ISO IEC 17025 Laboratory Quality Management Systems

ISO/IEC 17025:2005 has been revised to align the ISO 17025:1999 version with ISO 9001:2008. Thus, ISO harmonized lab system accreditation by recognizing the ISO 9001:2008 standard as the basis for sound management of lab systems. This is now found in Clause 4 of ISO/IEC 17025. The technical part, in Clause 5 contains all of the requirements that testing and calibration labs have to meet if the wish to demonstrate that they operate a management system, are technically competent and are able to generate technically valid results.

ISO/IEC 17025:1999 replaced ISO/IEC Guide 25:1990 & EN 45001:1989 as the contemporary standard to be adhered to by all testing & calibration laboratories. It integrated the requirements of ISO 9001 & 9002(1994) & embodied the extensive experience gained over a time span of 10 years of lab systems implementation.

Provided the accreditation bodies of various countries negotiate mutual agreements, the acceptance of testing & calibration results among these nations will be the mutually beneficial outcome. The global nature of the present standard enables any laboratory to comply with it.

A methodical perusal of the industries & service practices that exist in the global economy reveals that companies improve and stay competitive when they employ the best business practices from around the world. The new standards are benchmarks, gathering & sharing these best-in-class systems. They reflect the progression of organizations from compliance with standards to the adoption of a continuous improvement strategy for customer satisfaction. The new standards serve as implementation guides but also as the basis for accreditation.

The Comparative Advantage of ISO/IEC 17025:2005

ISO/IEC 17025 promotes cooperation between laboratories and other bodies to assist in the exchange of information & experience and the harmonization of standards & procedural goals. As a rule, within an organization any technology should be subjected to calibration & testing and measured by a sampling scheme that results in data collection and analysis. It is then possible to gauge the effect on the activities or goods produced and plan appropriately for improvement. Essentially, this is the goal of all standards introduced in the business environment.

Companies that have already begun to implement ISO/IEC 17025 have noticed some definite differences. The need for international standards in law and commerce manifests itself in the first sentence in Clause 4.1.1, under the Management Requirements & Organization stipulation, "The laboratory or the organization of which it is part shall be an entity that can be held legally responsible."

Subsequently, the various potential conflicts of interest that may influence individuals, departments or the company itself are noted in 4.1.3 and cautioned against in other areas of the standard where they might be of concern.

A good number of labs and companies are closing in on compliance or certification in response to these needs and their customers' requirements.