Building and Construction Authority

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http://www.bca.gov.sg/professionals/iquas/ISO.html

BCA ISO 9000 CERTIFICATION SCHEME

The BCA launched the BCA ISO 9000 Certification Scheme in 1991. The objective
of this scheme is to promote the adoption of an international quality management
system standards in Singapore's construction industry. More than 200 firms in the
architectural, construction, engineering, property , building materials and related
fields have since been certified under this scheme.
Mission
BCA aims to provide a highly professional and impartial certification service for all firms within
the construction industry leading to achievement of compliance with the relevant requirements
of the ISO 9000, ISO 14000, OHSAS 18000 and SMC standards.
Philosophy Philosophy

To support the Mission Statement, we have established the following philosophy statement:-

We are committed to customer satisfaction.

We strive for continuous improvement.
We strive to achieve professionalism excellence in our scope of services.
We are firm in ensuring confidentiality and impartiality in our work.
We understand the importance of impartiality and strive to eliminate or reduce any
threats to impartiality.
We manage conflict of interest and ensure the objectivity of our management system
certification activities.

Please click for the following options:

1. What is ISO 9000?
2. Benefits of ISO 9000 Certification
3. Scope of Certification offered by BCA
4. Who can apply for BCA ISO 9000 Certification Scheme?
5. How to arrange for an audit with BCA?
6. An overview of the BCA ISO Certification Process
7. Certification requirements for contractors and consulting Firms
8. The BCA ISO 9000 Certification Scheme was accredited by Singapore
Accreditation Council
9. MoU with Japan Quality Assurance Organization

If you are interested to know more about the BCA ISO 9000 Certification Scheme or if you need
information about certifications that have been suspended or withdrawn, please contact BCA .
WHAT IS ISO 9000?
ISO 9000 is the offspring of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Based in
Geneva, Switzerland, ISO is a federation of national standards bodies from some 130 countries.

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The group's mission is to develop industrial standards that facilitate international trade.
ISO 9000 is not a product standard, but a quality management system standard. It applies not to
products or services, but to the process which creates them. It is designed and intended to
apply to virtually any product or service made by any process anywhere in the world.
A well-designed, well-implemented, and carefully managed ISO 9000 quality management
system provides confidence that the output of the process will meet customer expectations and
requirements.
Click here for ISO 9000 Web Site

BENEFITS OF ISO 9000 CERTIFICATION

Many organizations are turning to quality management systems as an important cost effective
means of competing in local and overseas markets. Companies are seeing the benefits of
systems that will provide them with evidence that their projects will be executed efficiently.
There are many benefits for organizations that implement and maintain an efficient and effective
quality system. These include:
Enhanced efficiency of the organization through streamlining of its operations. A properly run
system saves money. It is cheaper to do work right the first time. Therefore cost savings will
increase through lower failure costs.
A means for continual and systematic improvement in the work activities of the whole
organization. A well-developed quality system will enable management to identify areas that
need to be addressed and encourage staff to monitor and improve their own departments'
performance.
Building clients' confidence as their requirements are met resulting in repeat orders and/or new
clients.
Higher staff morale as third party certification provides recognition and enhances the image of
the organization.

SCOPE OF CERTIFICATION OFFERED BY BCA

The BCA ISO 9000 Certification Scheme provides certification for the following standards:
SS ISO 9001: 2008

This standard specifics requirements for a quality management system, for any firms that needs
to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide product that meets customer and applicable
regulatory requirements and aims to enhance customer satisfaction. It has been organised in a
user-friendly format with terms that are easily recognised by all business sectors.

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WHO CAN APPLY FOR BCA ISO 9000 CERTIFICATION SCHEME?

The BCA ISO 9000 Certificate is awarded to companies in the architectural, engineering,
contractor, property, building materials & related fields. It recognizes companies that have
demonstrated continuous and effective operation of a quality management system which meets
the ISO 9000 standards and the terms and conditions of the certification scheme.

The scheme is open to:

Government departments and statutory boards
Building, civil engineering and M&E contractors
Consulting engineers, architects, quantity surveyors
Developers, project and property management companies
Concrete-related product manufacturers and suppliers
Specialist trades like curtain walling, roofing, etc.
All other companies whose core activities are construction-related.

