CERTIFICATION BODIES: IRIS FAQs

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

IRIS FAQs

Demonstrating your value as a quality supplier in the international rail transport sector

What is IRIS certification?

IRIS (International Railway Industry Standard) is an initiative led by the union of the European Railways Industries (UNIFE) and largely instigated and supported by four of the largest systems manufacturers (Bombardier,Siemens, Alstom and AnsaldoBreda). IRIS is based on the internationally recognised quality standard ISO9001. The underlying aim of IRIS is to improve the quality and reliability of rolling stock produced, by improving the whole supply chain.

What are the key benefits?

Proof of your company's status as a quality supplier
International identification and recognition in the railway industry
Quality improvement throughout the whole supply chain
Decisive advantage for suppliers looking to secure or maintain contracts in the industry
Cost saving: due to uniform terms of qualification, reduced cost to obtain IRIS certification through an integrated certification to both ISO 9001 and IRIS
Time saving: instead of numerous individual audits from your customers, allows one overall audit

What are the differences between IRIS and ISO 9001?

IRIS is based on the ISO 9001 structure and adds railway-specific requirements to the business management system, for example in relation to project management and design.

Will this certificate replace individual evaluations?

Yes, this certificate will replace individual evaluation by at least the four founders of this initiative (Alstom Transport, AnsaldoBreda, Siemens Transportation and Bombardier Transportation).

For what kind of companies is IRIS most relevant?

IRIS can be applied to all direct and indirect ancillary industries (such as manufacturers of system construction parts and individual components),operators as well as manufacturers of rail-mounted vehicles.

A typical certification process includes the following key steps: