IWBI does not accept proposals for new product alignments prior to enrolling in IWBI membership. If you have questions about product compatibility before becoming a member, please reference the compatibility table for guidance. For additional questions, please contact us through workswithwell@wellcertified.com.
Step 1. Subscribe
- Become a Cornerstone or Keystone member
- Enroll in Works with WELL through your membership portal
Step 2. Validate
Create each product or service group submission
To begin your submission, navigate to the Products tab in your portal and click “Add Product or Service Group.” You will be prompted to provide the following profile details:
- Product or service group name: Enter the name your customers know your product group by.
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Product type(s): Select the applicable product type(s) from the dropdown. If your product type is not listed, select “Can’t find your product type? Create custom product type” and fill in the name of the proposed product type and, if available, CSI number.
- Additional details about custom product types will be captured in the Supports submission process.
- Description: Provide a clear description of your product or service group. This description will appear in the directory once your alignments are approved.
- Website: Include the URL for your product or service group.
- Variations: Tell us how this product or service group is structured. Variations are versions of a product that differ in a meaningful way, such as by model, series, region, formulation or SKUs. Not all variations affect WELL alignment. When they do, they must be disclosed so reviewers and customers can accurately evaluate your WELL claims.
- Images (optional): You may upload images of your product at this stage or at any point after submission. These images will be displayed in the directory once alignments are approved.
Understand how alignment types relate to one another
Before starting the application process, it is helpful to understand how alignment types relate to one another:
- Directly Contributes and Measures alignments are mutually exclusive from Supports alignments. A product type cannot hold both a Directly Contributes/Measures and an Supports alignment under the same WELL strategy.
- In other words: if a product type qualifies for a Directly Contributes/Measures alignment for a specific strategy, it is not eligible to apply for an Supports alignment under that same strategy.
Understand how variations work
A product or service group is the solution you list with WELL. It carries one shared profile: name, description, product type(s), application, and supporting documents that, together, demonstrate your WELL claims.
Variations are versions of a product that differ in a meaningful way, such as by model, series, region, formulation or SKUs. Not all variations affect WELL alignment. When they do, they must be disclosed so reviewers and customers can accurately evaluate your WELL claims. Each disclosed variation gets its own directory listing.
Nesting variations. All variations with separate directory listings will be nested under the primary product group they relate to. You can also optionally nest variations under one another to create additional groupings in your directory listing. This optional nesting is a display choice; it does not change how alignment is captured.
A note on granularity. List variations at the level where WELL alignment meaningfully changes. Below that threshold, differences can be described within your product description. For example, products that come in six fabric colors that all align with WELL the same way do not need six variations; one variation covers that whole line. But, products that come in good, better, and best tiers with different WELL alignments each need their own variations so reviewers and customers can see what WELL strategies each tier supports.
If you have questions or need additional guidance about how to organize your products or services, schedule a session with a member of the Works with WELL team @ workswithwell@wellcertified.com.
For Air and Temperature Sensors or PV Equipment
If your product type is pre-vetted for a Measures alignment, the Measures tab will appear. To complete this portion of your submission:
- Navigate to the Measures tab and download the Excel-based questionnaire.
- The questionnaire will identify all Directly Contributes/Measures alignments for which your product type is eligible. It includes structured application questions based on the relevant criteria within the WELL Standard and WELL Performance Verification Guidebook.
- For a continuous monitoring device that measures air and/or thermal comfort parameters, complete all required fields in the Continuous Monitor tab.
- For equipment used by WELL Performance Testing Agents to conduct on-site testing, complete the required fields by Concept for the parameters measured by the product. If the product measured multiple parameters (e.g., both ozone and nitrogen dioxide), complete each relevant tab.
- Indicate whether there are any variations in your product group that require exclusions from your WELL alignments. Enter the identifiers (i.e., a variation name or code) in the header of each tab. Additional instructions are available on the first tab of the measures excel application form.
- Upload the completed questionnaire back into the Measures tab.
The Measures tab will display for the following product types:
- Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC):
- Air and Temperature Sensors
- Performance Testing Equipment:
- Light testing equipment
- Air testing equipment
- Thermal comfort testing equipment
- Sound level meter
- Loudspeaker
- Turbidimeter
For all other product types with pre-vetted Directly Contributes alignments
If your product group was pre-vetted for a Directly Contributes alignment, the Directly Contributes tab will appear. To complete this portion of your submission:
- Navigate to the Directly Contributes tab and complete the embedded questionnaire with the structured application questions based on the relevant WELL strategy criteria.
- The questionnaire will identify all Directly Contributes alignments that have been pre-vetted for your product type including:
- Mandatory alignments: The questionnaire must be completed for all Directly Contributes alignments marked as mandatory.
- Optional alignments: The questionnaire may be completed for Directly Contributes alignments marked as optional.
- Indicate whether there are any variations in your product group that require exclusions from your WELL alignments.
