ELIGIBILITY
- Multi site organization is defined as an organization having an identified central
function (central office) at which certain activities are planned, controlled or managed
and a network of local offices and branches (sites) at which such activities are fully or
partially carried out.
- A multi site organization need not be a unique legal entity, but all sites shall have a
legal or contractual link with the central office and be subject to a common management
system. The management system is laid down, established and subject to continuous
surveillance and internal audits by the central office. This means that the central office
has rights to ensure that the sites implement corrective actions when needed at any
site.
- The processes at all the sites have to be substantially of the same kind and have to be
operated to similar methods and procedures. Where some of the sites under consideration
conduct similar, but fewer processes than others, they may be eligible for inclusion
provided that the site or sites, which conduct most processes or critical processes, are
subject to full audit . All the sites should be in the same country.
- Organizations, which conduct their business through linked processes in different
locations, are also eligible for certification under multi-site. Where processes in each
location are not similar but are clearly linked, the sampling plan shall include at least
one example of each processes conducted by the organization (e.g. fabrication of
electronic component in one location, assembly of the same components - by the same
company in several other locations).
- The organization's management system shall be under a centrally controlled and
administered plan and be subject to central management review. All the relevant sites
including the central office shall be subject to the organization's internal audit program
and all sites have been audited prior to certification audit.
- The central office has established the management system in accordance with the relevant
ISO or other standard and the whole organization meets the requirements of the standard
including relevant legal regulations.
- The organization should demonstrate its ability to collect and analyze data (system
documentation and changes, management review, complaints, corrective actions, internal
audit, legal requirements etc) from all sites including the central office and its
authority and also demonstrate its authority and ability to initiate organization changes
if required.
- If all the sites of an organization where the activity subject to certification is
performed are not ready to be submitted for certification at the same time, the
organization shall be required to inform Staunchly in advance of the sites that it wants
to be included in the certification and those which are to be excluded.
NONCONFORMITIES
- Whenever any non-conformity is found at an individual site, either through the
organizations internal auditing or auditing by Staunchly, the organization shall
investigate whether it leads to a system deficiency affecting all other sites or limited
to the particular site only. If it is found a system deficiency correction and corrective
action should be performed both at central office and at the individual sites. If the
corrective action is limited to only the site where the nonconformity has been reported,
the organization should be able to demonstrate to Staunchly the justification for limiting
its follow up corrective action.
- At the time of the decision making process, if any site has nonconformity pending the
certification shall be denied to the whole network pending satisfactory corrective
action.
- It shall not be admissible that, in order to overcome the obstacle raised by the
existence of non-conformity at a single site, the organization seeks to exclude from the
scope the "problematic site" site during the certification process. Such exclusion can
only be agreed in advance as stated earlier.
CERTIFICATION DOCUMENT
- Staunchly issues the certificate after completing the procedural requirements (PD-02)
and the sites included in the certificate are either individually audited or audited as
per a sampling scheme as defined in Staunchly procedure.
- Staunchly withdraws the entire certificate if the central office or any of the sites
does not fulfill the necessary provisions for the maintenance of the
certification.
- As the list of sites need to be updated by Staunchly, the organization shall inform
Staunchly about the closure of any of the sites covered by the certification. Failure to
provide such information will be considered by Staunchly as a misuse of the certification
and Staunchly shall initiate appropriate action for suspension as specified.
- Staunchly grants additional sites to the existing certification either through the
routine surveillance, special audit or re-certification audit.
SAMPLING
- The number of sites selected for certification shall be based on the norms framed by
Staunchly to meet the requirements of the applicable standard.
- It is not necessary to select the sites before starting of the audit process, but can
also be done after the audit of the central office.