Certification workflow

The Certification page tracks your relationship with a certification body (CB): the three-year certification cycle for each certificate, the CB's visits (Stage 1, Stage 2, surveillance, recertification), the audit plan timetable for each visit, opening and closing meeting records, and the CB's verification of your previous findings. Use it before, during, and after every external audit. It lives at /certification (side nav: Certification).

Before you start

• The Certification module is off by default. An admin must turn it on in Settings > Modules (it is in the Governance, risk and compliance group). Until then the Certification entry is hidden from the side nav and the route redirects to the dashboard.
• Any signed-in member of the organization can use the page once the module is on.
• Useful but not required: open findings in Findings, since the page lists them for CB verification.

Add a certification cycle

A cycle is one certificate over its validity period.

1. Open Certification in the side nav.
2. Click Add Cycle (top right).
3. In the Add Certification Cycle dialog, fill:
   • Standards (required), for example ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001.
   • Certificate number, for example DAS 34411675/28/Q.
   • Certification body, for example SN Registrars.
   • Cycle start and Cycle end (click Set date on each row).
   • Status: Active, Completed, Suspended, or Withdrawn.
   • Notes (optional).
4. Click Add cycle.

The cycle appears as a card showing the certificate number, CB name, status tag (green for Active, red otherwise), and the start to end date range. Use the pencil icon to edit and the bin icon to delete a cycle.

Add a visit

Each cycle holds the CB's visits.

1. On a cycle card, click Add visit.
2. In the Add Visit dialog, fill:
   • Visit type: Stage 1, Stage 2, Surveillance 1, Surveillance 2, Recertification, Transition, or Follow-up.
   • Planned date and Actual date (click Set date).
   • Status: Planned, In progress, Completed, or Cancelled.
   • Lead auditor, for example the CB auditor's name.
   • Outcome / recommendation, for example Recommended for continued certification.
3. Click Add visit.

The visit shows as a row inside the cycle card with its status tag, planned and held dates, lead auditor, and outcome. Edit it later with the pencil icon; record the actual date and outcome after the visit and set the status to Completed.

Build the audit plan timetable

Each visit can carry the day-by-day timetable the CB sends before the audit.

1. On a visit row, click Plan.
2. In the Audit Plan dialog, add one slot at a time:
   • Day (a number, defaults to 1).
   • Start and End times, for example 09:00 and 10:30.
   • Auditor covering the slot.
   • Process / topic to cover (required for the slot).
3. Click Add. The slot appears in the list with a Day tag. Repeat for the whole timetable.
4. Delete a slot with its bin icon. Click Done to close.

Slots are saved as you add them, sorted by day, then order, then start time.

Record the opening meeting

1. On a visit row, click Opening.
2. The Opening Meeting dialog opens with a prefilled 16-item agenda checklist. Tick each item as it is covered:
   1. Introductions
   2. Confirmation of audit objective and criteria
   3. Confirmation of the scope of certification
   4. Confirmation of the audit plan
   5. Communication channels during the audit
   6. Resources and facilities needed
   7. Confidentiality
   8. Safety and emergency procedures for the audit team
   9. Guides and observers
   10. Reporting methods and classification of findings
   11. Conditions for premature termination of the audit
   12. Audit-team responsibility for the audit
   13. Status of findings from the previous audit
   14. Sampling methods and associated risk
   15. Language to be used during the audit
   16. Questions from the auditee
3. Under Attendance, type a Name and Designation, then click Add. Untick the checkbox next to a person who did not attend. Remove a row with the bin icon.
4. Every tick and attendee change saves immediately. Click Done when finished.

Record the closing meeting

1. On the visit row, click Closing.
2. The Closing Meeting dialog opens with a prefilled 13-item agenda checklist:
   1. Thanks and introductions
   2. Reconfirmation of audit objective, criteria and scope
   3. Sampling caveat (audit evidence is based on samples)
   4. Reporting method and timeframe
   5. Grading of findings
   6. Handling of nonconformities and impact on certification
   7. Recommendations
   8. Timeframe for corrective-action plans
   9. Follow-up activities
   10. Complaints and appeals process
   11. Any unresolved areas of concern
   12. Questions from the auditee
   13. Close of meeting
3. Record attendance the same way as the opening meeting, then click Done.

The agenda is created once per visit and kind. Reopening the dialog shows what you already ticked.

Verify previous findings

At the bottom of the page, the Previous findings verification section lists every finding that is not closed, from Findings. This is the "status of previous findings" input to every CB visit.

1. Find the finding in the list. Its current verification tag shows on the right (Not verified until you set one).
2. Click Verify.
3. Pick a Verification status:
   • Proposed actions not received
   • Reviewed but not accepted
   • Accepted, check at next visit
   • Actions checked, closed
   • or Not set to clear it.
4. Add a Verification comment if needed, then click Save.

The status and comment are stored on the finding itself, so they follow the finding everywhere. Findings drop off this list only when the finding itself is closed in Findings.

Try it

• Turn on the Certification module in Settings > Modules. Expected: Certification appears in the side nav.
• Click Add Cycle and save a cycle with Standards ISO 9001:2015 and status Active. Expected: a cycle card with a green Active tag.
• Click Add visit on the cycle, type Stage 1, status Planned, with a planned date. Expected: a visit row with a gray Planned tag and a Planned <date> tag.
• Click Plan on the visit and add a slot: Day 1, 09:00 to 10:30, topic Opening meeting. Expected: the slot appears with a Day 1 tag.
• Click Opening on the visit. Expected: a dialog with 16 unticked agenda items.
• Tick three agenda items and add an attendee, then close and reopen the dialog. Expected: the ticks and attendee are still there.
• Click Closing on the visit. Expected: a dialog with 13 unticked agenda items.
• With at least one open finding in Findings, click Verify on it, pick Accepted, check at next visit, and save. Expected: the finding shows a blue verification tag.
• Edit the visit, set the actual date and status Completed, and add an outcome. Expected: the row shows a green Completed tag, a Held <date> tag, and a purple outcome tag.

If something goes wrong

• Certification is missing from the side nav. The module is off. An admin must enable it in Settings > Modules. Typing the /certification URL while it is off redirects to the dashboard.
• The page shows "No certification cycles yet". That is the normal empty state. Click Add Cycle to start.
• The cycle dialog will not save. Standards is the required field. Also check your network; a failure shows a toast starting with "Failed to save cycle".
• A plan slot does not get added. The Process / topic to cover field must not be empty.
• The verification list says "No open findings". Every finding is closed, or none exist yet. Findings are created from audits and inspections; see Audits and Findings.
• Deleting is instant. Cycle and visit delete buttons do not ask for confirmation, so click them with care.