1. First tip: Know why you want to be accredited and what you want to be accredited for.

The first question to ask before embarking on an accreditation process is: "Why get accredited? There are many answers to this question, and here are a few examples:

• have its competence recognized by a third-party organization;

• obtain ministerial approvals ;

• international recognition to win new markets;

• demonstrate the competence and impartiality of an in-house laboratory;

• respond to a customer request,

• stand out from the competition.

All these answers, and many more, are good ones: implementing an accreditation process is long, costly and sometimes very "reorganizing". It must, therefore, respond to a need clearly expressed by management....