The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Organization for Standardizations (ISO) collaborated to establish ISO/IEC 17025:2017, an international standard. It consists some specifications and rules that are used by regulatory bodies, accreditation committees, and organizations to verify, acknowledge, and assure that laboratories operate competently, impartially, and consistently throughout their testing and calibration procedures. No matter the industry or size, laboratories that are involved in collecting or measurement activities, whether they are independently owned and run or a part of bigger businesses, employ the standard and accreditation. This covers both regulated and unorganized government and public sectors. Together with ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 17025 forms the foundation for ISO 15189, which details specific standards for proficiency and quality as well as validation of medical laboratories.
Key Benefits of ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation for Your Company
Following is the list of the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation's top benefits so you can see why it is so advantageous for your company.
- Minimized the Waste: A long-term strategy for labs to show their knowledge of technology and earn the trust of their clients is through certification. The inspections and calibrations are standardized to avoid repeating any of the steps or material waste.
- Gain More Credibility: An acknowledged standard on both a national and global scale is ISO 17025. As it is a particularly specialized certificate that solely applies to technical proficiency in laboratory conditions, the accreditation is highly valued in scientific communities. By demonstrating the accuracy of their testing, measurement, and calibration to users such as customers, rivals, and the general public, organizations are given more credibility. It serves as both an official confirmation of laboratories and a sign of their dedication to a reliable quality system.
- Cost Savings: Labs must continuously track results and adhere to the tight criteria of ISO 17025:2017. Getting precise and reliable data helps keep the lab's operating expenditures to a minimum. Retesting will be less frequent, saving money. In general, the standard sets guidelines to bring lab operations under control, which decreases operational costs.
- Compliance with Test Trends: Accredited ISO 17025 laboratories monitor changes to ISO 17025 and implement improvements and corrective measures as necessary. Professional lab staff can speak up for new testing techniques or make improvements to already existing ones. By using an intelligent approach that involves staff members striving to develop laboratory knowledge, the laboratory can improve or provide new services.
- Performance Standard: For good reason, obtaining the ISO 17025 accreditation is not a simple undertaking. It should both be maintained and aspired towards. To maintain competency and data quality, laboratories must continually examine the standard and perform at the highest level of their game. Clients, stakeholders, and even the staff themselves can be confident in the correctness and dependability of the data generated in the laboratory in this way, further demonstrating the level of proficiency and expertise of the company.
Additionally, obtaining ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation may at times be difficult, but with the appropriate ISO/IEC 17025 auditor training and resources, one can always overcome the challenges and enjoy the benefits of having a laboratory that is ISO 17025 accredited. Consequently, ISO/IEC 17025 is the most important international standard for determining laboratory competence and quality. Ensuring greater acceptability of results throughout nations and companies, also makes it easier for testing laboratories and other agencies to collaborate.
