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Introduction

The cecQAF (CEC Query and Assessment Form) is central to the CEC Certification Process.

After signing the NDA, the cecQAF is used progressively throughout the CEC Certification Process of a Vendor's sustainable product, throughout the different phases of the CEC Certification Process:

The cecQAF replaces a range of forms used in V1 of the CEC Certification Process and the optional LCA Support Process:

• cecAOF - CEC Assessment Order Form - used to order a CEC Assessment
• cecAP - CEC Assessment Plan - used to define the products to be assessed and to facilitate and formalize the CEC Assessment
• cecLOF - CEC LCA Support Order Form - used to order LCA Support
• cecLQF - CEC LCA Support Query Form - used to capture the input data for the CEC Indicator calculation
• cecLCR - CEC LCA support Report form - used to communicate the results of the CEC Indicator calculation
• cecLQRF - CEC LCA Query and Report from - used towards the end of CEC V1 to capture the input data for and communicate the results of the CEC Indicator calculation, replacing the separate cecLQF and cecLCR forms

In addition, the cecQAF enables the following improvements considered in CEC V2 compared to the previous forms:

• One form for multiple sites and multiple products, while previously each product and site combination had to be handled individually and required their own set of forms.
• One form for multiple variants of a product, a case occurring for example when a second source for the overlay of a card was used, such construction with a second source overlay previously requiring its separate certification (and forms, and cost)
• When using the same component in multiple sites, or for multiple products, the component data has only to be entered once, instead of previously into the forms for each product and site combination

Therefor, while initially appearing intimidating to some, the use of the cecQAF should provide a range of improvements and simplifications for the Vendor.

If you have feedback regarding this form, or these instructions, please email them to contact@cecocert.com.

The instructions described subsequently are grouped firstly by the Phase and then by the worksheet the Vendor has to complete.

General Guidance

The worksheets requiring the Vendor to enter data prior to ordering CEC Services have light blue tabs.

The worksheets requiring the Vendor to enter data prior to the CEC Assessment have dark blue tabs.

You can only enter information into the light blue or white fields of the various worksheets, not into the medium or dark blue fields in the vendor sections.

Some areas are greyed out until you enter information elsewhere. For example the fields in the Recycling worksheet are grey until you have defined that you request a certificate for the corresponding Product and Site combination; only then the corresponding fields show a light blue background.

#Ordering CEC Services

Overview

To request CEC Certification Services, the Vendor must enter information into the following worksheets in the cecQAF:

• Coversheet
• Components
• Products
• Sites
• Certificates

Once the Vendor entered the required information into the Worksheets, the Vendor must:

• save the cecQAF to their computer,
• name it according to the cecQAF Naming Convention,
• and send it to contact@cecocert.com

This will initiate the CEC Quotation, Invoicing, and Payment Process.

Some instructions are also given in Section 1b of the Coversheet of the cecQAF.

Below is the description what to enter into each worksheet in the cecQAF:

Coversheet

The Vendor must enter the following information into Section 1a of the Coversheet worksheet:

• Registered Company Name (must match the registered company name)
• CEC Primary Contact information (must match the registered primary contact)
• Commercial Contact information (the person handling the communication related to commercial questions, for example manages the quotation)
• Technical Contact information (the person handling the communication related to the technical questions)
• Functional Unit (from the pull down menu), email contact@cecocert.com if you have a product that is not available in the pull down menu

The section Units is optional at this stage.

The section Count of Items is automaticall populated from the data the Vendor enters into the other worksheets.

Components worksheet

Enter information for each component that is part of a product the Vendor intends to receive a CEC Certificate for.

The minimum information at the Ordering CEC Services stage is:

• Function
• Nominal Material
• Supplier
• If you receive the same Nominal Material in different thicknesses from the same supplier, please complete one row for each thickness, and also complete the Thickness column for these materials.

The information itself can be corrected before the CEC Assessment, but the number of components must be correct. Additional components incur additional cost.

The other information is optional at this stage, but will have to be entered before the CEC Assessment can take place.

Products worksheet

For each Product the Vendor intends to receive a CEC Certificate for, enter:

• the Name of the Product, this is the name your company assigns to the product, for example the commercial name your company intends to market the product under. The name may be corrected prior to the CEC Assessment; the purpose is to inform CEC about the number of Products and Variants, and have an initial name to identify the product.
• Select the components each Product consists of, using the pull-down menu in each cell. This may be corrected prior to the CEC Assessment.
• If you have multiple card constructions to make one product, for example you use overlay from different suppliers when making a card, then define your primary construction (the one sold in the highest volume, or the one initially qualified) as the Product in column C, and the variants in columns D to H. Note that you will just receive one CEC Certificate for a product including its Variants, reflecting the worst case. If you want separate certificates, then define the different constructions (for example card with overlays from different suppliers) as individual Products and not as Variants of one Product.

Sites worksheet

For each Site the Vendor intends to receive a CEC Certificate for, enter the requested data, including a name for each site.

Certificates worksheet

The Products and Sites you defined following the instructions above will show up in the Certificates worksheet.

CEC Certificates are issued for a specific Product produced in a specific Site.

