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FAQ

  • A. ISO/TS - Documentation:

     

    • A1. What is the IRIS Certification® system rev.03?

      The ISO/TS 22163:2017 is owned by ISO. It contains the requirements of the ISO 9001:20015 Standard and the supplemental rail-specific requirements.

      The IRIS Certification® conformity assessment:2020 is owned by UNIFE and contains all the relevant rules relating to assessment methodology and the certification process. 
       


    • A2. When was the ISO/TS  published?

      Since May 24th, 2017, the ISO/TS 22163:2017 was officially published by ISO.
      The ISO/TS 22163:2017 is currently under revision to become a full ISO standard and expected to be published in 2022.



    • A3. How can the ISO/TS be accessible for all stakeholders (companies, certification bodies, auditors, …)?

      The ISO/TS 22163:2017 is available for purchase on the ISO website in multiple languages (https://www.iso.org/standard/72712.html).
      It will be also available by the known distributors, as listed in the IRIS Certification® portal (wwww.iris-rail.org).



    • A4. When and how can the IRIS Certification® Conformity assessment:2020 be acquired?

      The IRIS Certification® Conformity assessment:2020 can be acquired through the IRIS Certification® Portal here.

      It is now available in English and only in electronic format from UNIFE (IMC) and below addresses. You can purchase this publication from us, as illustrated below depending what type of user credentials you have:

      IRIS Portal Account Registrations: 

      If you want to become an IRIS Member, please navigate to the IRIS Portal application page here.

      There are two types of registrations:

      Defined Registration (395€):

      • A one-time registration fee for the IRIS Portal.
      • 1 IRIS Certification® Conformity assessment:2020 publication (discounted price).

      Advanced Registration (1095€):

      • A one-time registration fee for the IRIS Portal.
      • 1 Audit-tool license (discounted price).
      • 1 IRIS Certification® Conformity assessment:2020 publication (discounted price).

      IRIS Portal Account holders:

      The IRIS Certification® Conformity assessment:2020 publication price for IRIS portal account holders is 90€ (discounted price).

      Please follow the respective steps to purchase the publication:

      1). Log into your IRIS Portal Account

      2). Ensure that the contact information of your company/site is correct under edit master data.

      3). Go to the IRIS Portal Shop for the IRIS Certification® Conformity assessment:2020, scroll to the bottom of the page and select how many rules you want to purchase. Illustration below:

      4). Then follow the normal order process and choose your payment preference.

      5). We will provide you with the publication once the payment has been received. Please, be aware that the document will be delivered under the name of the account’s administrator.

      6) In case you want to purchase more than one document, or the document’s owner will be different from the account’s administrator, please follow the Non- registered accounts / Public instructions and send an email to distribution@iris-rail.org with the requested data.
      Non-registered accounts / Public:

      The IRIS Certification® Conformity assessment:2020 publication price for IRIS the public is 98€.

      Please send an email to: distribution@iris-rail.org with the subject: IRIS Certification® Conformity assessment:2020 including a filled-in Purchase Form that can be found here. There should be one purchase form per item you want to purchase.

      Network licenses:

      If you are interested in purchasing a network license or want any further information on the subject, please send an email to: distribution@iris-rail.org.

      The IRIS Certification® Conformity assessment:2020 publication can also be found at the below addresses:

      AFNOR BOUTIQUE: https://www.boutique.afnor.org/normes-IRIS

      BEUTH VERLAG: www.beuth.de/de/technische-regel/iris-certification-tm-rules-revision-03/274634037

      STANDARTINFORM: www.standards.ru/catalog/unife.aspx

      The ISO/TS 22163:2017 can still be bought from any other National Standard Body / ISO distributors.



    • A5. Will translations be available?

      Yranslations of the IRIS Certification® rules are managed by UNIFE’s IRIS Management Centre and will be made available at the earliest feasible date, exclusively in the translated languages of ISO/TS 22163:2017.
      Interested stakeholders may purchase the ISO/TS 22163:2017 from their national standard body.
      The IRIS Certification® conformity assessment:2020 publication is available directly from the IRIS Portal (www.iris-rail.org) in various lanuages. 



