ABSTRACT
This chapter describes product certification, and good product certification program, which does not determine capability to produce. A good product certification program determines if the process is capable of producing acceptable products and then goes one step further; the product certification program inspects at least one product that is produced by the inspected process. The difference between laboratory accreditation and product certification is that product certification is more rigorous. In addition to information about product certification, the chapter includes information about some common product registration, registration of individuals, registration of quality programs, and product and service “listing” programs. These programs have been included in order to show the similarities and differences between these programs and product certification programs. Underwriter Laboratories became perhaps the best known product certification program. The cost and benefit analysis for product listing programs is the same as that which was provided for product certification programs.
