Benefits of ISO/IEC 17025

In a 2005 ISO publication, the then Secretary-General Alan Bryden emphasized that confidence in laboratory competence benefits businesses, regulators and society: it supports product development and market access decisions, as well as reliable testing related to environmental, health and safety hazards.

ISO Focus — May 2005

The original article discussed ISO/IEC 17025:2005. That edition has been superseded by ISO/IEC 17025:2017. The standard helps laboratories demonstrate a sound management system, technical competence and the ability to produce valid results.

Accreditation bodies use ISO/IEC 17025 as a basis for assessing laboratory competence.

Benefits of implementing ISO/IEC 17025 and seeking laboratory accreditation

• Improve the laboratory’s technical and management capabilities.
• Strengthen the accuracy and reliability of test and calibration results.
• Standardize laboratory activities, test operations, equipment use and methods, making training easier for existing and new personnel.
• Help staff apply appropriate Vietnamese and international methods and strengthen practices for assuring the validity of results.
• Facilitate acceptance of test and calibration results between laboratories domestically and internationally, subject to the relevant scope and recognition arrangements.
• Support alignment of Vietnam’s laboratory accreditation activities with regional and international practice.
• An accredited laboratory and its recognized scope can be listed in the VILAS directory.
• Laboratories may participate in product conformity testing when appropriately designated and within the relevant scope.

ISO/IEC 17025:2017

VILAS programme