ISO 17025 in lieu of ISO 9001?

[ScottBP]

Our management recently decided to drop our ISO 9001 registration saying that 17025 covers the same material and then some. Now our customers who previously accepted our 9001 registration (but had no requirement for 17025 accredited calibrations) are complaining. Was this the right thing to do? Is it necessary for a company that is 17025 accredited to keep the 9001 registration?

(This is probably another one of those topics that have been beat to death (like NIST numbers), but I'm drawing blanks when I try to search for it.)

 

[Jerry Eldred]

ISO17025 is for calibration or testing labs. My understanding is that for those labs, ISO17025 covers the applicable parts of ISO9001, and I believe there is a statement to that effect in the standard. If your company does more than just calibration and testing, could be ISO17025 may not be enough. I'll leave that to those more knowledgable than I to further clarify.

 

[dv8shane]

Our management recently decided to drop our ISO 9001 registration saying that 17025 covers the same material and then some. Now our customers who previously accepted our 9001 registration (but had no requirement for 17025 accredited calibrations) are complaining. Was this the right thing to do? Is it necessary for a company that is 17025 accredited to keep the 9001 registration?

(This is probably another one of those topics that have been beat to death (like NIST numbers), but I'm drawing blanks when I try to search for it.)

Show your customers this http://www.nist.gov/nvlap/upload/2009-01-08_IAF-ILAC-ISO-communiqu-C3-83-_ISO-IEC17025_-1.pdf

 

[ScottK]

In line with what Jerry says and by the evidence that dv8shane posted: If you are a calibration and test lab the you are fine.
If calibration and test is only one facet of your business you may want to reconsider, particularly if you design tools. I don't believe 17025 covers D&D.

 

[harry]

Our management recently decided to drop our ISO 9001 registration saying that 17025 covers the same material and then some. Now our customers who previously accepted our 9001 registration (but had no requirement for 17025 accredited calibrations) are complaining. Was this the right thing to do? Is it necessary for a company that is 17025 accredited to keep the 9001 registration?

(This is probably another one of those topics that have been beat to death (like NIST numbers), but I'm drawing blanks when I try to search for it.)

I am not sure if all work done at your place is within the scope of your ISO 17025 accreditation. If not, how are you taking care of these?

 

[John Broomfield]

Our management recently decided to drop our ISO 9001 registration saying that 17025 covers the same material and then some. Now our customers who previously accepted our 9001 registration (but had no requirement for 17025 accredited calibrations) are complaining. Was this the right thing to do? Is it necessary for a company that is 17025 accredited to keep the 9001 registration?

(This is probably another one of those topics that have been beat to death (like NIST numbers), but I'm drawing blanks when I try to search for it.)

Scott,

We need to know the scope of your ISO 9001 certification to fully answer this question.

Customers who are buying services beyond testing and calibration may be complaining.

The scope of your ISO 17025 accreditation may not cover all of your services and scope extensions can be expensive.

John