QSU Publishing Company strives to provide accurate, consistent and unbiased reporting with respect to third-party registration of management systems in accordance with international standards such as ISO 9000, QS-9000, TS 16949, TL 9000, AS9100, ISO 14001 and anticipated future standards such as FS 9000. QSU Publishing Company recognizes that the total number of unique certificates issued by a certification body/registrar does not distinguish between multiple- and single-site registrations, nor does it take into account the size and profits of registered organizations, but is one indication of market share. The following policy has been developed with regard to the collection and dissemination of data for the purposes of defining a unique certificate:

1. Third-party registration data will be deemed to reflect a unique certificate if it meets the following criteria:

  1. Contains a unique number issued by a certification body/registrar recognized by QSU Publishing Company as providing such information,
  2. Meets criteria of a unique certificate established by member organizations of the International Accreditation Forum,
  3. Includes an expiration date that is current within 60 days. In the case of certification bodies/registrars that do not employ expiration dates, the data must reflect their certification system,
  4. Includes a unique, physical street location, excluding post office boxes except in the case of significant deviations in scope as determined on a case-by-case basis.

2. Third-party registration data will NOT be deemed to reflect a unique certificate if any of the following conditions are present:

  1. More than one certificate has been issued by a certification body/registrar to the same location. Multiple data submitted for the same location will be deemed to reflect one unique registration even if more than one registrar has issued separate data except in the case of significant deviations in scope as determined on a case by case basis,
  2. QSU Publishing Company obtains independent verification that data does not meet one or more of the conditions established in part 1 of this policy.

3. This policy imparts the following obligations on each certification body/registrar reporting data to QSU Publishing Company:

  1. To report registration data in English within 60 days of the effective date of registration,
  2. To correct known errors in previously submitted data,
  3. To notify QSU Publishing Company with regard to certificate transfers, withdrawals and changes within 60 days,
  4. To make QSU Publishing Company aware of operating changes such as changes to address, name, contacts and/or accreditation status,
  5. To provide the physical address of registered locations,
  6. To provide the accreditation status of each unique certificate.

4. For instructions on the preferred method of submitting data to QSU Publishing, click here.