Assay laboratory accreditation model based on the ISO / IEC 17025: 2017 standard and the Deming cycle

Modelo de acreditación de laboratorios de ensayos basado en la norma ISO/IEC 17025:2017 y el ciclo de Deming

Abstract

Food assay laboratories that aspire to accredit their tests, require self-assessment of their processes management to identify the current situation of the entity with respect to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017, established as mandatory by the international organization and adopted by the national agency on quality and accreditation. Initially, the laboratory can concentrate its efforts and resources on the accreditation of the most demanded tests by its clients; and later, it can incorporate those it considers necessary to optimize its quality management and competitiveness. Strategic tools such as the Deming cycle model facilitate self-evaluation to undertake the corresponding corrective actions, according to the phase in which the evaluated entity is. Similarly, the checklist of the standard provides an instrument to facilitate the internal audit of the laboratory, which is an essential task to know its compliance level with the standard. The proposed model provides a series of tools for the laboratory that initiates the process towards assays accreditation.

Keywords: food assay laboratory; laboratory accreditation; self-assessment; Deming Cycle; ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard