The 24th Cycle ISO Survey of Certifications is now available for free download at the ISO site, here. The annual report shows total worldwide certificates for ISO 9001, as well as other standards such as ISO 13485, ISO 50001 and ISO TS 16949. The report provides the latest data available, using certificate data from 2014.
A quick glance shows the US dropped in totals slightly, down to 33,008 in 2014; the ISO Survey from 2013 reported the US had 34,869, a staggering spike in US certificates from 2012, when the total was only 26,177. The growth number in the US have been suspected as the result of inadequate data provided by US certification bodies, and Oxebridge has suspected the numbers were intentionally tampered with by CB sales reps.
The problems with the data come with a disclaimer by ISO that puts an inaccuracies at the feet of the CBs themselves:
Despite our best efforts to display consistent results, there are fluctuations in the number of certificates from year to year due to the variability in numbers of certificates reported each year by individual certification bodies, inconsistent participation of some certification bodies that contribute to the survey one year but not the next, the participation of new certification bodies.
Oxebridge has argued that the IAF should make accurate certificate reporting a mandatory part of accreditation, but CBs have balked at the suggestion, despite the data being collected by an independent data warehouse, Nielsen Research. CBs currently resist most any reporting on their certificates, and were recently successful in getting official ISO accreditation rules changed so they no longer have to maintain a registry of certified clients at all.
Oxebridge will have a more in-depth analysis of the data shortly.
Christopher Paris is the founder and VP Operations of Oxebridge. He has over 35 years’ experience implementing ISO 9001 and AS9100 systems, and helps establish certification and accreditation bodies with the ISO 17000 series. He is a vocal advocate for the development and use of standards from the point of view of actual users. He is the writer and artist of THE AUDITOR comic strip, and is currently writing the DR. CUBA pulp novel series. Visit www.drcuba.world
