The time that may elapse between the receipt by ACRS of a complete application form with all necessary supporting documentation and assessment fees and the conclusion of the certification process will vary depending upon the number of sites, products and Standards to be assessed and the number of non-conformances that may be identified. However, most certifications are completed within three to six months.

There is no evidence whatsoever in Australia or overseas that such certification systems increase costs to manufacturers, suppliers, or consumers, as they are already following quality procedures and testing as required by Standards anyway.

ACRS compliance costs are measured in cents per tonne, not dollars (i.e., a fraction of 1% of input costs), making ACRS a highly cost effective means of ensuring and advertising product quality and consistency.

Additionally, there is increasing evidence that compliance costs can be lowered through ACRS certification in the longer term, as companies refine their quality processes through ACRS practice.

ACRS Auditors are lead auditor-qualified and have regular training to ensure their skills are kept to the high levels of competence required by ACRS rigorous certification scheme. This means they are well-placed to work with clients in identifying those parts of the supply chain and production process that matter most in terms of managing risks for the company, quality objectives and customer expectations, efficiently and cost-effectively.

Compliance with ISO 9000 quality systems guarantees that consistent processes developed by a company are being followed. It is therefore an important part of any manufacturing or supply system. However, ACRS is not QA reinvented or merely rebadged. Independent, third-party certification, such as ACRS, is a separate, yet complimentary system, required by many Australian and international Standards.

ACRS formats the tests in a particular manner to the appropriate existing Australian and New Zealand Standards to achieve a uniformity of output. This gives certificate holders and their customers the ability to compare product offerings as well as the confidence that comes from our independence.

ACRS is not a threat to manufacturers and suppliers, and certainly not to importers – many of whom are already used to such systems in other markets around the world. We certify suppliers from Asia, Europe, South Africa and New Zealand and are in regular discussion with entities from other countries, whom we hope will choose to join us. See our certified firms by location here

Please see more information on our complaints process here.