A document can be authentic and still be irrelevant to the product being purchased. Professional qualification asks four questions: who is named, what site or material is covered, what product or sample was evaluated, and whether the document is current.
1. Separate the four evidence levels
| Evidence | Typical subject | Does not automatically prove |
|---|---|---|
| Management certificate | Named organization and system scope | Every finished product conforms |
| Factory or social audit | Named site and audit period | Material or product performance |
| Material credential | Named raw material or platform | Every downstream construction is certified |
| Product test report | Received sample and listed methods | Different products, formulas or future lots |
2. Check identity and scope
Match the legal entity, manufacturing site, address, certificate number, standard or protocol, scope statement, issue date and expiry or audit period. For a test report, match the applicant, sample description, report number, test methods and result pages.
3. Build the link to the purchased product
Ask how the document connects to the exact SKU, formula, bill of materials and production site. If a material credential is used in a claim, verify the material percentage, chain requirements and finished-product rules. Review FY Bedding’s supplied records in the document library and see the same principle applied in the Ingeo PLA evidence guide.
4. Keep public claims within the evidence
Do not turn “a sample passed a listed test” into “all products are certified.” Avoid using third-party logos without permission or outside program rules. The safest claim describes the exact document, subject and scope.
5. Request a current qualification pack
- Current company and site records relevant to onboarding
- Material documents for the selected construction
- Finished-product or sample reports relevant to the claim
- English translations where needed
- Document owner and next review date
For new testing, use the product testing plan to define the sample and method before submission.
Never ask only “Do you have certificates?” Ask which entity, site, material, product and date each document covers.
