To ensure continued compliance, accredited facilities are regularly reexamined to ensure they maintain their standards of technical expertise. These facilities may also be required to participate in regular proficiency testing programs or inter-laboratory comparisons as an ongoing demonstration of their competence. ISO 9001 does not evaluate the technical competence of a supplier or technician. This means the evaluation of a supplier against ISO 9001 does not assure your company or your customers that the test, inspection, or calibration data are accurate and reliable.
Throughout the world, countries now rely on Independent Laboratory Accreditation Bureaus for evaluating laboratory competence.
Unlike ISO 9001 certification, laboratory accreditation uses criteria and procedures specifically developed to determine technical competence. Independent A2LA technical assessors conduct a thorough evaluation of all factors in a facility that affects the accuracy and repeatability of measurement data.