Change Management 

This form can be used to submit the following changes:

• Access to SharePoint Folder
• Certification Body contact changes
• Date changes
• Certificate expiration date changes
• Certificate status changes- suspensions and withdrawals 
• Extension of time between remote and on-site activity
• Select sites
• Surveillance audit changes

Date Change Requests- Temporary

Under certain extreme circumstances, a facility that is scheduled to be reassessed/recertified may need to be audited outside of their current audit window.  Such a change may be considered due to natural or man-made disasters such as war, strike, riot, political instability, geopolitical tension, terrorism, crime, pandemic, extreme weather events, fires, malicious computer hacking or other extreme causes deemed to be beyond the control of the parties.

Certification bodies are expected to assess risk for continuing certification by following the IAF Informative Document for Management of Extraordinary Events or Circumstances Affecting ABs, CABs, and Certified Organizations (IAF ID 3:2011). The certification body shall collect information from the site to determine if a date change request is relevant and shall be provided to SQFI upon request.

Date Change Requests- Permanent

Requests to change the supplier recertification audit date are considered when a supplier wishes to move their audit date for reasons such as a significant change in the seasonal operation, to group/ungroup audits or auditor availability.

Situations that require a permanent change to the recertification audit date are approved provided the supplier’s new re-certification date is earlier than the current recertification audit date. Other requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

The new recertification audit date shall be fixed as the new initial certification audit date and documented in the assessment database.

Requesting Date Changes

To be considered for any date change, permanent or temporary, the certifying body (CB) acting on behalf of the facility, shall submit a request through the change request form located on the SQFI website.  The form shall be completed in its entirety and submitted.

Requests will be considered by SQFI Compliance in consultation as needed with the SQFI technical team, the applicable certification body and/or legal counsel.

All requests will be considered, and approval, denial or need for additional information will be communicated to the requestor as promptly as possible.