How do I finish the audit and site certification in the SQF Assessment Database?

Prerequisites

• Audit must be in the Corrective Actions Review stage.
• All corrective actions must be submitted by the site and reviewed by the auditor.
• Certification Body access with the Certification Manager role.

Steps

1. Ensure the audit is in the Corrective Actions Review stage.
2. Certification Manager reviews corrective actions and fills in the Verification of Closeout and Close-Out Date fields. Click APPROVE for each corrective action.
3. After corrective actions are approved, the audit is assigned to the Certification Manager for certification decision.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select a Certification Decision option: Certified, Certified (Fully Remote), Certified with Extensions, Certified with Extensions (Fully Remote), or Not Certified.
5. Enter the Certificate Number, Certification Decision Date, and Certification Issue Date.
6. Return to the top of the page and click the blue SUBMIT button to close and certify the audit.
7. The audit is now complete, and the site is certified for one year.

Result

The audit has been closed, and the site’s certification status is updated in the SQF Assessment Database. A certificate is issued with the entered details, valid for one year.

Troubleshooting

• Cannot approve corrective actions: Ensure Verification of Closeout and Close-Out Date fields are completed.

• Certification decision options not visible: Confirm you are logged in as a Certification Manager.

• SUBMIT button disabled: Verify that all required certification fields are filled in.

• Wrong certification decision selected: Edit before submission; once submitted, contact SQFI for corrections.

FAQs

Who can finalize the certification decision?
Only Certification Managers with the correct access can finalize audit certification.

How long is certification valid?
Certification is valid for one year from the Certification Issue Date.

Can a certification decision be reversed?
If submitted incorrectly, contact SQFI Support immediately to request correction.

What happens if corrective actions are not approved?
The audit cannot proceed to certification until all corrective actions are addressed and approved.