Quality Evaluation Center (QEC Global) of Portugal has become the world’s first accredited certification body to offer Oxebridge Q001 certification services. The body is already accredited by the Portuguese accreditation body IPAC for various ISO standards. For Q001, Oxebridge acts as the accreditation body.
Under the Oxebridge Q001 certification scheme, organizations may obtain one of two types of certification:
- Simplified Q001 Level 1 certification: a binary pass/fail certification, indicating a limited inspection system has been implemented.
- Maturity Model Q001 Level 2 – 4 certification: a graded maturity model certification of an implemented QMS, with the final level (grade) awarded based on the final audit score.
The Q001 scheme improves on the ISO 9001 scheme in that certifications are awarded based on pre-defined evidence requirements and a formal scoring system. As a result, organizations can lose their certification if their score is not maintained, unlike the ISO scheme, where certifications are effectively granted for life and never withdrawn.
Improving further, the Oxebridge Q001 standard is available for free download, along with the Q002 standard, which defines the minimum evidence requirements that organizations will be required to produce during their audit.
Oxebridge developed the Q001 standard to make it easier for readers to understand and implement; it puts back requirements for documents and records that were removed under ISO 9001:2015, restores the legacy “preventive action” clause, and adds some features to improve the capabilities of resulting quality management systems.
QEC Global still needs to have its auditors undergo ISO 9001 / Q001 gap training and to have Oxebridge verify the outputs of an initial audit with a Q001 client. For now, the certification body is provisionally accredited.
Organizations that certify to Q001 will exceed the requirements of ISO 9001. They must, however, verify with their customer base if a Q001 certificate will be accepted as equivalent.
Q001 audits can be performed remotely; however, organizations opting for a “Deep Dive” on-site audit improve their chances for a higher resulting score.
To learn more about Q001, read the official FAQ here. Certification bodies wishing to offer Q001 should read the related accreditation standards here.
To apply for Q001 certification with QEC Global, contact the body directly here.
Chris, are you aware if any USA companies have done a “self-certification” to Q001?
No, not that I am aware of. We implemented Q001 at a few Oxebridge clients, including Piper Aircraft, but have not pursued certification nor declared any self-certification. Just as validation trials of the standard itself.