Two more regional centers of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) have successfully passed the certification audit conducted under the International Standard on Quality Management System (ISO 9001:2008).
“PCC at Cagayan State University (PCC at CSU) in Piat, Cagayan and PCC at University of Southern Mindanao (PCC at USM) in Kabacan, North Cotabato are now ISO 9001:2008-certified,” Minda Diloy, head of PCC’s Integrated Management Audit Section, said.
This brings to five the total number of ISO 9001-certified PCC regional centers. The other regional centers are PCC at Mariano Marcos State University (PCC at MMSU), PCC at University of the Philippines at Los Baños (PCC at UPLB), and PCC at Ubay Stock Farm (PCC at USF).
The auditing and certification were done by TÜV SÜD PSB Philippines, the first certification body in Asia to introduce ISO 9000 as a basis for quality system certification. Its renown as a leading global provider of technical services has spread worldwide as it continues to assist clients improve quality, safety and reliability while ensuring environmental protection and cost effectiveness.
The certification audits for PCC at CSU and PCC at USM were undertaken on August 5-6 and October 10-11, respectively.
Diloy revealed that the preparation for certification varies, depending on the pace of the organization. PCC at CSU made it in 28 months. Activities started with the QMS documentation training and workshop with all the center staff in April 2011. Its succeeding activities involved establishment of necessary documents (procedures for all divisions/ sections/units); testing of the written documents; conducting internal audit and inviting the certifying body to conduct an initial evaluation of its system through the stage 1 audit.
PCC at USM’s preparation, on the other hand, was relatively shorter. The QMS documentation training and workshop were done in August 2012. The same activities conducted at PCC at CSU were employed and the certification audit was done 14 months after the first activity.
According to Diloy, the certification audit was conducted by a certifying body by thoroughly checking or evaluating the presence of documented mandatory requirements of Quality Management System such as control of documents, records, non-conforming products/services, internal quality audit, and corrective and preventive actions.
She said that the availability of these documents subjected for initial auditing indicated the readiness of the two regional centers audited for the processes necessary in the development of its products and delivery of service.
The implementation of the written procedures in the audit process, she pointed out, was evidenced by consistently keeping records and making use of these records to design corrective actions whenever found necessary. Preventive actions come after an organization has determined potential problems that may hamper its smooth operations, she added.
Diloy said the duration of the certification cycle lasts for three years. She added that the organization will have to undergo the first surveillance audit a year after the certification to check on the sustained implementation of the established system.
It was learned that the certification may be suspended or withdrawn when major non-conformities are found and the implementation of corrective action is not done within the prescribed period.
The second surveillance audit is done after another year, which means completing one certification cycle.
According to the procedures, an organization applies for the renewal of its certificate after the third year in which the re-certification audit is conducted by a certifying body.
(With reports from Minda Diloy)
