Why ISO 17025 Accreditation Matters
Scale calibration organizations, including us, will often flaunt their ISO 17025 accreditation, but what exactly is ISO 17025? Why does it matter if a company is accredited? Does it cost any more to work with an ISO 17025 organization? And more importantly, how does partnering with an accredited organization save money?
What is ISO 17025?
ISO 17025 is the most recognized accreditation standard for testing and calibrating equipment for laboratories and production facilities. The standard basically means that a calibration provider follows specific calibration processes that have been third-party approved. While ISO 9000 is more aligned with internal quality, 17025 standards deal more with testing organizations. Both ISO 17025 and ISO 9000 were initially issued by the International Organization of Standardization, a body whose purpose is to standardize processes internationally. This organization is responsible for the quality standards that govern modern manufacturing throughout the world.
What Comprises Standards?
ISO 17025 is comprised of five elements: scope, normative reference, terms and definitions, management requirements, and technical requirements. Each of these elements is held to standards as defined by the international organization of standardization and verified through third-party institutions. These elements hold organizations to a standard of operation so that customers have an understanding of the quality of calibration services. This is vital for our customers who have auditing and traceability requirements from either regulatory bodies or internal quality assurance.
How Accreditation Saves You Money.
Why should you partner with an organization that is accredited? It comes back to the quality of service. If your current service provider does not have a third party approved processes, how do you know that their services actually work? Do you get the same calibration every time? What if one technician calibrates your scale by one process while another technician does so by another series of procedures next time? How can you guarantee that everything was actually done properly? How much money will hidden inaccuracy cost your business? By partnering with an ISO 17025 organization, you have third-party verification that the company you are working with knows what they are doing.
Part of our mission is to provide sustainable value to our customers. Because of that mission, we are proudly an ISO 17025 accredited business. Request a free asset evaluation to learn what Weigh Better® means.