Survey results "What do you expect from your calibration service provider in the future"

In issue 08/23 of Polyscope magazine, we took an in-depth look at the rapid development of technologies and the resulting increase in demands on the services provided by calibration laboratories. In four chapters, the article sheds light on advancing, current and future changes at measurement and calibration service providers.

As part of the guest article, we asked readers and partners to express their opinions on future expectations of calibration service providers in a survey. We summarise the results below:

Is on-site calibration of measuring devices interesting for you/your company?

Readers are virtually unanimous in their opinion that on-site calibration of measuring instruments is interesting. The advantages of short production downtimes, the constant availability of measuring and testing equipment, the calculable time planning and the elimination of dismantling of equipment and logistics services are weighted more heavily than the sometimes greater measurement uncertainties and slightly higher costs. On-site calibration can also be carried out in accredited procedures as SCS calibration. Find out more about the integration of on-site calibration into the accreditation of APTOMET AG here.

Would you/your company like to order calibration services via an online shop?

Although online trade is becoming increasingly important, the survey participants' desire to order calibration services via an online shop is low. One possible reason for this is that the established procurement processes in the companies are considered to be efficient and effective. Looking at the developments in B2C business in recent years, however, it can be assumed that requirements will also change in B2B business in the coming years.

Do you/your company use a procurement management system today or is this planned for the future?

The result is balanced. From our own experience, however, we can confirm that while large companies are increasingly relying on platforms such as SAP Ariba or Coupa to optimise the process of procuring and managing goods and services, the solutions for SMEs are often too resource-intensive.

Do you/your company expect your calibration service provider to operate an ISO 14001-certified environmental management system?

Here, too, the result is balanced. As an ISO/IEC/EN 17025 accredited calibration laboratory, APTOMET considers resource-conserving and sustainable business activities to be important. Environmental impacts are addressed in daily operations and especially in the strategy. Although measures in service companies tend to be less efficient than those in production companies, we consider it positive that our partners' expectations and demands of us as a calibration laboratory are increasing.

Do you recognise advantages for you/your company in an electronic calibration certificate?

There is definitely a need for electronic calibration certificates. The fact that process optimisation and automation are becoming increasingly important is something we see in our day-to-day business. Calibration service providers are also an important player when it comes to supporting the optimisation of production and quality monitoring processes and providing data that can be used across systems.

 

You can find the article "How service providers need to position themselves" in our Blog.