JIS CERTIFICATION

(JIS approval)
The JIS marks are currently applied to various products. In the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS*) a number of standards and criteria are stipulated including product types, dimensions and quality, performace and safety criteria as well as test methods to verify such factors. Because any producrs affixed with a JIS Mark indicate that they have met the standards directed by JIS, such Marks have been broadly utilized as an easy indicator proving product reliability for such cases as transactions among businesses, prublic procurements, consumer's shopping and the like. (* JIS is established and maintained by JISC - Japanese Industrial Standards Committee.)

Following the recent revision of the Industrial Standardization Law, the new JIS Mark Scheme started on October 1, 2005.

Basic flow of JQA/JIS certification

• Applicant’s name, representative’s name and location
• Name and location of manufacturing factory of the product for certification
• Number and name of JIS standards applicable to products
• Name of products for certification
• Scope of certification (classification)
• Determine general certification or lot or batch certification
• Attachments:
• Document describing the condition of quality management of manufacturing factory and explanatory materials
• Explanatory materials regarding products such as categories, specifications and structures

Applicant
The following business operators are entitled to the application for the certification.

• Manufacturers
• Processors
• Retailers, Wholesaler
• Exporters overseas

Definitions of products and applicable standards

The definitions of products for certification are based on the JISs.

Applicable JISs being able to be used as criteria for conformity assessment are;

	Product standards that exhaustively specify the quality requirements against products for certification.(full specification standards)
	Product standards that specify the partial requirements (regarding such as quality, performance and safety) against the relevant products (module standards)
	Product standards that specify processing technologies for the products

Important elements on the application

• Identify the range of certification (classification of certification, scope of products to be certified).
• Identify JIS as criteria for certification.
• Identify manufacturing factories of products for certification.
• Determine general certification or lot or batch certification.

Type of certification

Initial conformity assessment and certification maintenance surveillance have two type of certification process such as general certification and lot or batch certification. They are conducted as follows;

Quality management system

The applicant need to establish the quality management system of manufacturing factory

Quality control manager

Assume the necessary authorities and competencies independent from manufacturing management division

• Authorities to the job operation:
• Concerning the practice of standardization and quality control (including education and training)
• Concerning the approval of the results of conformity assessment to the JIS for the products certified
• Concerning the approval of delivery of products
• Concerning communication and arrangement with the accredited certification body

Requirements for competency and qualification:

• Experience of actual operations and knowledge related to the technique necessary for manufacturing or processing of products for certification
• Acquired subjects on quality management under the curriculum provided in the ministerial ordinance or completed the curriculums of training courses on standardization and quality management.

Initial product tests

Sampling required for product tests is to be carried out randomly by JQA personnel for necessary number of samples.

Testing site

Product tests can be conducted in one of the following ways.

• Testing at JQA’s testing site.
• Witnessing test at the applicant site using the testing facility of the applicant under the witness of examiner from JQA.
• Testing at a subcontracted laboratory of JQA (in the case the contract has been made).
• Use of the testing data obtained through the other testing organization to be submitted for the use on the application.

The JIS 17025 investigator will check if the testing site has a competency to satisfy the applicable part of the requirements of JIS Q (ISO) 17025, although handling method will be different among the cases.

Witnessing test: JIS witnessing examiner will conduct a witnessing test at the applicant’s testing facility (factory and such) or the external one designated by the applicant.

Certification agreement

The successful applicant is required to sign on the certification agreement with JQA that sets forth JIS mark usage conditions and such. The outline of the contents of the agreement is as follows;

• Effective period of certification agreement
• Conditions of the use of certification mark and handling of the misuse
• Conditions of surveillance

* Matters on such as frequency, product tests and factory audit for quality management system

• Notification with regard to additions, changes or reductions of manufacturing site or products for certification
• Handling of objection appeals, disputes and such
• Cancellation and temporary suspension of certification
• Public announcement of certification items
• Keeping of confidentiality, etc.

Issue of certificate

JQA will issue a certificate upon conclusion of the certification agreement. The outline of the contents of the certificate is as follows;

Date of certification and certification number

• Name and address of the certified entity
• Symbol for applicable JIS and such
• Names of products or processing technologies
• Name and location of factory or operation site
• Quantity and identification number in case of lot or batch certification
• Provisions of JIS ordinance relevant to certification
• Name and address of JQA, etc.

Certification maintenance surveillance

Surveillance shall be regularly conducted more than once every three years starting from the date of certification.

Extra-ordinary certification maintenance surveillance :

In some cases, the extra-ordinary surveillance might be conducted other than the periodical surveillance.

The extra –ordinary surveillance is to be carried out when it is considered that the conformity of products and/or the quality management system of the manufacturing site could be affected due to the following matters;

• When the specification of a certified product or quality management system is changed.
• When the corresponding JIS is revised.
• When complaints are appealed from the third party.
• In other case, when JQA considers it necessary.

Procedures for surveillance

* Please contact us for more details.