VIAS
Vietnam Inspection Accreditation Scheme (VIAS)
The accreditation program for inspection bodies (VIAS) was launched in the year 2000 and is one of the accreditation programs operated by the National Office for Quality Accreditation (BoA). The program is developed and operated in compliance with the ISO/IEC 17011 standard.
In 2004, VIAS signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for the accreditation of inspection bodies with the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC), and concurrently signed an MRA with the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).
VIAS employs a team of assessors who are well-trained and professionally qualified in accordance with international standards. The lead assessors of VIAS are highly experienced professionals in quality management. VIAS’s technical experts possess in-depth expertise in specialized technical fields and are selected from government regulatory bodies, universities, research institutes, and inspection organizations.
The scope of VIAS’s accreditation for inspection activities meets both domestic and international demands, including the needs of government regulatory bodies in managing product and goods quality, safety, environmental protection, and customs clearance services.
Benefits of accreditation
The accreditation of inspection bodies by VIAS is an official and objective method to determine the technical competence of inspection bodies in performing specific inspection activities.
Inspection bodies accredited by VIAS provide regulatory authorities, partners, and clients with a reliable basis for identifying and selecting trustworthy inspection service providers, thereby minimizing associated risks.
Utilizing inspection services from VIAS-accredited inspection bodies facilitates international trade and helps avoid costly re-inspections.
Target Clients
Entities engaged in inspection activities, including:
- Inspection services for regulatory compliance
- Commercial inspections
- Quality assurance/quality control departments in manufacturing plants
- Safety inspections
Accreditation Standards
VIAS applies the international standard ISO/IEC 17020 – Conformity assessment – Requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection along with specific additional requirements as applicable.
Scope of Accreditation
Accreditation scope is determined based on:
- Type of product;
- Inspection process;
- Type of inspection activity.
FAQs
Accreditation may be required by government or federal regulatory bodies, industry organizations, local government requirements, or individual customers.
What is the process to be accredited according to ISO/IEC 17011:2017?
Refer to "How to get accredited?" The key technical factors mentioned in the standard include:
- Validity and suitability of the method
- Technical competence of personnel
- Traceability of measurements to national and international standards
- Suitability, calibration, and maintenance of equipment
- Handling of testing/calibration items
- Quality control and assurance processes
- Reporting of results
The BOA (BAC) Accreditation Criteria packages include several documents available for download.
BOA's general documents include informational materials and do not serve as accreditation criteria.
There are General Accreditation Criteria applicable to all facilities and Specific Accreditation Criteria designed for specific fields and industry activities. These documents outline the mandatory accreditation criteria that must be met.
- General accreditation criteria
- Specific accreditation criteria
The General Accreditation Guidelines and Specific Accreditation Guidelines provide non-mandatory recommendations.
- General accreditation guidelines
- Specific accreditation guidelines
ISO/IEC 17011:2017 is the international standard that outlines the requirements for accreditation bodies assessing and recognizing conformity assessment bodies (CABs). This standard specifies the criteria for accreditation bodies to operate in a consistent, impartial, and transparent manner. It ensures that CABs—such as testing laboratories, certification bodies, and inspection bodies—are competent and produce reliable results.
VIAS
Other recognition programs
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Benefits of being a BoA accredited organisation
The Bureau of Accreditation (BoA) accredits organizations engaged in activities such as testing and calibration laboratories, inspection bodies, certification bodies, medical laboratories, proficiency testing providers, and reference material producers for their products and services. This provides consumers with the necessary confidence to make safe, healthy, and reliable choices.
Choosing to become an organization accredited by BoA offers several competitive advantages for your business.
Accreditation contributes to the promotion of international trade. Once accredited, the results of conformity assessment activities (certification, testing, inspection) are recognized by other countries, thereby facilitating the import and export of goods.
Accreditation enhances the reliability of products, goods, and services, as they are inspected and assessed by competent organizations.
In order to be accredited, organizations must establish, maintain, and continuously improve their conformity assessment activities in accordance with international standards. Therefore, accreditation helps ensure the competence of conformity assessment bodies.
Accreditation increases the trustworthiness of conformity assessment results, enabling outcomes achieved in one location to be accepted in many others.
Accreditation helps reduce compliance costs for businesses by eliminating the need to repeat testing or assessment activities.