For each combination of Product and Site you request a renewed CEC Certificate for, enter the Claim Number (like "clm1234") from the current CEC Certificate into the cell in the column corresponding to the Site and the row corresponding to the Product. If the CEC Certificate is already expired, then add "(exp)" (without the quotes) behind the Claim Number.

For each combination of Product and Site you request a new CEC Certificate for, enter the word "New" (without the quotes) into the cell in the column corresponding to the Site, and the row corresponding to the Product. You need to request a new CEC Certificate if the combination of Product and Site had not previously been CEC Certified.

Every CEC Certificate requested as a result from this process must be correctly specified at this point in time. Additional Certificates will require completing a new cecQAF once this one has been processed.

Prepare the CEC Assessment

To prepare the CEC Assessment, the Vendor needs to provide accurate information about the Components, Sites, and Products.

This information will be verified during the CEC Assessment.

The Vendor is not permitted to make changes less than 5 working days before the scheduled start of the CEC Assessment.

The subsequent sections give guidance for entering the required information into the worksheet named in the heading of each section.

Coversheet

Verify the information in the Coversheet Section 1a.

If not completed already, select the correct Unit in the tow "Unit for the Functional Unit":

• "card" for card bodies, IC Cards, personalisation solutions
• IC for Integrated Circuits
• ICM for IC Modules
• kg for plastic films and plastic resins
• If you are uncertain what to choose, e-mail contact@cecocert.com

Follow the instructions in section 1c.

Components worksheet

Enter information for each component that is part of a product the Vendor intends to receive a CEC Certificate for.

All blue columns except the CEC Claim ID column must be completed.

In the CEC Claim ID column enter the CEC Claim ID granted to your supplier for this component. Check with your supplier if the component is CEC certified. If the component is not CEC certified, then leave the cell empty.

The information must be correct for the CEC Assessment to be successful.

Products worksheet

For each Product the Vendor intends to receive a CEC Certificate for, enter:

• the Name of the Product, this is the name your company assigns to the product, for example the commercial name your company intends to market the product under. This name will be used to identify the product on the CEC Certificate.
• Select the components each Product consists of, using the pull-down menu in each cell. This is the construction that will be assessed during the CEC Assessment.
• If you have multiple card constructions to make one product, for example you use overlay from different suppliers when making a card, then define your primary construction (the one sold in the highest volume, or the one initially qualified) as the Product in column C, and the variants in columns D to H. Note that you will just receive one CEC Certificate for a product including its Variants, reflecting the worst case. 

Sites worksheet

For each Site the Vendor intends to receive a CEC Certificate for, verify the requested data, including the name and address for each site.

This information will be used on the CEC Certificates for this site.

Certificates worksheet

Verify the information already entered into the worksheet. E-mail contact@cecocert.com regarding changes or corrections you think you need to make to this worksheet.

Recycling worksheet

Production waste recycling quota

Information to enter

If you recycle the production waste from producing a specific Product in a specific Site, and you request CEC Certification for the Product and Site combination, then you can enter the recycling quota in % for the production waste.

The recycling quota is the recycled mass from the production waste specific from producing that type of product (for example PVC card) divided by the total mass of the production waste from producing that type of product.

Note that production waste containing plastic material usually has to be sorted by material type (PVC, PET, PETG) to allow for effective recycling.

During the CEC Assessment the feasability of the recycling approach is verified.

Evidence to retain for the assessment

You need to demonstrate the following to have your claims for recycling of production waste accepted:

• You maintain records about your production waste, including waste categories differentiating different types of plastics (unless you only use one type of plastic) and other materials (like paper or packaging materials)
• The amounts of production waste you claim are recylced correlate reasonably with the amounts of waste expected from your production, for example for card producers the amounts of waste resulting from rejects and punch grids/skeletons
• You have evidence of shipping the correct amounts of material to your recycling provider
• Your recycling provider confirms receipt of the amounts
• Your recycling provider provides evidence about the recycling process and the products your production waste is recycled into
• If you have no historic data because your recycling process is new, then reasonable assumptions may be found acceptable during the CEC Assessment.

Product EOL waste recycling quota

Information to enter

If you recycle the product waste at end of life of a specific Product produced in a specific Site, and you request CEC Certification for the Product and Site combination, then you can enter the recycling quota in % for the Product EOL (EOL = End of Life) waste.

The recycling quota is the recycled mass from the product EOL waste specific to that that product divided by the total mass of the product EOL waste of that specific product.

During the CEC Assessment the feasability of the recycling approach is verified.

Evidence to retain for the assessment

You need to demonstrate the following to have your claims for recycling of product EOL waste accepted:

• You have control of the collection process, and reasonable assumptions about the effort the collection takes
• You have evidence about the collected amounts of material
• You have evidence that the collected amounts of material have been forward to recycling providers
• Your recycling provider confirms receipt of the amounts
• Your recycling provider provides evidence about the recycling process and the products your production waste is recycled into
• If you have no historic data because your recycling process is new, then reasonable assumptions may be found acceptable during the CEC Assessment.

Yield Loss and Sheet Format worksheet

Information to enter