Introducing the Four Faces of ISO 17025

There are four applications of ISO 17025 within a calibration environment, which we call 'The Four Faces of ISO 17025.' These ISO 17025 calibration applications include:

• ISO 17025-compliant laboratories. A calibration laboratory can follow ISO 17025 processes and claim to be ISO 17025 compliant without obtaining external validation. ISO 17025 compliance satisfies the needs of users who require a level of confidence in the lab's competency and want to be sure that it has good quality built into its processes.
• ISO 17025-conformant calibration services. A calibration laboratory following ISO 17025 processes can sell ISO 17025-conformant calibration services that include enhanced data reports showing measurement uncertainties. Services conforming to the ISO 17025 standard provide customers a higher degree of confidence that the calibration follows the procedures set out by the manufacturer. Agilent is one of a very few companies that are able to offer ISO 17025-conformant services, and is the only one publicly offering them for complex instruments on a worldwide basis.
• ISO 17025-accredited laboratories. A calibration laboratory following ISO 17025 processes can get external validation by becoming accredited to ISO 17025. ISO 17025-accredited laboratories are able to provide high-level accredited calibration services, which are necessary for some users. Accreditation also satisfies the needs of users who do not necessarily require an accredited service, but know that an independently accredited laboratory is likely to provide higher quality calibration than a non-accredited laboratory.
• ISO 17025-accredited calibration services. An accredited calibration laboratory can sell accredited calibration services. Accredited services offer the highest degree of confidence that calibration measurements are trustworthy. Companies most likely to require accredited services are those whose business depends on the measurements they make, such as calibration labs and EMC