) threats
If CBS determines that a CBS auditor has an unacceptable familiarity with a CBS client then CBS will change auditors (for at least one audit) after completion of one certification cycle to eliminate or reduce familiarity threat that may arise because of long-standing professional relationship (by virtue of conducting audits) with an auditee.
As addressed above threat due to familiarity because of long-standing personal relationship will be eliminated by not including that auditor(s) in audit team or certification decision process for that particular organisation where such relationship is established.
Intimidation threats
In relation to disagreement on findings being identified during audit, CBS auditors are encouraged to raise that particular issue in the audit report, asking auditee to complain or appeal to CBS against that finding(s) if they wish.
Similarly, CBS will not be coerced by any auditee or other interested parties with a fear of being replaced while carrying out certification activities. CBS is committed and determined to carry out its certification activities without any fear of litigations, replacement etc. However, auditee are made aware of the appeal process, in case they are not satisfied with any of the decision being taken by CBS.
Competition threats : CBS ensures that subcontracted technical auditors are selected after carefully scrutinizing any chances of conflict to eliminate or minimize any competitive threat between auditee and auditor.
Conflict of Interests arising from relationship:
CBS have determined the potential areas of conflict of interest due to any relationship based on ownership, governance, management, personnel, shared resources, finances, contracts, marketing and payment of a sales commission or other inducement for the referral of new clients that could threaten the impartiality of its certification activities – refer to the Annual Relationship Analysis Matrix.
If any relationship poses an unacceptable threat to impartiality, CBS will not undertake a related certification assignment.
CBS will not certify any other certification body for its management system certification activities.
CBS will take action to respond to any threats to its impartiality arising from the actions of other persons, bodies or organisations