  • B. Registration on the IRIS Portal

     

    • B1. I have lost or forgotten my password to enter the IRIS Portal, what can I do?

      1).  Go to the IRIS Portal, click Login, then "forgotten your password".
      2).  Enter the email address.
      3).  The IRIS Portal will send you a new password to the email address you have specified. Please make sure you also check your spam/junk mailbox folder for the email.
       



    • B2. How to register on the IRIS Portal?

      The registration on the IRIS Portal shall be done by the company and is the first step for starting the IRIS certification process. Once registered, the company shall regularly review the registration information and keep it updated.

      The company shall consider that the information given in the registration is:
      - used to produce all IRIS official documentation, including the IRIS report and IRIS certificate;
      - displayed in the public area of the IRIS Portal, once the IRIS certification is achieved.

      To register on the IRIS Portal, the company shall visit this page and fill up the requested information.
       



    • B3. What information is needed during the registration phase?


      1- COMPANY INFORMATION
      Company / Legal Form of Company:
      Street and No:  
      ZIP Code  / City:
      Country:
      Phone:  
      VAT Identification Number:
      DUNS Number:
      Internet website:  
      Company Social Handle:  
      Total number of employees in the location:
      Number of employees who are dealing specifically with the railway business within the location:
      Number of employees who are dealing specifically with the railway business within remote location(s)
      Number of employees who are dealing specifically with the railway business within site extension(s):

      Select your activities in the rail business:
      Describe your products for the rail sector:
      List your products for the rail sector:

      List your projects delivered to the rail sector:
      List your customers in the rail sector:
      Reasoning for joining:
      Timeframe to become IRIS Certified:

      2- CONTACT PERSON (SUPERVISOR) INFORMATION
      Form of Address:
      Title:  
      First Name:
      Last Name:
      Email Address (User name):
      Phone:  
      Language:

      3- EXISTING CERTIFICATIONS INFORMATION
      Company already certified for:
      ISO 9001:2015:  
      ISO/TS 16949:2016:  
      AS 9100:2016:

      4- CERTIFICATION BODY INFORMATION
      Choose the Certification Body to be linked with your company for auditing activity.
      If you already know which is the Certification Body you would like to be connected to, please choose it in the list:



    • B4. What does IRIS mean with "total number of employees in the location"?


      The total number of employees in the location means the total number of people in headcount related to ALL businesses, plus:
      - temporary staff;
      - subcontracted staff;



    • B5. What does IRIS mean with "Number of employees who are dealing specifically with the railway business within the location"?


      The total number of employees who are dealing specifically with the railway business within the location means the total number of people in headcount related to the RAIL business, plus:
      - temporary staff;
      - subcontracted staff;



    • B6. What does IRIS mean with "Number of employees who are dealing specifically with the railway business within remote location(s)"?


      The total number of employees who are dealing specifically with the railway business within remote location(s) means the total number of people in headcount within the remote location(s) related to the RAIL business, plus:
      - temporary staff;
      - subcontracted staff.



    • B7. What does IRIS mean with "Number of employees who are dealing specifically with the railway business within the site extension(s)"?


      The total number of employees who are dealing specifically with the railway business within site extension(s) means the total number of people in headcount within the site extension(s) related to the RAIL business, plus:
      - temporary staff;
      - subcontracted staff.



    • B8. VAT number, what is it?

      A common VAT system is compulsory for member states of the European Union.
      The EU VAT system is imposed by a series of European Union directives, the most important of which is the Sixth VAT Directive (Directive 77/388/EC).
      Nevertheless, some member states have negotiated VAT exemption or variable rates for regions or territories. The Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla (Spain), Gibraltar (UK) and Åland Islands (Finland) are outside the scope of the EU system of VAT, while the Autonomous regions of Portugal (Azores and Madeira) are allowed to levy rates lower than Mainland Portugal.

