FAQ

Accreditation is the process of assessing and certifying the quality and credibility of various industries and sectors, against specific defined standards and guidelines.

Accreditation Management Software (AMS) is used by accreditation and certification bodies to automate and streamline data collection activities and accreditation workflows. This type of software systematically collates and organizes data and evidence required for accreditation in a cloud-based environment and uses workflow tools to delegate tasks and track progress. Learn More

Accreditation bodies are independent organizations responsible for assessing and accrediting entities within a particular industry or sector. They establish rigorous standards and criteria that organizations must meet to demonstrate competence and compliance. These bodies help to guarantee quality and credibility, ensuring businesses, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and other entities adhere to the highest standards.

Typically, there are three types of accreditation: Institutional, Programmatic, and Specialized.

Implementing accreditation management software brings numerous benefits to accreditation bodies. Some of the key advantages include:

1. Time and Cost Savings. Automation and streamlining processes results in significant time and cost savings, allowing accreditation bodies to allocate resources more efficiently.
2. Enhanced Data Management. Accreditation management software provides robust data management capabilities, enabling accreditation bodies to gather, analyze, and utilize data effectively for decision-making and continuous improvement.
3. Improved Accuracy and Consistency. Accreditation software minimizes the risk of errors and inconsistencies in the accreditation process, ensuring high accuracy and standardization.
4. Increased Stakeholder Engagement. Accreditation management software facilitates effective communication and collaboration among all stakeholders, fostering stronger relationships and engagement.
5. Scalability and Adaptability. The scalable software allows accreditation bodies to accommodate increasing accreditation demands and adapt to evolving industry requirements.

ARMATURE Fabric is a flexible accreditation and certification management software product designed to help organizations manage standards, conduct audits and assessments, streamline workflows, and ensure compliance with industry regulations.

ARMATURE Fabric is used by accrediting and certifying bodies across a wide range of industries including healthcare, education, engineering, veterinary, laboratory, and dental sectors. It supports organizations that conduct assessments, peer reviews, inspections, and compliance monitoring.

You can manage the full accreditation or certification lifecycle including application intake, self-assessments, document submissions, reviewer assignments, on-site and virtual evaluations, findings and recommendations, reporting, and decision-making workflows.

Yes. ARMATURE Fabric is built to be highly configurable. You can tailor standards, forms, workflows, and user roles to reflect your unique accreditation or certification process without needing custom development.

Absolutely. ARMATURE Fabric supports both on-site and remote evaluations by enabling digital documentation, virtual collaboration, and secure access for reviewers and staff.

Security is a top priority. ARMATURE Fabric uses industry-standard encryption, role-based access controls, and robust audit logging to ensure data integrity and compliance with many privacy regulations, including GDPR.

Yes. ARMATURE Fabric offers API-based integrations with common systems such as association management systems, CRMs, learning management systems, document management platforms, and identity management tools to ensure seamless data exchange.

Implementation timelines vary depending on complexity, but many clients are up and running in 4-12 months. ARMATURE provides implementation support including requirements gathering, configuration, training, and go-live assistance.

ARMATURE offers onboarding support, user training sessions, knowledge base articles, and responsive customer service. Your customer success manager, application support resources, and technical teams ensure ongoing success.

By automating manual processes, reducing paperwork, and centralizing all accreditation data in one system, ARMATURE Fabric helps reduce administrative burden, mitigate the risk of errors, and accelerate review cycles.

There are multiple types of accreditation management software on the market, each with varying levels of features and functionality. The price can vary considerably based on these factors. You should review different software offerings to determine what will deliver the best value for your organization. 

Accreditation management software offers many features and functionalities that empower accreditation bodies, including:

• Accreditation Workflow Automation
  This type of software automates various tasks, such as application and self-study completion and processing, document review, assessment scheduling, reviews and site visit data collection and reporting, and decision-making,, minimizing manual intervention and accelerating the overall process.
• Document Management and Control
  Accreditation management software often ensures proper document control, versioning, and access rights management, reducing the risk of outdated or unauthorized documentation
• Compliance Monitoring and Reporting
  The software enables regular compliance monitoring, issue management, and comprehensive reporting capabilities, allowing accreditation bodies and their clients to stay on top of regulatory requirements.
• Self Service Portals
  Leveraging self-service features within accreditation management software enables different user groups such as institutions, programs, organizations, site visitors, reviewers, and accreditation staff to access personalized views and take action on tasks they are assigned to quickly and effectively.
• Analytics and Dashboards
  The software offers robust analytics and configurable dashboards that provide accreditation bodies with valuable insights into their operations, performance, and areas for improvement.

