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The many benefits of establishing and achieving systems of accreditations for labs – or for any sort of company – are quite obvious. They provide an international standard that paves the way for all these companies toward a more competitive position. It also provides peace of mind for clients and associates, and creates a competitive environment in which to hire, ensuring high-quality employees. However, because there are so many standards to meet, it's a bit of a challenge for some labs to get their accreditations for various reasons. Challenging as it may be, though, the goal is still an attainable one; labs should simply be aware of what they need to look out for prior to beginning the process. For smaller, developing laboratories – and, perhaps more so, ones in developing countries, cost can be the biggest obstacle. Hiring a third party to survey your company and decide whether you're worthy of accreditation isn't inexpensive. It requires highly specialized professionals and it's a very precision-intensive endeavor, so not just anyone can perform it. By aiming only for the necessary scopes, though, some of these costs can perhaps be avoided. It's also important for the labs to bear in mind the potential payoff – acquiring ISO 17025 accreditation, in many cases, makes it easier for a lab to grow and gain clients, therefore making more profit. The point of accreditation is to make sure that the quality of your company's work can be internationally recognized. However, this can put smaller countries at a disadvantage. They may not have access to the information they need to meet the standards of larger, more booming countries, nor might their practices be similarly standardized. It will take a great deal more work for a laboratory in a developing country with fewer resources to be as highly acclaimed as, perhaps, a franchised laboratory in the US. Accreditation can sometimes take a long time. There will be cases in which a lab will need to make corrections several times before receiving their accreditation. Furthermore, the mere need to establish accreditation bodies – third parties to perform the accreditations – is sometimes a difficult endeavor as well. Again, it's expensive and very knowledge-intensive; it could take years. Therefore, if there's not an accreditation body in close proximity to your lab, that could slow the process, causing it to take more time or perhaps be more expensive. As aforementioned, though, once accreditation is achieved – despite the potential obstacles – many new opportunities are provided for the newly accredited lab. It's a great way to begin to expand the company's services, income, and level of competitiveness.
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