History of Quality Control
Quality Control Sales & Services, Inc. (QCSS), of Indianapolis, Indiana, began in 1960, when one man started Precision Instrument Service, a precision tool repair service. Keeping the business within his family, in 1978 he sold to his niece and her husband. In 1987, we purchased Quality Control Sales & Service, a dimensional metrology laboratory, and merged our two companies as Quality Control Sales & Services, Inc., offering sales, repair, calibration and certification of dimensional gages, standards, and surface plates.
While continuing to grow, Quality Control Sales & Services, Inc. made a commitment in September 1998 to improve our company’s quality system by seeking registration to ISO 9002 within a six-month period.
Our management team recommended this commitment to quality. The goal was immediately embraced, and accomplished through the diligence of all 12 employees.
"QUALITY FIRST, in our name and service!" became our quality policy. We pledge to satisfy and exceed the needs and expectations of our customers and our employees, thus ensuring continued improvement, growth, profit, and success for our company. The employees of QCSS commit to meeting the requirements of our customers and coworkers by delivering error-free services and workmanship the first time, on time, every time.
In February 1999, Quality Control was granted registration of our Quality Management System to the requirements of ISO 9002 by Quality Certification Bureau of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Our first goal was accomplished on schedule.
At the request of our valued QS9000 registered customers, and for our own commitment to continually evaluate and improve the quality of our calibration services, our second goal was to be accredited to ISO/IEC Guide 25 by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) within the following year. ISO/IEC Guide 25, in contrast with ISO/QS9000, is a technical competency standard specifically written to assess calibration and testing laboratories, as opposed to a generic quality system. Accreditation to ISO/IEC Guide 25-1990 and ANSI/NCSL Z540-1-1994 is a requirement of laboratories providing external calibration services to QS9000 companies.
The following steps were taken to accomplish our goals:
- Committed 29% of our metrologists to accreditation;
- Increased our measurement and process control equipment and capabilities by 33%;
- Expanded all levels of documentation to incorporate the requirements of ISO/IEC Guide 25;
- Quantified all sources of process error to facilitate reduction of contributors and allow us to report to our customer any possible deviation from reported condition, known as uncertainty.
The internal impacts of our improved quality efforts:
- Better understanding of metrology processes;
- Improvement of many processes due to reduction of uncertainty contributors;
- Ability to continue providing an external calibration service to QS9000 registered companies;
- Calibrations accredited by a third party to be traceable to National and International standards.
The external impacts of our quality efforts:
- Knowledge of our quality of calibration services versus the worldwide community;
- Better service to the manufacturing community in our area;
- Greater in-depth information, comprehensive technical data and guidance furnished to our customers;
- Recognition of the high caliber of our commitment to quality.
On September 1, 2000, A2LA accredited Quality Control Sales & Services to ISO Guide 25, meeting the requirements of our QS9000 registered customers. We received above average results on our ISO Guide 25 assessment, approximately 60% fewer discrepancies than the average laboratory on our initial assessment. Our second goal is successfully attained.
Our third goal was to attain assessment by A2LA to ISO/IEC 17025. In July 2001, QCSS was given a gap audit by A2LA. The gap audit highlighted possible improvements between ISO Guide 25 and the international standard ISO/IEC 17025. The improvements were made, making us compliant with ISO/IEC 17025.
Continuing our quest for improvement, A2LA accredited Quality Control Sales & Services to ISO/IEC 17025:1999 on July 16, 2002. With that accreditation we continue meeting the requirements of our QS9000 registered customers as well as demonstrating our continued competence in measurements, for all calibrations performed by QCSS.
The international standard ISO/IEC 17025:1999, "General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories",, in contrast with ISO/QS9000, is a technical competency standard specifically written to assess calibration and testing laboratories, as opposed to a generic quality system. ISO Guide 25:1990 was just that, a guide used for the competence of calibration and testing laboratories. The international standard ISO/IEC 17025:1999 is the quality system for, specific criteria for, and a competency standard for laboratories. The following is an excerpt from the introduction page of the international standard ISO/IEC 17025:1999 drawing attention to the ISO 900X requirements placed on calibration and testing labs by the international standard.
ISO/IEC 17025:2005(E)
Introduction
This International Standard has been produced as the result of extensive experience in the implementation of ISO/IEC Guide 25 and EN 45001, both of which it now replaces. It contains all of the requirements that testing and calibration laboratories have to meet if they wish to demonstrate that they operate a quality system, are technically competent, and are able to generate technically valid results.
Accreditation bodies that recognize the competence of testing and calibration laboratories should use this International Standard as the basis for their accreditation. Clause 4 specifies the requirements for sound management. Clause 5 specifies the requirements for technical competence for the type of tests and/or calibrations the laboratory undertakes.
The growth in use of quality systems generally has increased the need to ensure that laboratories which form part of larger organizations or offer other services can operate to a quality system that is seen as compliant with ISO 9001 or ISO 9002 as well as with this International Standard. Care has been taken, therefore, to incorporate all those requirements of ISO 9001 and ISO 9002 that are relevant to the scope of testing and calibration services that are covered by the laboratory’s quality system.
Testing and calibration laboratories that comply with this International Standard will therefore also operate in accordance with ISO 9001 or ISO 9002.
Certification against ISO 9001 and ISO 9002 does not of itself demonstrate the competence of the laboratory to produce technically valid data and results.