ISO/IEC 17025 is the main 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 1999. 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 the 2000 version of ISO 9001.
ISO 17025:2005 is the leading international laboratory quality management system (QMS) standard. ISO 17025:2005 is compatible with, but not equivalent to ISO 9001:2000. ISO 17025 is simple and easy to understand, and connects the laboratory quality management system to all other laboratory processes.
New requirements include continual improvement of the quality management system and improved communication with the customer. The Technical Requirements of the 2005 revision are virtually unchanged.
An accredited ISO 17025 laboratory QMS will
- Assure you meet all customer quality requirements
- Improve your laboratory's competitiveness
- Eliminate waste
- Reduce risk
- Control laboratory methods variation
