Monitoring vs. calibration

When a laboratory wants to guarantee the results of a measurement process, it has always had its instruments calibrated on a regular basis. This historic principle led to the creation and harmonization of measurement units throughout the world. It is the basis of legal metrology. However, laboratories are not in the business of legal metrology, and their problem can be summed up in a few words: is my measurement adapted to what I need?

The aim of this fact sheet is to present the implementation of monitoring as a complement to calibration, for laboratories seeking to control their measurement processes. Without being exhaustive, this sheet describes various possible monitoring methods that laboratories can implement to reduce metrology costs while minimizing risks.