Toward ISO/IEC 17025 compliance: challenges and strategies for a university research laboratory

This study assesses the compliance of a university research laboratory with the ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 standard, focusing on ensuring technical competence and the integrity of analytical results. An analytical approach was employed using a standard checklist to identify gaps and establish a corrective action plan. The evaluation revealed significant deficiencies in the laboratory's structural, resource, and process requirements, resulting in an overall satisfaction rate of only 15%. This percentage reflects the proportion of conformity criteria met by the laboratory in relation to the standard’s requirements. These findings underscore the critical need for improvements in the laboratory’s quality management system to enhance the reliability and credibility of its research outputs. The study also emphasizes the importance of implementing robust quality control measures and continuous staff training to meet international standards, thus positioning the laboratory to achieve full ISO/IEC 17025 compliance in the future.