Transitioning period FAQ

List of frequently asked questions about the transitioning period and mandatory certification upload

By when do I have to upload the data?

Answer

It’s now mandatory to upload the data into the database. There is a transitioning period of twelve months before ABs start monitoring the regular & successful data upload. We recommend you start uploading your data as soon as possible. This ensures you and our support team have enough time to address any issues that may arise.

What kind of data must be uploaded?

Answer

All certifications that are certified under ISO/IEC 17021-1. Please find more details in the MD IAF MD28:2023 IAF Mandatory Document for the Upload and Maintenance of Data on IAF Database

How often do I have to upload?

Answer

We recommend uploading new/changed data as soon as the change occurs. This ensures all data is up to date and user benefit from up-to-date information. At a minimum the data must be uploaded once a month. If there is no activity within a month a notice is sent to confirm that the data is still up-to-date. When automatic upload is enabled no such confirmation is required.

Please also see

Can I transfer data from the sandbox to the live environment?

Answer

No, data uploaded to the sandbox can not be transferred to the live environment.

Will there be changes to the upload format?

Answer

Yes, the publication of the mandatory document introduced some changes to the requirements. An updated template (Excel, XML & JSON) will be published in Q1 24. We’ll make sure that the current version of the templates will still be compatible and there is only a minimum effort required from your side.

Specifically, we’ll introduce functionality for multilingual certificate data as well as simplify address data upload.

Do we have to upload any historical data?

Answer

No historical data must be uploaded.

How to make changes to a certificate once uploaded?

Answer

All templates have the concept of unique identifiers for certificates as well as certified entities. These must be used to make changes to already uploaded certificates. Data that is repeatedly uploaded is overriding the existing data.

Can I prioritise data that my AB has already uploaded?

Answer

Yes, that is possible. Please contact us on info@iafcertsearch.org. In a future version you’ll be able to configure this directly within your member portal.

What happens when data is uploaded by the CB and AB?

Answer

By default CB certification data takes priority and overrides certification data contributed by an AB. To change this behaviour please see here: Can I prioritise data that my AB has already uploaded?

Where can I find the mandatory document?

Answer

https://iaf.nu/iaf_system/uploads/documents/IAF_MD_28_Issue1_26102023.pdf

Are there any webinars planned?

Yes, there are monthly webinars planned where you can ask questions.

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Last updated 11 months ago