The assurance of valid test data is becoming an international priority Helen Gillespie B ecause of changes in the regulatory environment and the increasing internationalization of the marketplace, laboratory accreditation that can be recognized around the world will soon be counted as one of the keys to corporate survival.
Accreditation affirms the competency of the lab to perform certain processes and tasks consistently.
Unfortunately, there are many different accreditation programs as well as inconsistencies from one program to the next, creating confusion in both the labs that seek accreditation and the industries that use the data. This article discusses the issues behind lab accreditation, what's being done, and what's to come. The vast array of international products available to consumers worldwide underscores the growing globalization of the marketplace. Corresponding market complexity has made buyers increasingly dependent on formal methods and procedures to ensure that all the products, services, and systems that they purchase consistently meet their needs. In many industries, certain product characteristics are instrumental for safe and effective performance, and many of these characteristics cannot be evaluated simply by picking up the product and examining it.