The primary requirements in the accreditation process often involve the following 6 processes:

1. Application
2. Self-Study
3. Initial Review and compliance scoring/rating of answers/evidence submitted based on the required standards.
4. Site Visit (validation review).
5. Committee Review (often an independent review committee that reviews findings and makes a final accreditation decision .
6. Continuous monitoring to ensure accredited entities remain up-to-date with standards.

Compliance management refers to the process of ensuring that an organization adheres to relevant laws, regulations, standards, and internal policies. It involves identifying compliance requirements, assessing risk, monitoring activities, collecting evidence, and reporting on compliance status. ARMATURE Fabric helps streamline this process by digitizing workflows, enabling audits, and providing real-time visibility into compliance metrics.

Compliance program management encompasses the ongoing administration of a structured approach to achieving and maintaining compliance. This includes defining policies, training staff, managing assessments, tracking corrective actions, and continuously improving the program. ARMATURE Fabric supports compliance program management by offering configurable tools to manage standards, schedule audits, assign tasks, and document progress—all within a single platform.

Continuous Quality Improvement emphasizes the ongoing evaluation and improvement of a process to consistently achieve better results.

Yes. ARMATURE Fabric is well-suited for managing both facility and product certification programs. It enables you to define certification criteria, manage applications, schedule and conduct inspections or audits, collect evidence, and issue certificates. The platform supports multi-site evaluations, product-level data tracking, and complex decision workflows, making it a strong fit for organizations certifying physical locations, products, or equipment.

Yes. ARMATURE Fabric is highly effective for managing peer review processes. The platform supports configurable review workflows, secure submission and review of documents, assignment of reviewers based on expertise or conflict-of-interest rules, and collaborative feedback tools. It enables transparency, consistency, and traceability across all stages of the peer review cycle—making it ideal for accrediting bodies, academic programs, or regulatory agencies that rely on expert evaluations.

ARMATURE Fabric is a cloud-based solution hosted in a secure environment, ensuring accessibility, scalability, and minimal infrastructure requirements.

Yes. ARMATURE Fabric can be accessed through mobile browsers, allowing users to complete tasks such as document reviews, assessments, and checklist verifications on tablets or smartphones while in the field.

Absolutely. ARMATURE Fabric includes built-in reporting tools and dashboards that can be customized to reflect KPIs, audit results, compliance gaps, and accreditation status. Reports can be exported and scheduled for automatic delivery. The software also includes ~30 out-of-the-box reports (without the need for configuration).

Yes. ARMATURE Fabric is designed to support multi-jurisdictional and international organizations. It can be localized to reflect different regions’ standards, and multi-language support can be enabled to meet diverse operational needs.

ARMATURE Fabric is a scalable solution capable of supporting organizations and programs of all sizes—from small certification boards to large global accrediting bodies. It is hosted in a cloud environment that adjusts to user demand and program growth.

The platform includes detailed role-based access controls. Administrators can define specific permissions for staff, reviewers, applicants, and other stakeholders to ensure users only access what is relevant to their role.

Yes. ARMATURE Fabric includes a robust issues management module. It lets you document citations, corrective actions, or items of non-compliance. You can track findings, assign action owners, set deadlines, upload supporting documentation, and track resolution status through dashboards and alerts.

Users can upload documentation, images, and videos directly to criteria, forms, or assessments. The system supports version control, metadata tagging, and reviewer feedback, making evidence easy to manage and audit-ready.

Yes. ARMATURE Fabric is designed to handle multiple programs concurrently, each with its own unique standards, workflows, and reviewers—ideal for organizations that manage diverse or multi-tiered accreditation schemes.

In addition to healthcare and education, ARMATURE Fabric is used in sectors such as veterinary, engineering, laboratory testing and inspection, dental, law enforcement, and environmental certification—making it a versatile accreditation and certification solution.