The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has announced a shift in the application for accreditation and certification of management systems from the manual process to online.
According to the standards body, the Management System Certification process will henceforth be done online through the e-application, e-quotations, e-planning, e-certificates and collaboration platforms available in the bureau's portal.
This will bring an end to the era of manual application and hard copy certificates. The changes will affect initial certification, recertification as well transfers of accreditation.
The shift, according to KEBS, would help to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the certification process.
“This is to notify you that the KEBS CB Management System Certification process is now fully automated, complete with e-application, e- quotations, e-planning of audits, e-certificates and collaboration platform among many key features," part of the notification read.
"This is expected to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and productivity of the certification process and ultimately improve service delivery for our certified clients."
However, the standards authority indicated that all scheduled certifications would be administered manually to avoid inconveniences.
How to Apply
To apply for a management system certification, one is required to open an account in the KEBS Integrated Management System (IMS) portal.
Alternatively, the application can be made through the ims(dot)kebs(dot)org which directs the user to the application portal.
The applicant will be required to fill in details including the name of the organization, physical address, and contacts of the company.
Other details include the mandate of the organization, activities, scope as well as a description of the nature of the company.
Upon completion of the process, KEBS sends a notification to the client with information on the findings from the audit conducted.
Management System certification is one of the functions of KEBS in its mandate of ensuring standards and quality of products and services.
