Evidence · validity · scope
The expired certificate is the most common finding there is.
Not because nobody thinks about it, but because no date is stored anywhere that speaks up on its own. A folder of PDFs reminds nobody of anything.
Certificate management means obtaining supplier evidence, checking authenticity and scope, filing it with a validity date and renewing it in time. It sounds trivial and produces more audit deviations than anything else.
The overlooked part is scope. An ISO 9001 certificate for site A does not help when delivery comes from site B. An attentive auditor checks exactly that, and exactly that is rarely on file.
What goes wrong
- The certificate is on file and expired months ago.
- The scope covers a different site or process.
- The evidence sits in the mailbox of someone on holiday.
- Authenticity was never checked although the certificate register is public.
- Renewal is requested once the auditor is already on site.
What belongs to a piece of evidence
- Issuer
- Who issued it, and is that body accredited?
- Validity
- Issue and expiry as dates, not as text inside the document.
- Scope
- The sites, processes and products the certificate covers.
- Verification status
- Was the evidence checked or merely filed? That difference decides audits.
- Ownership
- Who handles renewal, and when is the reminder?
How SCRM covers it
Expiry as a task
Deadlines create items with an owner, not calendar notes.
Scope as a field
Site and process on record, so the gap surfaces instead of waiting.
Verification documented
Checked, with a date and a person – that is the actual evidence.
Request to the supplier
Ask for renewal directly, see open cases at a glance.
Frequently asked
How early should reminders fire?
Three months before expiry is usual, six for recertification. The supplier needs time for their own audit.
Must authenticity be verified?
You must satisfy yourself about the evidence. Many certification bodies run public registers – the check takes a minute and is documentable.
What if a certificate lapses?
Record, chase, assess. Deciding to continue provisionally is legitimate – if it is reasoned and documented.