Issued in France by Cofrac, accreditation is both the cornerstone and the first link in the chain of confidence.
When undergoing health checks, or when we consume a product or a service, we want to be sure of the competence of the bodies responsible for inspection. A Cofrac accreditation recognises and certifies the competences and impartiality of the inspection bodies, nationally and even internationally.
To obtain accreditation, the accreditation candidates must engage in a demanding process. Accreditation allows them, in particular, to accelerate their development.
Providing official recognition of competence, accreditation reassures customers, principals, consumers and patients about the level of trust they can have in the services carried out by the conformity assessment bodies. It provides assurance of their high degree of reliability and impartiality over time, thanks to regular assessments and observations.
Sometimes, the public authorities need this for approval purposes, with accreditation serving as a differentiating criterion for RFPs or for getting listed with large companies in order to increase market share.
Accreditation facilitates trade through the international recognition of the conformity certification operations that it offers, providing a common reference framework and limiting multiple inspections.
The accreditation process allows staff to be more heavily involved in making the most of their skills, and constitutes a genuine management and motivation tool.
