When is it necessary to amend an accreditation?
The nature of the reasons for amending an accreditation can be very different. The most common and significant amendment is the extension of the scope of accreditation. In these cases, the accredited body has additional conformity assessment activities which were not previously part of the existing accreditation assessed by DAkkS in order to extend its range of services.
Possible reasons for amendment
An amendment to an accreditation is required for the following reasons:
- Amendment/extension/reduction of scope
- More flexible scope
- Other locations of the body
- Update of the accreditation standard
- Change of name / change of address
How exactly is an accreditation amended?
Application
All amendments to an accreditation require an application. Reduction of the scope of an accreditation is also an amendment requiring an application.
A decision by the Accreditation Committee is not required in this case.
You can find more information on applications here:
Assessment and decision
If an assessment and decision is required for the amendment of accreditation being sought, for example for an extension of its scope, the procedure is as a rule the same as described in steps 3 and 4. After the assessment by DAkkS, the decision is made by the DAkkS Accreditation Committee.
Can the amendment be combined with surveillance?
Amendment assessments can be carried out separately or as part of scheduled surveillance. The combination of an amendment with a surveillance assessment or reassessment is a good way to minimise the effort involved and avoid unnecessary costs.
Please note that in this case too, the application must be submitted at least three months before the assessment. This is necessary to ensure that for the planning of the assessment teams, both the scopes already accredited and the amendment being sought can be coordinated in terms of content and dates.