For all other alignments, including Supports alignments and alignments for new product types
Use the Supports Alignments tab to provide information about any other alignments you would like to pursue for that product or service group. To complete this portion of your submission:
- For each WELL strategy you’d like to align with, select the strategy and submit a narrative explaining how your product supports that strategy. Focus on how specific aspects of your solution relate to the strategy’s criteria and contribute to the strategy’s health intent. Write the narrative clearly and specifically, as it will be used to assess whether the described connection is credible and meaningful. Further, once approved, the support summary will be published in your profile.
- Once you’ve completed a narrative, click “Save.”
- To propose additional alignments, use “Add More Strategies.”
The compatibility table lists Supports alignments that have already been approved for your product type, but it is not an exhaustive list. We encourage you to review the WELL Standard to identify additional alignment opportunities you think possible beyond those already published for your product type.
During the review process, IWBI may determine that a proposed Supports alignment should be reclassified as a Directly Contributes alignment. If additional documentation is required to support a Directly Contributes classification, IWBI will issue a Mid-Review Clarification (MRC). Otherwise, the determined alignment type will be included in your final review report.
Upload supporting documents and submit
Navigate to the Documents tab to upload supporting documentation for your alignments. Please keep the following guidelines in mind:
- All documentation must be based on publicly available information. Confidential information may not be included unless IWBI has provided prior written approval.
- Even if you have listed your website in the Product Group Details, please include relevant screenshots from your website in the Documents tab. Reviewers are not responsible for locating supporting information on your website independently.
- We strongly recommend annotating your documentation to highlight the specific sections that demonstrate compliance with each alignment.
Once your documentation is uploaded:
- Click “Mark Ready for Review” for each product group.
- Then navigate to the Reviews Queue tab to access your Reviews dashboard.
- If you have additional product groups to submit, return to the Products tab and click “+ Add Product Group” to repeat this process for each group.
Once all product or service groups are ready, submit for a review!
When all product groups are ready, click “Submit Review Cycle” from the Reviews tab to send your full submission to the IWBI review team.
By default, all product groups marked “Ready for Review” will be included in your submission. To remove a product group from the current review cycle, click the X next to that group.
During the review
Once submitted, your application will be reviewed by IWBI and/or a third-party reviewer.
- You may be asked to provide additional supporting documentation at any point during the review. This request will be issued in the form of an MRC.
- Pre-vetted Directly Contributes/Measures alignments:
- A third-party reviewer will verify your application and documentation to confirm the proposed Directly Contributes/Measures alignment(s).
- New product types and Supports alignments:
- New product types: IWBI will review and confirm the product or service type classification, reclassifying as necessary.
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Supports alignment narratives: IWBI will review each narrative to confirm that:
- The proposed alignment is not more appropriately classified as Directly Contributes/Measures
- The narrative is logical and the described product type or service falls within the scope of the WELL strategy
- The narrative does not conflict with the strategy’s requirements.
Steps 3 and 4. Showcase and Amplify
After the review
Once your review is complete, you will be notified automatically by email. At that point:
- Your product or service group profile will be published automatically.
- You will be able to log in to your member portal to download your review report and view your approved alignments directly.
- In your account you will also be able to access our QR code and marketing resources.
The platform will generate your directory profile based on the details provided in your Products tab. Please review your profile for accuracy and make updates if needed.
If your product receives a "not aligned" determination, you may resubmit updated or expanded supporting documentation in your next available review cycle (as determined by your membership tier) at no additional review fee. For questions about a review outcome, please contact workswithwell@wellcertified.com.
Updating your directory profile(s)
To make changes to an approved product group, go to the Products tab and click “Edit” next to the relevant product group. Editable fields include:
- Product images
- Product description
- Variations within your product group including nested variations that enhance or optimize the way your product is displayed in the directory. However, any updates that impact alignments must undergo third party review.
Step 5. Renew
You must renew your IWBI membership and previously approved Works with WELL licenses on an annual basis. For previously approved alignments, you complete a renewal questionnaire to confirm if anything has changed about your products that would impact previously approved alignments.
Prior to the renewal milestone
Before the membership renewal deadline, a new header will appear in the your Membership tab inviting you to “Renew Now”. Additionally, you will receive a series of automated reminders before the renewal module inviting you to log into your membership account and begin the renewal process.
After paying the membership invoice, complete the Works With WELL renewal questionnaire
Upon paying the membership renewal invoice you will be able to complete the renewal questionnaire.
If you select “no changes have been made” the system will automatically extend document validity for 12 months from the date the invoice was paid.
If you confirm that changes were made to any details about their previously approved alignments, the system will re-direct you client to the Product Tab where you will be guided to make updates to the Details, Variations, Alignments and Questionnaire Responses, and/or supporting documentation as necessary.
Changes to any of these components will trigger a new review submission in the account.
When all product groups are ready, click “Submit Review Cycle” from the Reviews tab to send your full submission to the IWBI review team.
The review file will distinguish what was previously approved and unchanged (marked as approved) from what needs review (ruling field in the excel file will be blank).