SA 8000
Quality Systems is one of the leading and pioneer ISO consultants in Pakistan.
SA 8000 Certification
What Is SA 8000?
Social Accountability
SA 8000 addresses the requirements of Social Accountability, by implementing this standard organization can improve its overall social management system to assure the confidence & satisfaction of their customers and other stakeholders. SA 8000 is the world’s leading social certification program. Major difference among SA 8000 and other social standards / code of conducts is that it is now used to provide companies with a system to integrate social accountability into all of their policies and practices additionally it provides the certificate valid for three years.
The SA 8000 Standard is based on globally recognized standard of decent work including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ILO conventions and national laws. SA 8000 follows a management system approach to social performance and emphasize the continual improvement that helps to the organization to meet the requirements of its customers, risk and stakeholders related to its work.
SA 8000 is the voluntary certification program and is suitable for any organization i.e. large, medium and small considering improvement in its ethical practices and sustainability to meet the expectations of all stakeholders. SA 8000 audit is performed against the requirements of SA 8000 standard that assures safe, legal, and ethical & secure manufacturing process. SA 8000 standard is developed by SAI in 1997 as the first credible standard for social certification.
If any suppliers’ organization is certified on SA 8000, that certificate and audit report can be shared with multiple customers rather than having different audit conducted for each customer. SA 8000 certification is the pre-request to start business relationship with customers and retail stores. Mostly International customers wave their own social audit of factory on behalf of SA 8000 certificate and they evaluate the audit results according to their criteria and give the rating to the factory such as Wal Mart the giant retailer of the world also accepts SA 8000 certificate along with the audit report and evaluate against their own social audit criteria and give the rating to the supplier. SA 8000 ultimate objective is to improve working conditions through out the supply chain. SA 8000 is the mother standard of social accountability and mostly social code of conducts driven by this standard.
SA 8000 doesn’t conduct audit itself and only approved certification bodies can conduct the SA 8000 audit as well as those companies must have the full member of APSCA. Mostly retailers, importers and customers don’t accept the SA 8000 audit report if monitoring firm and their auditor do not have the membership number of APSCA.
Benefits of SA 8000 Certification
- Get the SA 8000 Certificate valid for 03 years of time
- Develop complete Social Management system
- Compliance with International and national regulations
- Build strong relationship with customers
- Get new business opportunities from international Retailers
- Meet pre-qualification requirement of Retail stores for new business
- Improve social performance
- Enhance ethical trading program
- Get waiver against customer code of conduct audit
- Improve the reporting structure
- Improve the traceability
- Build relation with customers on sedex portal
- Globally accepted standard
- Helpful to attract new customers
- Helpful to retain the confidence of existing customers
- Consistent outcome, measure and monitored
- Acceptable for International organizations
- Safety of workers
SA 8000 Standard Focuses on Labor Rights are as Follow
- Child Labor
- Forced Labor
- Health and Safety
- Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining
- Discrimination
- Disciplinary Practices
- Working Hours
- Remuneration
- Management Systems
By implementing this standards organization can improve its overall social compliance performance to assure the confidence & satisfaction as well as meet the expectation of its customers.
SA 8000 Certification Process
After finalization of agreement with client, Quality Systems’ experts visit to client’s premises and conduct the complete gap analysis of existing system against the WRAP code of conduct and discuss the gap report to the management, Identified gaps could be in documents, implementation, fire safety, building & electrical safety, compensation, employee’s awareness, statutory & regulatory and local laws compliances. We commence work according to the agreed timelines as per final gap report and proceed for the audit once all the documentation, implementation, and other requirements are done. Our technical team provides complete assistance, support and cooperation throughout the process to make certification audit successful in first attempt.
An SA 8000 certificate is not awarded once-and-for-all, it must be renewed before expiration of the certificate. After applying for the audit to the certification body, they conduct the initial audit in two stages; First is Stage one audit and next is Stage two audit. After the successful conduction of audit, certification body issues the certificate with validity of 03 years till next six-monthly surveillance audit thus in three years of certification cycle, certification body conducts 05 surveillance audits with half year of intervals. Basically, audit will be conducted every six months of time in the period of three years. After completion of three years of audit cycle re-audit will be conducted to continue the process of certification. 2nd surveillance audit will be conducted without intimation of audit by certification body.
Cost of SA 8000 Certification
Charges of SA 8000 certification can not be flat or same for every organization, please contact us in this regard.
Why Quality Systems
Quality Systems is working with the team of qualified and experienced consultants and trainers having vast industrial experience, most of our consultants are also lead auditors who are aware to the expectations of auditors from your management system during the audit. Quality systems is assisting across the world to implement and achieve the SA 8000 outstanding ratings. Our consultation methodology is highly professional, time bound and effective and we always add value to the business process of the client’s organization.
Our SA 8000 Certification complete package comprised of following segments such as training, implementation, consultation, gap analysis, documentation, internal audits, pre assessment, third party audit through world’s most recognized accredited by SAAS Certification body and post audit enhancement / maintenance services to enable your organization to get the best outcome of SA 8000. Our services are globally accepted, authoritative and benchmarked in the field of SA 8000 audit.
