A Message To Our Customers

24 March 2020

During this unprecedented time we wanted to reach out and update you on how we’re approaching the situation at NQA and how this affects your certification.

With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting so many aspects of our personal and professional lives while presenting us with a unique set of challenges, our hearts go out to you if you have been affected.

Your company may have an audit that is due within the next few weeks and if you feel that you will be able to field that audit at your facility, your auditor will be in contact with you to plan the on-site visit as normal.

To reassure our clients and ensure the safety of all personnel, NQA has taken the following measures:

Restricting our auditors travel from any of the high-risk countries as identified by local governments and/or the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Ensuring employees and associate partners notify NQA if they have travelled to any of the high-risk countries; or have plans to do so
Reminding all employees and associate partners to follow best practice hygiene and guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

If your company is not working at full capacity because of limited staff on-site, or you are limiting outside visitors to your facility, we have developed a remote auditing process that will help keep your certification intact and while doing so in a safe environment. Please reach out to your dedicated support representative to finalize your visit preference.

Certifications that are approaching expiration may be eligible for a 6 month extension. Please speak with our office for further information in reference to expiring certifcates.

IATF and ESD Certification

If you have certification to IATF 16949 or ESD, your audits will continue to be conducted onsite if conditions allow.

We will update our guidance and inform you as and when anything changes.

Keep in touch

Finally, we would like to assure you that we are focused on ensuring the continued validity of your certification and the continuity of our support. Our team is on hand to answer any questions that you may have and to steer you through this new way of auditing.

We would like to thank you for your continued support and wish you, your families and your organization well over the next few months.