A History of DQS CFS in 14 Milestones
1985
Back in the 1980s, an awareness was beginning to grow that in order to prosper, the global economy would have to agree on common standards for quality assurance. It would also need credible organizations to evaluate conformity with those standards. In 1985, this leads to the foundation of DQS.
With the creation of DQS, the founding partners, DGQ (German Society for Quality) and DIN (German Institute for Standardization) aim to foster sustainable economic development in Germany.
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1986
The first DQS customer, Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH, is certified to the draft version of ISO 9001. This would be the first ISO 9001 certificate ever issued in Germany and one of the first in the world.
Three decades and five versions of the standard later, Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH still relies upon DQS as its partner for certification.
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1990
DQS is a founding member of EQNet, now known as IQNet, an international network of partner certification bodies.
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1991
The need for credible certification assessment leads to the creation of accreditation procedures. As one of the very first, DQS obtains its first accreditation for ISO 9001/2/3 in 1991, issued by TGA, a precursor of the current-day DAkkS.
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1994
Many of the clients certified in Germany continue to expand internationally. In order to continue to meet their needs, DQS expands its international network alongside. In 1994, the first international DQS office is founded in Brazil.
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1995
DQS expands its product portfolio, becoming a notified body for the certification of medical devices. The focus on this business sector would ultimately lead to the creation of DQS Med.
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2000
DQS is the first certification body in the world to obtain accreditation for ISO/TS 16949 (currently IATF 16949), the leading quality management standard for the automotive industry.
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2002
DQS Russia is the 20th office to open its doors
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2003
The publication of the IFS Standard for Food Safety in 2003 marks another milestone in the gradual development of certification and assessment services for the food industry, which would eventually become a key focus of DQS.
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2004
The international network of highly qualified auditors continues to grow steadily. The qualification of an additional auditor in China brings the total number of auditors to 1500.
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2008
DQS merges with the Management Systems Solutions (MSS) division of the American product certification body Underwriters Laboratories Inc. in March 2008, fortifying its position considerably in North America. UL joins DIN and DGQ as the main shareholders of the DQS Group.
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2012
As the service portfolio for consumer safety assessments and sustainability continues to grow, the DQS Group decides to focus this expertise in a new subsidiary. This marks the birth of DQS CFS as we know it today.
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2015
DQS celebrates its 30th anniversary. As part of the event, employees of the group engage in workshops to lay the groundwork to make sure the next 30 years are equally successful for our clients, our shareholders, the public and our staff.