List of questions:
Do we have to obtain FAIM to become FIDI?
What is the difference between FAIM and FAIMISO?
How long does it take to prepare for FAIM?
What is the compliance procedure cost?
How and when do we receive the FAIM Handbook?
When should we send the application package to the FCC?
What documents need to be provided to the FCC at the pre-compliance procedure stage?
When should the pre-compliance package reach the FCC?
How do I have to send the documents to the FCC?
What is the difference between the Factual Findings and the Factual Findings points?
How come our company has a factual finding on a topic in the competence test even if our test score is more than 70%?
How do I know if I qualify for the extended (4-year ) physical compliance procedure cycle?
What are the assets requirements?
When should my company comply with the assets requirements?
What does my company need to do?
Will these assets requirements be included in the next upgrade of the FAIM Certification Programme (aka FAIM Redesign)?
General information about FAIM
Do we have to obtain FAIM to become FIDI?
Yes - FAIM is the only admission criterion.
What is the difference between FAIM and FAIMISO?
Whilst FAIM is the basic level, FAIMISO is a higher one requiring:
1. More elements:
• ISO certificate
• website
• fire drill
• first aid training
• first aid procedures
• disaster recovery plan
• more details in QM
2. Better performance level on
• financial ratios
• competence test
• move files
• customer feedback
For more details, please refer to the FAIM Quality Handbook.
How long does it take to prepare for FAIM?
This depends on how familiar you are with quality management systems but usually you should foresee four to nine months.
What is the compliance procedure cost?
When undergoing a FAIM CP, two kinds of costs are to be expected:
1) the CP related fees which covers various different costs such as:
The seed costs of creating the FAIM programme,
The on-going developments (eg benchmarking),
The on-going enhancement of the programme,
The administration and processing of the programme including the CP and the helpdesk
The CP rates can be checked on the FAIM rates page: http://www.fidi.com/index.html?page=64&lang=en&.
2) the auditor travel related fees including the costs such as:
Transportation – shared between all companies in the same tour
Accommodation – shared between all companies in the same tour
Food and beverage* – daily package agreed by FIDI
Other expenses (include but are not limited to: visa handling fees, mobile phones, postage fees and other miscellaneous expenditures)
The travel cost will only be known after the CP has taken place.
Before the compliance procedure takes place
How and when do we receive the FAIM Handbook?
The FAIM Handbook has to be ordered to the FIDI Office. It will be invoiced to you (250€). As soon as this is paid, it is sent by email (PDF format).
When should we send the application package to the FCC?
The application package needs to reach the FCC two months prior to the compliance procedure month at the latest.
What documents need to be provided to the FCC at the pre-compliance procedure stage?
The pre-compliance package should include the following:
• Quality manual with required topics/procedures
• Copy of the completed checklist.
• Basic documents (B5)
When should the pre-compliance package reach the FCC?
The pre-compliance procedure package needs to reach the FCC one month prior to the compliance procedure month at the latest.
How do I have to send the documents to the FCC?
Electronic versions are preferred to the paper ones.
Eg: some companies put all required info on their own website, and give the FCC a login and password that expires 3 months later. The FCC can access that particular input and documents directly on a website.
Other companies sometimes send the FCC the input on a USB stick or CD, but that of course would still have to be mailed to them. Some companies simply do send them the inputs by several emails.
Date of the compliance procedure
How do I fix a date for the compliance procedure?
Once the FCC receives your compliance procedure package they will contact you to fix a date for the auditor visit to your company. If there are dates that you wish to avoid, you need to inform the FCC when sending the application package.
Can we change the date of the compliance procedure once fixed?
Changes to the CP date is possible subject to the FCC acceptance. Non-respect of this rule may penalize your company.
During the on-site visit
Could the minimum of 500m2 of Warehouse Space be shared in different locations?
Yes. The FAIM requirement is for a warehouse area with a Minimum of 500 m2 permanently designated for household goods activities. It could comprise an area for more than one location provided that such location(s) are accessible and there is a total combined area of at least 500 m2.
Information about the compliance procedure results
What is the difference between the Factual Findings and the Factual Findings points?
The factual findings are non-conformities requiring action and improvement. The factual findings points are the value that is given to each factual findings depending of their importance in the process.
When determining the next compliance procedure type (desktop or on-site visit) it is the number of Factual findings points which is taken into account.
How come our company has a factual finding on a topic in the competence test even if our test score is more than 70%?
The competence test exists of 5 topics. The FIDI-FAIM rules state that a company should have 70% (for FAIM) and 80% (for FAIMISO) on each topic of the test. So if the total score is above 70%, but your company has failed on one topic, then your company receives a factual finding on this failed element.
How do I know if I qualify for the extended (4-year ) physical compliance procedure cycle?
When you receive the compliance procedure final report, it will include the number of factual finding points. These points will indicate whether or not you are eligible for the desktop compliance procedure (a document check performed at distance with no physical visit of the auditor to your premises):
- For FAIM: you must have maximum 8 points
- For FAIMISO: you must have maximum 5 points
Re-compliance procedure results
In case of a re-compliance procedure, do we have to send back all the documentation, even if it is exactly the same than for the previous compliance procedure?
Yes, you have to. Each compliance procedure is independent from any previous one. The FCC does not take the results of the past compliance procedures into account, nor documents or input sent in during those earlier compliance procedures, as their mission is to establish that your company complies with all FAIM requirements at the time of the ongoing compliance procedure. Indeed, FIDI wants to make sure that all the Affiliates are always in compliance with the FAIM requirements. That is why every two years all the documentation has to be provided again to the FCC.
Assets Requirements (FAIM Handbook December 1, 2009 updates)
The FAIM Handbook now includes the revised wording on assets requirements. They can be found under Section I - Chapter 10 of the manual.
What are the assets requirements?
The following are pre-requisite requirements when submitting an application for FIDI-FAIM certification:
An applicant must a have the following minimum physical resources:
- A warehouse owned or leased by the applicant, daily supervised by an employee of the applicant.
- Vehicle(s), owned or leased by the applicant;
- able to carry at least 10 cubic metres (350 cu ft) or 3500 lbs (1.591 kgs);
- suitable to carry customer’s household goods, and;
- dispatched by an employee of the applicant.
- A least two qualified operational crews employed by the applicant (minimum of 2 persons per crew) to pack and handle the customer’s household goods.
When should my company comply with the assets requirements?
As of publication of the updated FAIM Handbook on December 1, 2009:
New applicants (non FIDI companies) applying for the first time to FAIM certification by submitting their FAIM Application Form on or after December 1, 2009 must comply with the enhanced assets requirements immediately.
New applicants (non FIDI companies) already in the FAIM Compliance Procedure process by having submitted their FAIM Application Form before December 1, 2009 must comply with the enhanced assets requirements by no later then December 1, 2011.
All existing affiliates applying for recertification must comply with the enhanced assets requirements by no later then December 1, 2011.
What does my company need to do?
All companies must submit evidence of compliance to assets requirements to the FAIM Coordination Centre (FCC).
Will these assets requirements be included in the next upgrade of the FAIM Certification Programme (aka FAIM Redesign)?
Yes.
