Ethics & Compliance

The value of DQS certificates is in the degree of confidence and trust that customers and markets place in DQS. Customers of certified organizations and end users expect to rely on DQS certificates. To promote this confidence, DQS takes into account the following principles in all of its activities:

• Impartiality
• Competence
• Responsibility
• Openness
• Confidentiality
• Ethical business practices

Impartiality requires independence from any undue influence upon certification decisions, which shall be objective and purely fact-based. Competence is a key asset in ensuring professional audits that lead to valid results. Every employee in every function shall be duly competent for their assigned tasks. At DQS we take responsibility for our activities and their results.

For a certification body, openness means unrestricted access to certification services without any undue discrimination. Confidentiality is another key asset in building sustainable business partnerships with our customers. Professional data and information protection is a continuous activity at DQS.

A corporate code of ethics has been established, defining consistent corporate values and principles in all DQS organizations worldwide.

Policy on Handling Complaints and Appeals

DQS Group commits itself to an effective, efficient and customer-oriented treatment of complaints and appeals. Feedback from customers, which also includes complaints, is considered an opportunity for improvement of our services. For this reason, DQS Group is interested in all feedback, including complaints, if needed.

COMMERCIAL RELATIONS

DQS Caribe does not recognize commissions or fees to independent consultants or consulting firms for recommending its certification services. The relationship between DQS Caribe and its clients is always 100% direct. There is no triangulation that includes payments to the consulting sector for the commercialization of certification services. Recommendations by Consultants or Companies must be based solely on the quality of the Certifier’s services and must not be influenced through a commission.

German certification rules explicitly prohibit this type of relationship. The regulation explains: Leaving a NC to the company affects the image of the consultant who has recommended him. Protecting the consultant by not submitting an existing NC, endangers the company, leaves him inefficient and/or does not contribute to the improvement the company expects and has paid for. Everything loses its meaning.

At DQS Caribbean we question these practices and they contravene our Code of Ethics. Through this practice the consultant tries to charge the company twice and compromises the objectivity of a certifier: The relationship between the certifier and the consultant must be neutral, so that the evaluation is objective and transparent, and is not based on “hiding” important findings that superimpose the interests of the certifier-consultant relationship over those of the client company. In DQS Caribbean the focus will always be the continuous improvement of the company and not the commercial sense of selling Certificates.

The subject is part of our policy “No secrets, no surprises” and if you want to know more please contact us.

DQS Caribe