In life, individuals often set goals for themselves.  Whether it’s a short-term or long-term goals, the reasons for these goals are the same- to achieve success. Now the same can be said for businesses. Some may set short-term goals that are easily achieved. Others may focus their attention on attaining larger, long-term goals. If your company is in a field where an accreditation speaks volumes then this may become the main goal they focus on achieving. Some fields that may require accreditation are the health care industry along with education. Another field lies within the scientific community.  Companies in this community may strive for an ISO 17025 accreditation.

The very specific type of accreditation gives all who achieve it a higher standing within the scientific community. It certifies that a laboratory has met the international standards required to carry out a variety of testing and calibration scenarios.  In order to attain such prestige, a company must go through a rigorous application process. Part of which is submitting a variety of documents. According to the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation these documents are as follows:

• Proposed scope of testing or calibration in terms of field(s) of testing or calibration, testing or

calibration technologies, methods and relevant standards, and measurement uncertainty budgets if applicable (always required for calibration and dimensional inspection testing laboratories)

• Quality
• Organization structure
• Proficiency testing results.

Once accreditation has been granted, companies that choose to work with these laboratories can rest assured that their products are in the best hands possible. By achieving this accreditation a laboratory has demonstrated its abilities to, among other things, perform specific tests, types of tests, calibrations, or types of calibrations listed on its Scope(s) of Accreditation.

Most consumers may not realize it, but the scientific community can make an impact on many different industries.  Companies that produce products for our daily use may find themselves dealing with one arm of this community. While other companies that focus on more complex products may deal with another.  Often times these products need to undergo rigorous testing long before the consumer is even made aware of them.

You may be asking yourself, how do companies choose where to conduct these tests? Some may have specific laboratories they have worked with in the past and feel comfortable working with again. Others may do their research. For those who find that a laboratory holds an ISO 17025 accreditation their minds may rest just a bit easier.

Featured images:

•  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=microscope&ex=2#ai:MP900422207|
•  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=science%20lab&ex=2#ai:MP900182882|

Chuck Stevens is an avid blogger always looking to share his experiences and recommendations. He loves spending time in the lab and working with new technology.  You can follow him on Twitter @chuckstevens12.