Productivity gains of 50%

API integration with the management system has eliminated double data entry and the management of Excel spreadsheets. AFNOR Certification managers save approximately half of the time previously spent on issuing certificates.

Reduction of the ecological footprint

Moving away from physical media is part of the AFNOR Group's strong commitment to implementing its CSR strategy.

Compliance with accreditation standards

The digital and PDF formats provided by BCdiploma strictly comply with the traceability and archiving requirements set by ISO/IEC 17024; they are subject to regular assessments by AFNOR Certification's accreditation bodies.

Company Overview

AFNOR Certification is a leading certification body in France and internationally. The organization issues certifications for people, systems, services, and products in sectors where trust, traceability, and regulatory compliance are essential. Today, AFNOR Certification manages more than 70 active personnel certifications, notably covering fields such as auditing, quality, data protection, and compliance. As an accredited body, AFNOR Certification is regularly audited by COFRAC and operates in strict compliance with the ISO/IEC 17024 standard (scope available at www.cofrac.fr).

History Summary

Faced with the logistical burden of physical cards, AFNOR Certification digitized its 15,000 certificates via the blockchain with BCdiploma. This secure solution guarantees total traceability (ISO 17024), halves management time, and enables professionals to share their skills instantly and in a tamper-proof manner.

Certification, auditing, and assessment

Employees : 201-500

Use Case: Blockchain Securitization and Certification Automation

The Challenge

Prior to 2019, personnel certification relied on the issuance of physical cards (similar to bank cards) produced at an industrial site in Bordeaux. This model presented several structural limitations:

Logistical burden: receiving, manual verification, and re-dispatching by mail, which occupied teams with low-value-added tasks.
CSR impact: the annual manufacturing of thousands of laminated cards and their transport no longer aligned with the group's corporate social responsibility ambitions.
COFRAC accreditation according to ISO/IEC 17024: audited annually for compliance with its accreditation, AFNOR Certification needed to guarantee the traceability of issued certificates, the management of validity periods, the possibility of real-time suspension, and, above all, protection against any attempts at certificate fraud. All of this was either impossible or complex to implement with a fixed physical medium.
Risk of disruption: the impossibility of sending physical cards during the COVID-19 pandemic could have paralyzed operations without the digital shift.

For AFNOR Certification, the challenge was not simply to dematerialize a certificate, but to secure the entire certification life cycle without compromising on compliance.

The Solution

AFNOR Certification chose to rely on BCdiploma to deploy secure and verifiable digital certificates, designed as genuine evidence of certification.
The solution enables:

The issuance of blockchain-secured digital certificates, instantly verifiable by the employers and clients of the certified individuals.
Real-time updates of certification status.
Integration with digital professional practices: online CVs, industry platforms, and social networks.
International mobility: bilingual French/English certificates immediately enhance the value of skills internationally.

AFNOR Certification maintains full control over validity, suspension, and withdrawal rules, in accordance with ISO/IEC 17024 requirements.

The Results

50% productivity gains: API integration with the management system has eliminated double data entry and the management of Excel spreadsheets. AFNOR Certification managers save approximately half of the time previously spent on issuing certificates.
Reduction of the ecological footprint: moving away from physical media is part of the AFNOR Group's strong commitment to implementing its CSR strategy.
Compliance with accreditation standards: the digital and PDF formats provided by BCdiploma strictly comply with the traceability and archiving requirements set by ISO/IEC 17024; they are subject to regular assessments by AFNOR Certification's accreditation bodies.
Compliance with France Compétences awarding body obligations: several of AFNOR Certification's certifications are registered as 'Titres du Répertoire Spécifique' (RS) with France Compétences. BCdiploma enables AFNOR Certification to automate the regulatory obligation known as 'Accrochage Certificateur'.

Séverine MICHEAU

« The BCdiploma solution enables certified professionals to showcase their skills easily and effectively, particularly on social networks. But above all, BCdiploma is a great team that I highly recommend for their expertise and responsiveness! »

Head of the Personnel Certification Department