The COR audit runs on a three year cycle and has several points where timing is key. Initial certification is in year one. Years two and three are maintenance audits. The cycle starts over in year four with a re-certification audit.
Maintenance audits allow some flexibility in timing but must have at least six months between audits. Additionally you need to get your reports done before December 31st of each maintenance audit year (so year two and year three). Re-certification must be performed before the certification date expires. That means if you leave your maintenance audit too late you may not have six months between it and your re-certification audit. That would cause you to lose your COR.
Reports need to be submitted within 45 days of the audits end so that the Quality Assurance work can be done. Reports that are too late run the risk of missing incentive payments until much later than normal.
In order to avoid being needlessly delayed, plan to have the audit done well before Dec 31.
Timing is everything. Missing a maintenance audit or not leaving six months’ time between a maintenance audit and the re-certification will cost you your COR. If your business requires COR certification, you could end up losing contracts by not planning ahead.
Planning ahead is an important part of maintaining COR certification.