HOW TO ARRANGE FOR AN AUDIT WITH BCA

To apply for an audit with BCA under the BCA ISO 9000 Certification Scheme, the company
should first obtain a Application Form from BCA. The form is used to capture the background
information of the applicant firm.
Upon receipt of the application, BCA will prepare a quotation and submit it to the applicant firm.
The interested firm will have to confirm in writing to BCA on their acceptance within 90 days.
BCA will then arrange a audit based on firms' targeted dates.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE BCA ISO CERTIFICATION PROCESS

To achieve and maintain certification, a firm generally goes through three stages:
1. Pre-Audit Review Stage (Stage 1)
2. Quality System Audit Stage (Stage 2)
3. Surveillance Audit Stage
PRE-AUDIT REVIEW STAGE (Stage 1)
This stage involves a document review of the firm's documented quality system and its
implementation. Our experienced auditors will review the company's current operations and
practices against the relevant ISO 9000 standard.
A detailed report giving all observations and findings will be given to the firm after the pre-audit.
The firm can obtain guidance from findings to improve or revise its documentations and
processes.
QUALITY SYSTEM AUDIT STAGE (Stage 2)
In the Quality System Audit, the audit team will carry out an in-depth assessment of the firm's
quality system and check whether it meets the requirements of the relevant ISO 9000 standard.
The audit team will also be looking for objective evidence to show that the documented quality

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system is being implemented effectively. A recommendation for award of the ISO 9000
certificate will be made at the end of the audit when the company has demonstrated consistent
and effective operation of its quality system that meets the requirements of the relevant ISO
9000 standards. ISO certificates are issued with a 3 year validity period.
SURVEILLANCE AUDIT STAGE
Surveillance audits are undertaken to maintain the ISO certificate which is issued after
successful completion of the quality system audit. Surveillance audits are carried out annually. A
renewal audit will be required at the end of a 3 year period to renew the ISO certification.
Click here for the certification flow chart

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTING FIRMS

The requirements for ISO 9000 certification for contractors and consulting firms who undertake
government projects took effect from 1 July 1999 .

This applies to:

Contractors with a registration grade of A1, A2, B1 and B2 in BCA's Contractors Registry
undertaking general building, civil engineering and piling works.
Consulting firms engaged in architectural, engineering and quantity surveying services who
undertake public construction projects valued at more than S$30 million.
Under this requirement, only ISO 9000 certificates in the appropriate scope - construction and
engineering services - issued by SAC-accredited certifying bodies will be accepted.

ACCREDITATION OF BCA ISO 9000 CERTIFICATION SCHEME BY SAC

Accreditation is an endorsement of a certification body's independence, integrity and technical
competence. It enables the certification bodies to offer its services with confidence both
nationally and world-wide. Accreditation will also add prestige and recognition to certificates
issued by the certification scheme. The BCA ISO 9000 Certification Scheme was accredited
by Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) on 11 Nov 1997.
The accreditation covers the following scopes:
Construction
Engineering Services
Consultants serving the construction industry, such as architects, structural engineers,
M&E engineers, quantity surveyors
Property development, project management and property services
Construction materials and related products
Education and training for the construction industry
Occupational safety & health and environmental auditing, training & consultancy
services for construction industry
SAC - SINGAPORE ACCREDITATION COUNCIL

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The Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) was established in October

1996 to carry out independent accreditation of certification bodies and
personnel in Singapore.
The Council consists of representatives from various industries,
purchasers and suppliers, government departments, professional bodies, national standards
authority, academic and certification bodies and laboratories.

MOU WITH JAPAN QUALITY ASSURANCE ORGANISATION

BCA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan Quality
Assurance Organization (JQA) on 16 January 1998. The MoU will provide
greater international recognition for firms certified under the BCA ISO 9000
Certification Scheme.
The agreement with JQA is a continuing effort by BCA to add value to its ISO
9000 Certification Scheme for firms operating in the construction industry. With this MoU, a firm
certified by BCA would also receive certification of its quality management system by JQA.
Tokyo-based JQA is Japan's leading quality assurance and registration organization for ISO
9000. It provides quality assurance certification, which is recognized by major countries in the
world.
Firms that are interested in getting registration with JQA in Japan, please contact BCA .

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