1. The Client submits an application and the appropriate application fee to PCI.
2. PCI processes the application and makes a decision whether to accept the application and the application fee. The Client is requested to sign a certification contract prior to additional certification activities. Stage 1 of the certification process can now begin.
3. The Client submits their Quality System Manual (QSM) to PCI for review by PCI and PCI’s technical experts. The QSM must comply with PCI’s QSM Preparation Guidelines document (QSM-1) and be submitted in accordance with the PCI QSM Submittal Guidelines. Any required revisions noted during review must be corrected prior to the initial certification (stage 2) audit.
4. Upon receipt of the Client’s QSM, the Client and the auditing organization schedule a Precertification Evaluation (PE) at the Client’s facilities for an onsite assessment. The PE is an ungraded audit, whose purpose is to gauge the readiness of a plant for a certification audit, assist the auditor in the planning of future audits, review QSM issues (if any), allow the client a direct opportunity to clarify any program questions, and provide feedback on any observed nonconformances.
5. Following the onsite portion of the PE, PCI issues a report summarizing the evaluation and noting any areas of nonconformance.
6. The Client is to correct any nonconformance issues, provide a corrective action response, and indicate their readiness for their initial, unannounced audit. Acceptance of the Client’s corrective action response for the PE and approval of the QSM concludes the Stage 1 Audit for Initial Certification.
7. Once the Stage 1 Audit has been completed, PCI schedules a plant quality auditor from the auditing organization to conduct the plant’s initial certification audit. This initial audit (Stage 2 audit) is unannounced, as are all regular audits required by the certification program.
8. Upon review of the report for the initial audit, the Client then submits their corrective action responses to any nonconformance items noted, within a defined time. The corrective action response describes the Client’s root-cause analysis of each nonconformance and describes the specific correction and the corrective actions taken, or planned to be taken (preventive actions), to eliminate detected nonconformances. In the case of a major nonconformance, the Client is to include objective evidence supporting the corrective actions.
9. PCI and PCI’s technical experts review these two reports (the plant quality audit report and the Client’s corrective action response).The responses are either accepted or there is a request for additional information.
10. During Stage 2 of the certification process, the Client will be requested to submit a PCI Certified Plant Sales Declaration.
11. Once the Client’s corrective action responses have been accepted, PCI reviews the Client’s application for certification, certification contract, sales declaration and all audit-related information and makes a decision whether all certification requirements have been met and whether to grant the Client PCI Plant Certification. The Client will be notified once certification is granted. The Client will receive their certificate, and the Client will be added to the list of certified plants on PCI’s website directory. The annual certification fees and payment schedule are determined from the Certified Plant Sales Declaration form, and payment of these fees is a requirement to maintain certification. See “Fees Schedule” in Policy 20 for more details.

1. Certified plants are audited twice per year – a recertification audit conducted between July 1 and December 31, and a surveillance audit conducted between January 1 and June 30.All audits are unannounced. The duration and timing of the audits is in accordance with the requirements of Policy 20.
2. Clients are to submit corrective action responses addressing any nonconformances noted during the audit within 30 days of receiving the audit report.
3. Continued participation in the plant audits, timely submission of corrective action responses, prompt resolution of nonconformances, and continued payment of the certification fees are conditions for maintaining certification.

1. A reduction in scope will result if the plant no longer has the capability to produce products in that category or if an audit reveals that the plant does not have the capability to produce those products in conformance with the applicable requirements.
2. A reduction in scope may result if the Client has not produced products in a specific category for 2 years, unless evidence of capability is demonstrated in accordance with PCI Policy 20.A reduction in scope will occur if there is no production in that category for 5 years.
3. An increase in scope can be granted if the Client demonstrates capability to produce products in the new category during a regular audit.
4. An increase in scope can also be granted as the result of a Special Audit requested by the Client. The special audit is performed outside of the normal audit sequence, and the extra fee for a special audit for this purpose is charged to the Client.
5. A plant with no production for 18 months will have their Certification placed on hold (Suspended).
6. A failed audit grade will result in a Special Immediate Audit.
7. Corrective action responses for failed audits must be submitted within 15 days of receipt of the report.
8. Major nonconformances for which corrective actions cannot be confirmed from the Client’s corrective action response may require a Special Immediate Audit. The necessity for this Special Immediate Audit will be determined by PCI, or this major nonconformance may be assessed during the next regular audit.
9. A failing audit grade on two of any three consecutive audits will result in withdrawal of certification.
10. 10.Certification will be withdrawn if a plant’s account for certification fees is more than 120 days in arrears.

1. PCI plant certifications are renewed on an annual basis and are effective July 1st.
2. Prior to certification expiration, renewal documents with the associated requirements, procedures, and due date(s) will be distributed to all Clients. Signed certification contracts and the completed PCI sales declaration, as well as any other necessary applicable administrative or technical requirements for renewal, must be submitted by the deadline.
3. Corrective action responses for any major nonconformances from the recertification audit must be resolved to be eligible for renewal.

