Agilent Selecting a Calibration Vendor - White Paper 5991-1334EN c20140529 [5] free download

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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. 3 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