Today, around the world, businesses and consumers want reassurance that the products, materials, or services they manufacture or purchase meet expectations or conform to specific requirements. This usually means that products will be inspected to determine characteristics according to a particular standard or specification. For the manufacturer or supplier, choosing a technically competent inspection body minimizes the risk of delivering or manufacturing a defective product.
Inspection of products and materials can be expensive and time consuming. If the quality of the inspection is poor, the consequences can be costly, like the need for re-inspection, if a product fails to meet customer specifications or expectations it could lead to recall, rework, litigation, and compensation. If re-inspection is required, the reputation of the supplier or manufacturer will inevitably be destroyed. The selection of an inspection body with technical capacity to reduce the risk requires additional inspection.
Customer’s confidence in a product was enhanced if they know the product has been thoroughly tested by a competent, independent inspection body. This is especially important if a product supplier can demonstrate to a customer that the inspection body itself has been audited by a third party. More and more customers are relying on independent inspection results rather than on a supplier’s recommendation that the product is “fit for use”.
Through ILAC’s Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) on inspection of ILAC, accredited and technically competent inspection bodies gain international recognition, making their inspection reports easily accepted in other economies. This accreditation reduces costs for manufacturers and exporters by reducing or eliminating the need for additional inspection in the importing economy.
