What are the requirements for the transfer of certification for participating manufacturers?

A manufacturer who decides to change their AO has two options:

1. If the original certification is still valid, the manufacturer was audited within the previous 12 months, and the manufacturer is in a good state of compliance, then they can apply for a transfer of certification with a receiving AO. The transfer process, in the context of MDSAP, follows the principles delineated in the IAF Mandatory Document MD2. If the transfer is successful, the receiving AO will take over the certification cycle at its current stage and issue a new certificate with the same scope and expiration date as the original one.
2. In all other cases, the manufacturer must start over with a new certification cycle. However, it is crucial that the new AO is aware of and follows up on any findings from past MDSAP audits. The new AO must therefore inquire about the MDSAP audit history of the manufacturer applying for certification, and the manufacturer is requested to voluntarily share this information. It should be noted that RAs can detect undeclared changes of AO (i.e., a manufacturer switching AOs without proper notification) and may ask the relevant AO to investigate such situations.