What do I do when the certification body won’t accept all my test evidence? As a door manufacturer, achieving dual certification on a range of doors may seem like a goal worth pursuing – one which will literally ‘open doors’ to new markets, if you’ll excuse the pun! However, it can be an arduous and frustrating process, and we often witness customers’ consternation and frustration when their carefully collated test evidence is not accepted by their certification body. This test evidence has often cost the customer thousands, both in pounds and man hours, so what can they do when it is not accepted?
Talk to the certification body It seems obvious, but the first course of action is to talk to the certification body about their reasons for not accepting the evidence. It could be something that is easily resolved, and a conversation will help identify the least arduous way to do this. It is quicker and more cost-effective to get expert advice at the outset rather than deciding or guessing the best course of action without a steer in the right direction.
Be prepared to reassess goals After speaking with the certification body, it may be necessary to reassess initial goals to make them more realistic. For example, which are the best-selling doors? Following the Pareto Principle, 80% of your sales probably come from only 20% of your doors. It might be useful to identify the best way to get a limited range dual certified.
It is easy to become fixated on a small percentage of the market that wants an all-singing, all-dancing doorset – in fact, approximately 80% of the market is only after a doorset with a small scope. And don’t forget that pursuing a dual certified doorset is a big undertaking and not to be taken lightly! It takes time, effort and ongoing commitment, not to mention the audits!
Explain what you want to achieve to the competent assessor If, after a reality check, the best plan of action is to continue to pursue dual certification, then the best course of action to avoid further disappointment is to speak to the certification body beforehand and explain what the desired result is. They may be able to prevent you from undergoing unnecessary tests, saving you time, money and stress. If further discreet testing is required, you may find our blog on
increasing the scope of your doorset useful.
