Should we perform our own calibrations?

Most companies discover they cannot effectively perform their own calibrations for many reasons. The most frequent issues with internal calibrations are:

Cost of standards: Often, the cost of the assets with the required accuracy to perform the calibration is prohibitive (It could take years of calibrations to pay for one standard).

Developing Procedures: Many manufacture’s procedures are not readily available. Sometimes they require research and development. This can cost hundreds of hours of labor.

Productivity of Technicians: Often a non-commercial calibration laboratory’s productivity per employee is only a fraction of what can be obtained through an external commercial calibration laboratory who specializes in automation, efficient procedures and experienced management.

Cost of Management: Managing the employees, assets, maintenance and processes of a calibration lab can be burdensome on existing management staff.

Cost of Non-Compliance: The calibration section in ISO 9000 can be confusing. If your calibration is handled by an external source, your audit is relatively simple in the area of calibration. If you perform your own calibrations, an auditor has a multitude of things to examine and find fault with.

Not a core competency: The overall management burden of the operation distracts from the core competency of the company.