      Under the EU system of VAT, where a person carrying on an economic activity supplies goods and services to another person, and the value of the supplies passes financial limits, the supplier is required to register with the local taxation authorities and
      charge its customers, and account to the local taxation authority for, VAT (although the price may be inclusive of VAT, so VAT is included as part of the agreed price, or exclusive of VAT, so VAT is payable in addition to the agreed price).

      VAT that is charged by a business and paid by its customers is known as output VAT (that is, VAT on its output supplies). VAT that is paid by a business to other
      businesses on the supplies that it receives is known as input VAT (that is, VAT
      on its input supplies). A business is generally able to recover input VAT to the
      extent that the input VAT is attributable to (that is, used to make) its taxable
      outputs. Input VAT is recovered by setting it against the output VAT for which the
      business is required to account to the government, or, if there is an excess,
      by claiming a repayment from the government.

      Different rates of VAT apply in different EU member states.
      The minimum standard rate of VAT throughout the EU is 15%, although reduced rates of VAT,
      as low as 5%, are applied in various states on various sorts of supply (for example,
      domestic fuel and power in the UK). The maximum rate in the EU is 25%.

      To find out more please go to: ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/faqvies.do
       



    • B9. DUNS number, what is it?

      DUNS Number = Dun & Bradstreet Number
      is a unique nine-digit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying and keeping track of over 92 million businesses worldwide:

      • it enhances the credibility of your business in the marketplace 
      • it enables potential customers, suppliers and lenders to easily identify and learn about your company

      for more information about DUNS number please visit the website: www.dnb.com/get-a-duns-number.html

       



  • C. Preparing for IRIS

  • D. IRIS in general

    • D1. Which companies can apply for an IRIS Certificate?

      IRIS is only applicable to Rolling Stock, Signalling and Infrastructure companies having manufacturing and/or design and/or maintenance activities.



    • D2. How is the independency of the IRIS scheme guaranteed?

      The IRIS scheme is under UNIFE's supervision and control. The IRIS Management Centre is responsible for the respect of the rules.  For instance, the evaluation process is conducted by independent auditors, coming from IRIS approved certification bodies.



    • D3. Are there any legal concerns (closed market)?

      All untitrust issues and market competition issues have been considered during the development phase of the IRIS initiative.
       



    • D4. Will the TSIs (Technical Specification for Interoperability) consider/refer to IRIS in their requirements?

      The quality Modules of Chapter 6 of each TSI require the acceptance by the NoBos of all certified quality management systems.



    • D5. What is the difference between Outsourcing and transfer of processes?

      Within the ISO 9001 framework, outsourcing can be understood as purchasing,
      sub-contracting, transfer, procurement,… each having different ways
      of implementation within an organization.

      Within the ISO/TS 22163, it is preferred to use terms which are
      clearly linked to the rail understanding. 

      For this reason, TRANSFER (as defined in ISO TS 22163, Subclause 3.1.42)
      is meant for processes where the ownership
      (responsibility) is partly or completely handed over to another internal or external
      entity.

      A typical example is transfer of the painting process (temporarily
      of definitely):

      The aim is to keep all process parameters in order to ensure the
      same results (products, times, tools,…), only the manpower changes
      and need to be trained. As a difference for a purchased painting process,
      the supplier would have the choice of the painting products, tools, ….
      but shall anyhow achieve the same requirements in terms of gloss,
      thickness,….. Therefore he needs to validate the new parameters of
      his process to ensure the capability of his new process compared to
      the previous one done in another location. 



    • D6. What are the rules about multi-site certification within the IRIS scheme? 

      The IRIS certification process follows a single site certification approach.
      A multi site certification approach (one certificate for several sites, no systematic annual audits,...) does not apply for the IRIS scheme. 
      There are possibilities for a site extension and remote location. Further information can be found in the IRIS Certification® conformity assessment:2020 in chapter 5.8 SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES.



