iso

What is ISO 17025:2005? ISO/IEC 17025 is the main international standard used by testing and calibration laboratories. Originally known as ISO/IEC Guide 25, ISO/IEC 17025 was initially issued by the International Organization for Standardization in 2000 . There are many commonalities with the ISO 9000 standard, but ISO/IEC 17025 adds in the concept of competence to the equation. And it applies directly to those organizations that produce testing and calibration results. Since its initial release, a second release was made in 2005 after it was agreed that it needed to have its quality system words more closely aligned with ISO 9001. The standard was first published in 2001 and on 12th May 2005 the alignment work of the ISO committee responsible for it was completed with the issuance of the revised standard. The most significant changes introduced greater emphasis on the responsibilities of senior management, and explicit requirements for continual improvement of the management system itself, and particularly, communication with the customer. There are two main sections in ISO/IEC 17025 - Management Requirements and Technical Requirements. Management requirements are primarily related to the operation and effectiveness of the quality management system within the laboratory. Technical requirements address the competence of staff, methodology and test/calibration equipment, its uncertainty and traceability to US and international standards. Laboratories use ISO/IEC 17025 to implement a quality system aimed at improving their ability to consistently produce valid results. It is also the basis for accreditation from an Accreditation Body. Since the standard is about competence, accreditation is simply formal recognition of a demonstration of that competence. A prerequisite for a laboratory to become accredited is to have a documented quality management system. The usual contents of the quality manual follow the outline of the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. Benefits of Accreditation to ISO 17025:2005: • Proven technical expertise in the field of calibration • Verified standard used for calibration, all traceable to NIST or a recognized NMI • Verified and documented calibration procedures • Documented quality management system • Testing of technicians for competence in tests performed • Uncertainty analysis performed for all calibrations • Consistency in test results • Work is only performed on test the lab is accredited to perform • Required participation in proficiency testing and inter-laboratory comparisons • Accepted worldwide for calibration any by testing organization such as UL and the automotive industries What is ISO 9001:2008? ISO 9001:2008 is an international standard, recognized throughout the world for establishing a business management system. ISO 9001:2008 is applicable to any manufacturing and service organization and provides a focus on system performance and ongoing improvement. Created by the International Organization for Standardization, ISO 9001:2008 is based on eight quality management principles: customer focus, leadership, involvement of people, process approach, system approach to management, continual improvement, fact based decision-making and mutually beneficial supplier relationships. When fully adopted, these principles have been proven to enhance organizational performance. Benefits of Registration to ISO 9001:2008: • Enables your organization to become more cost-effective, efficient and resilient to change. • Organizes processes in order to maintain consistent performance • Requires your organization to monitor and improve key business and customer satisfaction measures. • Improves internal & external communications. • Imposes continual audits on the process • Provides a passport to the global market, accepted worldwide quality

We are accredited to ISO 17025 by A2LA, Certificate Number 2733.01

ISO 17025

The calibration business is rapidly changing. Companies have begun taking notice to the capabilities of their calibration vendors and associated quality systems. Many labs state compliance to ISO 17025:2005 but few "compliant labs" can actually pass a full audit to the standard. We at IPM Inc. took the challenge in 2008 and achieved ISO 17025:2005 accreditation. Our competence in calibration services is now verified and you can rest easy that you test equipment is in the hands of one of the best. In today's global marketplace, many organizations are utilizing ISO 9001:2008 as a platform to build their business management system. For many companies, registration to ISO 9001:2008 is a key to securing and maintaining global business. We at IPM Inc. made this decision over 14 years ago and have met this standard since 2001. If you are in need of accredited calibration services beware of labs claiming the infamous “ISO 17025 Compliance”. We can assure you that lab is not compliant and it will not take more than several minutes to prove it. Call us and ask how.

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