I've had this question raised by people in the past. What is the difference between getting certified by an accredited vs. non-accredited Certification body? To be clear, a non-accredited body is not necessarily an incompetent organization. There can be some very good organizations within those ranks. The problem is, to be a non-accredited organization is easy. Anyone can self declare themselves as a competent certifying body. As a consumer how does one gauge or rate their services? A company wishing to become ISO 9001 certified will be paying money to achieve this certification. They need to spend their money wisely. It's important to note that many organizations including Governments are making it mandatory now that certifications are from accredited certifying bodies. So the choice becomes very clear when confronted by these type of mandatory requirements. When a certifying body states that it's accredited by an orgainzation such as the IAF (International Accreditation F...