Choosing a Registrar - Registrar Recommendations

I have also evaluated who our competition within our industry uses to see if there is a strong releationship between that CB and our industry and who our customer's use again to gain maybe a relationship understanding. This is very helpful in the event that you have a small number of customer's who make up the majority of your business. I also use network contacts I have made and even expo's to talk to folks.
I have gone through several ISO and now an AS registrations and in each case I interviewed each CB either by phone or by having their regional or area rep. stop by. Once I narrowed it down I go fishing for info like here at the cove.
One final consideration in today’s economy consider location and travel costs.

Good luck

One of the other factors to be borne in mind is how your certification will be perceived not only by your customers, but also by your customers' certification bodies.

In the medical devices arena, we take these things fairly seriously. Several certification companies mentioned in this thread would give us (a Registrar/Notified Body) definite cause for concern.

If we considered you a critical subcontractor to our client, that could be up to and including us effectively ignoring the 'subcontractor' certification you have paid good money for.

Checking with my medical devices here team, we probably get at least one or two of these a month.

Have been reading your posts for a whilenow and have come to few questions:

My apology..this is a little bit far from the topic...

Is there a regulation for removal of CB’s license to operate? If yes, what are the grounds for removal? Who should take decision for removal or not of license? Do we have a statistics of such case worldwide case? Do you know of any CBs, which license was removed?

Sidney is right on the mark. I'm an ISO 13485 certified business owner and manufacturer. Every other supplier basically kisses our you-know-what to please us and to keep our business, as do we to our customers. I assure you, the RELATIONSHIP is far, far different.

Marc said:

It's fair for anyone to answer - I'll put in my 2cents worth soon. I'm trying to finish a project plan and then I'll jump in.

Short list for me is:
DNV
LRQA
AGA
Entela

Note: This is from 1998!

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I went through quite a few audits done by Entela when I was in automotive. Entela auditors are tough, and in my humble opinion, that is precisely what you need in an auditor.

PS: Margaret, if you are reading this, Hi! and thanks for all the great audits!

My only experience with the registrars on your list was with LRQA. It lasted 3 years and only involved one auditor so I am not intended to smear LRQA as an organization but this was my experience and it is fact and you asked. LRQA was brought in at the direction of a new quality director when he joined the company. In his own words he brought them in "because I know the auditor in the area and I know she can be easily taken off task when engaged in discussion of" (a certain topic). IMO she was at best incompetent and was only interested in saving the business relationship. The three years I was with this org. was nothing more than shoveling paperwork to make it appear we were accomplishing something. She never and I mean never went below the first tier of evidence to look for complete evidence. So again it is one experience with the group on your list and not a good one. I think this example shows a lack of direction and commitment on our directors part and he should have been taken to task. So before I get the "you should have went to her director or project manager replies" Let me CMA by saying I was not the person to do this it was not in my job duties, description or responsibility and to go over my directors head would have cost me my job( how’s that for dumping the load off)

I have much better experience and growth with UL but this was not on your list. I should also add this was ISO.

John Nabors said:

... auditors are tough, and in my humble opinion, that is precisely what you need in an auditor.

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As an active auditor, (and also consultant), I don't think tough, or easy, should be the criteria. In today's difficult and competitive economy, you need auditors who provide meaningful value-added audits. Any competent auditor can find a finding here and there, if that is the goal. Meaningful findings and improvements should be the goal. Helping you improve is where the value is.

Bob the QE said:

My only experience with the registrars ...xxx was brought in at the direction of a new quality director when he joined the company. ... IMO she was at best incompetent and was only interested in saving the business relationship. The three years I was with this org. was nothing more than shoveling paperwork ...

I have much better experience and growth with UL but this was not on your list. I should also add this was ISO.

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I have repeatededly commented that the particular auditor is as important as the registrar themselves.

PS: UL is now UL-DQS in the US. One of the registrars I represent. I would also suggest you consider Smithers, the other registrar I represent.

Thanks, I dealt with UL back in 2004 or so. If we consider changing registrars for our AS I will look into Smithers.

Bob the QE said:

Thanks, I dealt with UL back in 2004 or so. If we consider changing registrars for our AS I will look into Smithers.

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Just for clarification, UL still exists as UL-DQS, and continues to offer AS. They are essentially still the same UL, they just acquired the US operations of DQS, and merged internationally with the DQS network.