Are You Doing Business With the Right Measurement Services Provider?
Probably most important factor in choosing a measurement services provider is whether or not they are accredited to the right standards by the right accreditation body. ISO 17025 is the standard to which all measurement companies should be compliant and accredited. If they are not, you are probably out of compliance with your own quality system and the national standards by which you are bound. They also must have a SCOPE of accreditation that covers your specific devices and the capacities of those devices. SCOPE is just as important as the ACCREDITATION itself. GRAND RAPIDS METROLOGY is accredited to ISO 17025 by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), the premier accreditation body. Our scope is available on our website.
The next question you need to ask is whether my calibration provider can be the SINGLE SOURCE for all my measurement needs. If they can only do scales and balances, you can do better. Check their scope of accreditation. If it’s only scales and balances, check ours! Even if your equipment is not within our scope, we will manage the asset for you and ensure it is properly calibrated at regular intervals.
Where are your certs? In a drawer, on your desk, in the mailroom, in an old email? You should never ask those questions. If your vendor does not have an online certificate retrieval and maintenance management system, you need a new provider. Reduce your headaches and the stress of your audits. Call for a demo of our online system.
Calibration can be a real pain if you have to pack up your equipment and ship it to your vendor. Ask if your provider can do ON-SITE calibrations and even if they can’t, do they have an EXPRESS TURNAROUND or RAPID RESPONSE service? Being without your devices for long periods is expensive and often requires additional compliance activities.
Does your vendor understand LIQUID MEASUREMENT? If your operation involves tanks, batching, bottling, flow, etc., the calibration of your devices is often difficult and requires special equipment and access to be done properly. Is your provider testing to full capacity? Are they doing build up tests? Do they explain what they do and why? Have they offered a load cell system for tank weighing?
Sometimes, standard product or calibration procedures just don’t work. Does your provider have an engineering department with a long history of providing customized measurement solutions? Visit our website and look at the capabilities of our IDEA Team. We don’t just provide products and services, we provide integrated solutions and have done so for decades.
Many customers have PLC systems requiring calibration and/or hazardous environments in which they operate measurement equipment. There are many pitfalls in the calibration procedures in these special environments. Your vendor needs to be able to present documents to show that the technician they send is qualified to work on this special equipment in these defined and protected areas. Ask for training records and experience. The potential consequences could be dire.
Finally, does the staff of your vendor act professionally? Are they on time and do they have the right tools, experience and parts when they arrive? Was their office staff informed and pleasant? Were your questions answered? Were your certificates available when you needed them? Was the billing fair and timely? At GRAND RAPIDS METROLOGY, we strive to be world class in all aspects of our business. We want to do the right thing, in the right way at the right time. After 93 years in business, our value system speaks for itself. Without strong values, companies do not survive for 93 years and through five generations of family management!
Call us at 1-800-348-5701. We are the RIGHT measurement product and service vendor for you!
