API Q1 compliance QMS and API Q1 certification

[metboss]

Hello everyone,

What is the difference between “only API Q1 compliance QMS and API Q1 certification”?
As per API 6A, in order obtain the monogram license, manufacturer/licensee shall have Quality Management System (QMS) compliance to API Q1 and shall meet
all the API-specified requirements of the applicable API product (i.e. API 6A). It is not necessary to be certified to API Q1. What is the gap between “only compliance and compliance with certification”?

But, our client is insisting us to go for API Q1 certification despite our manufacturing plant is certified to API 6A and QMS is compliant to API Q1. Additional certification will cost us more money and in this how we can justify to our client? Please advise on this. Thank you.

 

[SJones]

There are 1896 entries for Q1 certified companies on the API Composite List. Certification is the product of an independent conformity assessment process. How much is the client's business worth compared to the cost of getting listed on the API Composite List?

Steve Jones
Corrosion Management Consultant

http://www.linkedin.com/in/drstevejones

All answers are personal opinions only and are in no way connected with any employer.

 

[jmec87]

API Q1 registration involves a little more audit time spent on the Q1 requirements and higher annual fees (I think it's between one thousand and a few thousand dollars extra per year, but I'm not exactly sure).

The differences have changed a bit in the last few years. I suggest contacting API for details on the differences in costs and audit time.

You can try justifying the extra costs to your client based on the additional cost that they are forcing you to incur, but this might not be very successful. You can try to sell them on the value of the extra assurance of quality that they have based on API spending extra time auditing your QMS every year. You might just have to accept Q1 registration as a cost of doing business if you want this customer and build it into your prices without explicitly mentioning it.

 

[metboss]

Thank you SJones and Jmec87 for your valuable input.