ISO/TS 22163 CERTIFICATION

A RELIABLE SYSTEM FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF SUPPLIERS IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR


SCENARIO

The IRIS certification represents a guarantee for organizations that offer quality in the supply chain of the railway sector and thus guarantees a system capable of paying maximum attention to customer needs. The IRIS standard was born from an initiative by UNIFE and the major manufacturers in the sector (Bombardier Transportation, Alstom Transport, Siemens Transportation Systems, AnsaldoBreda) and applies to all organisations/suppliers of materials in the railway sector.
The IRIS certification is accompanied by a questionnaire called IRIS Audit Tool which assigns a score through which it is possible to evaluate and monitor the organisation's continuous improvement path.
Obtaining the IRIS certification is published on the UNIFE portal which guarantees the further prestige of the success obtained.
In 2017, the new global standard for quality management systems in the railway sector was introduced,  ISO/TS 22163:2017 Railway applications - Quality management system - Enterprise management system requirements for railway organisations: ISO 9001: 2015 and special requirements for application in the railway sector. The standard was published by the ISO-International Standard Organization on 24 May 2017.


SOLUTION

The new ISO/TS 22163 replaces the current IRIS standard and incorporates all the requirements of ISO 9001:2015, integrated with the additional requirements applicable to the Railway sector.
The IRIS Certification™ 2017 standard is UNIFE property and contains all the relevant rules, assessment methodologies and certification processes. After publication it is possible to certify companies according to the new standard, provided that the organization has implemented what is prescribed by ISO/TS at least 3 months before the transition audit.
All sites or locations included in the certification must be ready to be certified together with the main organization.

Initial certification according to the current IRIS rev.02 standard will be possible until the end of December 2017 and recertification audits according to this standard will be possible until June 2018.
In any case, however, all IRIS rev.02 certificates will cease to be valid on 14 September 2018, regardless of the expiry date indicated in the certificate itself.


OUR METHODOLOGY

These are the key phases of the ISO/TS 22163:2017 certification process  :
■  Pre-audit : (Optional) definition of the certification purpose, gap analysis and verification of the current situation of the Organization with respect to the standard requirements.
■  Certification and Audit Process
-  Stage 1 : Readiness Review, evaluation of the QMS preparation.
-  Stage 2 : Evaluation of the application of the standard. Following satisfactory results, a certificate valid for three years is issued.
-  Surveillances : 2 audits on an annual basis, carried out to verify that the management system still complies with the requirements of the IATF standard.
-  Recertification : carried out 3 years after Stage 2, the recertification audit will confirm continued compliance and effectiveness of the entire management system.

FAQ

What are the main advantages of IRIS certification?
■ Demonstrate that you are a mature organization with a QMS that meets the latest requirements of the Rail industry.
■ Ability to manage change, with particular attention to risk management.
■ Focus on continuous improvement (prevention of defects, reduction of variations, reduction of waste and operating costs).

What are the schemes and rules underlying the definition of the Checklist and Reports?
The modular Checklist is based on:
■ Existing standards in the fields of Quality, Health and Safety, Environment, Social Responsibility.
■ Ad hoc parameters, to be applied based on the rating of each supplier following the definition of the risk matrix. The contribution of new emerging schemes is also taken into consideration.

Why should my organization apply ISO/TS 22163:2017?
To demonstrate that the products and services offered comply with the requirements of the Railway sector and that the expectations of interested parties are managed according to shared rules.

Can economic benefits derive from ISO/TS 22163:2017 certification?
Yes, most major industry players, as well as most tier 1 suppliers, only contract suppliers who are certified to the ISO/TS 22163:2017 standard.