1. Clearly define what you want to be accredited for

It is essential to understand that obtaining accreditation for a laboratory is a long and complex process. It is not enough to take a decision by the management committee and appoint a quality manager to hope to obtain accreditation within a few months.

The first step after the decision to go for accreditation is to find out what it's for: the answer to this question will completely condition the accreditation process. Laboratory accreditation is a recognition of competence to perform specific activities. It is very rare to find laboratories seeking accreditation for all their activities as soon as they enter the accreditation process (initial assessment).

The best way to find out exactly what you need to be accredited for is to consult the accreditations of other competing laboratories or partners who are already accredited. It's very easy...