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Keysight Technologies
Selecting a Calibration Vendor
White Paper
Introduction
Cost is important but are there any other questions that need to be asked in selecting
a calibration supplier? Is the ubiquitous ISO 9001 registration enough?
If your car needed a 12,000 mile service you might expect the choice of garage to be
somewhat arbitrary. You'd probably expect that, wherever you took it, the maker's
recommended procedures would always be followed and that recommended tools
and parts would always be used. This would be even more likely if the garage had
"Approved Main Dealer" status.
The ISO 9001 Standard
It seems logical to apply this analogy to "calibration dealers" with ISO 9001
approval, but remember that this standard is procedural: a Quality Management
System (QMS) standard. It doesn't define the product in any way, only the
checks and measures required to maintain a consistent quality level as defined
by that particular supplier.
It doesn't mean that, for example, all electronic instrument suppliers have the
same quality level. Whether the service meets the customers' needs is beyond
the scope of this certification.
Commercial Considerations
Both commercial and technical needs have to be met when seeking a calibra-
tion service. Cost and turnaround time are two fundamental commercial criteria.
And the technical need is most appropriately described as "an adequacy of test-
ing that confirms usage requirements".
Many users find it difficult to define their testing needs exactly and simply
request a "Calibration to spec". This can be ambiguous.
Calibration can vary from a thorough performance evaluation of every mode
and range to a cursory check of basic functionality. While the latter may meet a
customer's need for a low cost service, it implies a higher level of risk - that the
equipment has an undetermined performance deficiency with potentially serious
consequences.
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Manufacturer's Recommendation
In general, test equipment makers design recommended calibration procedures
which carefully compromise expensive over-testing with the increased risk
associated with under-testing.
Their understanding of how the equipment works and the crucial areas of its
performance ensures that reputable servicers following the makers' guidance
can maintain confidence in the ability of a unit to fully meet its specification.
The provision of a certificate, even to spec, does not necessarily guarantee that
the methods used are technically sound. This is where the added assurance
available from a UKAS accredited calibration facility