    • D7. How can I obtain the IRIS assessment sheet?

      The IRIS assessment sheet is available directly inside the IRIS Audit-Tool and can only be exported by PDF due to copyright issues. To purchase the IRIS Audit-Tool, please click the following link.



    • D8. What are IRIS activities?

      IRIS certified companies have activities in at least one of the following areas:
      - Design and development
      - Manufacturing
      - Maintenance

      It is also possible to have two or all three of the above mentioned activities.

      This has no relation towards the type of products the IRIS certified company produces.



    • D9. What are IRIS scopes for certification?

      IRIS scopes for certification are related to the products the company wants to be certified for.
      There are 20 scopes, which are listed in appendix 1: IRIS CERTIFICATION® SCOPE OF CERTIFICATION in the IRIS conformaty assessment:2020 publication.
      It's possible to be certified for several product scopes.  
       



  • E. IRIS and operators 

    • E1. How is IRIS managed as a global scheme?

      IRQB – the International Rail Quality Board, is a global consortium that brings together leading companies in rail operations, system integration and equipment manufacturing.

       

      Established in September 2018, the IRQB aims to foster a global culture of quality across the whole rail sector, notably by promoting the use of the IRIS Certification® system worldwide to ensure high product quality.

       

      IRQB believes that better Quality will ultimately improve daily mobility on rail, therefore IRIS Certification® must be the seal of all involved stakeholders.

      Website



    • E2. Does IRIS include Operators Requirements?

      Operator representatives have been involved in the IRQB Working Groups where their requirements have been identified and included in the IRIS Rev. 03 and related documents.



    • E3. Where can I find help?

      The IRIS guidelines are supporting documents helping companies to comply with the rules specified in the IRIS Certification® rev. 03. Each guideline provides useful information for rail sector companies related to specific working areas of the organization. These guidelines are prepared by dedicated experts of the worldwide IRQB members from all around the rail sector.

      We invite you to consult this page regularly to discover new guidelines. Please note that all IRIS Guidelines will be published exclusively on this page.



  • F. IRIS and auditors / certification bodies

    • F1. Will "notified bodies" automatically be IRIS approved or do they need to go to the IRIS approval process as well?

      All 3rd party organizations, which will conducted IRIS audits need to follow the IRIS approval process with the pre-condition to be ISO 9001 accredited.
      "Notified bodies" => product certification
      "certification bodies" => process certification



    • F2. How to become an IRIS Auditor?

      To become an IRIS auditor, one shall be an ISO 9001 third party qualified auditor and active for the CB who is presenting the candidature to the IMC.

       

      The Auditor Approval Form (available through the CB) shall be filled by the candidate, validated by CB and submitted to IMC.

       

      Main features requested to the candidate are:

      •    Compliance with ISO 19011,
      •    Qualified for ISO 9001 for the CB who is presenting the candidature,
      •    Auditing Experience (Candidates shall have participated in at least 4  certification audits (3rd party system audits) as lead auditor or for a minimum of twenty audit days covering all the requirements of ISO 9001 within the last 4 years.), 
      •   Minimum 3 years work experience in the Rail Sector during the last 15 years. Working experience in the Rail Sector (or other relevant industry, E.g.: automotive, aerospace, etc.): being full time in the rail sector directly involved in Engineering , Design, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Project Management, Quality, or Process Control for operators, system integrators, equipment manufacturer and/or appropriate official rail organization, such as ERA, UNIFE or related national associations.
      •    English language knowledge. Minimum required level for Training participation is B2.

       

      IMC reviews and validates admission for training course.

       

      IRIS process scope will be assigned to the auditor by IMC after positive result of the written and oral examination and will be based on the knowledge of the IRIS scopes of certification.



    • F3. What are the requirements to become an IRIS approved Certification Body?


      The following table summarizes the requirements a Certification Body shall fulfill in order to apply for the IRIS approval of the IRIS Group.

      In case of interest, please contact Info@iris-rail.org to request the Framework Agreement template.