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Reading here and there in the web I came across the original text of the “Management System Standard ISO Survey of Certifications – 2013”, which provides information on the growth of certification according to ISO standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 22000, etc.) during 2013.

Beyond general information related to the growth of all certification schemes, when analyzing the performance of the certification scheme by scheme, a somewhat surprising data highlights:

• Italy has the second highest number of ISO 9001 certificates issued, after China and ahead of Germany. Italy is in first place as the growth rate of ISO 9001 certificates, followed by the United States and India.
• Italy has the second highest number of ISO 14001 certificates issued, after China and ahead of Japan, and is second as growth rate always behind China and ahead of India.
• Italy is in first place as the growth rate of ISO 27001;
• Italy is the third largest number of ISO 13845 certificates issued.

I tried searching the web the same data about OHSAS 18001 in vain, but I find it hard to believe that the trend is the same, supporting the argument that Italy likes the motto “Certificate is beautiful.”

This situation contrasts sharply with the current Italian economic situation: companies go bankrupt, job positions are being lost, and we are among the last in Europe in terms of growth rate of GDP.

Hence my consideration: if in Italy “Certificate is beautiful”, is not equally true that “Certificate is useful” and able to serve as a tool to solve the companies problems.

Beyond the many “case history” of success, it is clear that Italian economic system:

• Or has not understood the sense of certified management systems;
• Or has not been put in a position to understand it;
• … Or both.

The cause analysis involves all players in the system of certifications:

• Certified Companies, or to be certified
• The Certification Bodies and auditors
• The National Accreditation Bodies
• The consultants and consulting firms
• The lawmaker

All together they (we) helped to create a self-referential system, which feeds on itself and now he shares the crumbs, without providing any added value to companies.

With this blog, I do not intend to provide any technical or didactic support. I would like to make a critical analysis and intellectually honest of the limits and viscosity of the current system, to share with the readers, by analyzing the clichés and trying to go beyond them. Not only that; through the narration of personal experiences and the comparison with the national and international readers, I would like to propose solutions that, far from having the claim of absolute truth, can be a basis for the enhancement of professionalism of QEHS managers, consultants, auditors, virtuous Certification Bodies, and companies often penalized by a “downward” consulting/auditing, much too committed to doing business instead of creating added value.