1. The auditor will examine the Client’s policies, processes, procedures, records and related documents relevant to the Client’s QSM to determine that it meets the requirements relevant to the intended scope of certification and in compliance with the applicable PCI Quality Manual (MNL-116, MNL-117 and/or MNL-130). The Auditor’s examination of the Plant’s QSM will help determine that the processes and procedures are established, implemented and maintained effectively, to provide a basis for confidence in the Client's management system.
2. The auditor will examine the implementation of the Client’s policies, processes, and procedures to verify that they are conformance with the Client’s QSM and the requirements of the applicable PCI quality manual(s).
3. The Auditor will communicate to the Client, for the Client’s corrective action, any inconsistencies between the Client's policies, procedures and practices, and their implementation, with the requirements in the relevant QSM and applicable PCI quality manual(s).
4. When requested, PCI will provide the name and available background information on the auditor or audit team, with sufficient time for the Client to object to the appointment of a particular auditor or technical expert and for PCI to reconstitute the team in response to any valid objection. The availability of this option has also been communicated on the Plant Certification Application.
5. The Auditor communicates the audit plan during the opening meetings for all audits; this includes precertification evaluation, regular audits, and special audits. The dates of the PE shall be agreed upon in advance. Special audits may or may not be scheduled and agreed upon with the Client, depending upon the reason for the special audit. All regular audits conducted during the certification cycle are unannounced.

The PCI Plant Certification Logo is a graphic representation of the PCI brand. When you display the logo, your company is associated with what the PCI brand represents:

• Technical excellence
• Integrity
• Longevity

The specific policies related to the use of the PCI plant certification logo are set for in section 20.13 of PCI Policy 20, Plant Certification Program. The following documents provide additional detail on where and how to display the logo.

PCI Certification Logos Policy and Use

The PCI logos are registered symbols, and the use of the PCI certification logos is carefully controlled. Each PCI Certified Plant is clearly instructed and monitored regarding PCI logo usage and display.

PCI plant certification logos cannot be used on a product, packaging, items such as  laboratory test, calibration or inspection reports, calculations,  production drawings or bid proposal documents, or in any other manner that may create the impression that PCI is in any way connected to or endorses any element of the organization’s business operations or implies product conformity. The PCI plant certification logos allow precast/prestressed concrete manufacturing plants certified by PCI to demonstrate to the market that they have been certified. Authorization to use the PCI certification logos is granted to precast/prestressed concrete manufacturing plants that have positively completed and continue to operate in compliance with the PCI Plant Certification Program process.

The PCI Certified Plant is informed that the mark of accreditation body is to be used only in relation to the scope sectors for which the management system’s certification scheme of PCI is accredited, and use of the logo is to refer exclusively to the services or management aspects subject to certification by PCI and to which the certificates of compliance issued by PCI refer.

PCI maintains the sole ownership of all certificates it provides. To help protect against the risks of counterfeiting or false claims of certification, any interested party may contact PCI to verify the validity of a certificate.

Auditors are responsible for checking on the usage of the PCI plant certification logo during surveillance and renewal audits.

PCI Requirements

PCI will provide the following services for each certified plant:

• Provide the certified plant with an official certificate expiring at the end of the Term attesting to the status of the plant as a PCI Certified Plant.
• Confirm the status of the plant as a PCI Certified Plant to any persons or organizations contacting PCI to request such information.
• Authorize the certified plant to use specific PCI registered logos to officially signify the PCI-Certified status of the plant.
• Routinely verify that the use of the PCI plant certification logo is in conformance with appropriate requirements and assist plants with any questions they have regarding its use.
• Exercise proper control of ownership and shall take action to deal with incorrect references to certification status or misleading use of certification documents, marks or audit reports. 
• Such action could include requests for correction and corrective action, suspension, withdrawal of certification, publication of the transgression and, if necessary, legal action.
• The PCI document titled, “Action Regarding Withdrawn Certificates”, includes details about common causes for withdrawal of certificates, contractual causes for withdrawing certificates, and PCI Logo Usage requirements. 

PCI Member and Certification Logos

To obtain PCI Certified Plant and Member logos, please click here.

Newly certified plants must submit a completed Notification of 3Ps form to PCI every month for 12 months. This information allows PCI to keep abreast of any significant changes between audits at newly certified plants.

Please note:

• The form can be copied from month to month, noting any changes. The report date and submitter name must be updated each time.
• Submit the Notification of 3Ps form to PCI every month via email to audit@pci.org.
• If you have any questions when completing the form, please contact Ken Kwilinski at (312)428-4944 (kkwilinski@pci.org) or Mike Kesselmayer at (312) 583-6770 (mkesselmayer@pci.org).

Section 1P. Full-Time Personnel at Plant Location

Please enter information about the Site Manager (GM), Plant Manager, QC Manager, the Controlling QC Rep., and the Batch Plant Operator. Please note that resumes can be provided for these positions, if available.

Section 2P. Plant Process Equipment

Please detail the brand, description, capacity, and age of the Plant Processing Equipment requested on the form. Provide any additional information about equipment used that is not listed on the form; you can attach an additional page to your submittal for this. Please also list any operating procedures (applicable to equipment or forms used) in “Written Process Documentation” and make note of any changes to these documents, if applicable; listing document numbers is acceptable here.

Section 3P. Product

Please describe products produced in the previous month. If the options on the form do not correspond to the types of products your plant produced in the previous month, please attach an additional page with your product information.

Please also attach pages of your plant’s summary of repaired or rejected product(s). This summary report of repaired or rejected product(s) should include a description of the problem, corrective action, and disposition of nonconforming materials.

Additional Comments

Please list any additional information here, as necessary, such as changes to your Quality System Manual. NOTE: For information that requires more space, please attach additional pages to your monthly submittal.