Keynote Address

Workshop & Symposium
Metrology in a Fast Paced Society
Nashville, Tennessee
July 14 - 18, 2013

NCSLI Welcomes Keynote Speaker
Peter Unger, A2LA


How Important is Accreditation in a Fast Paced Society?
Calibration service providers, office sales teams, directors, managers, they’re all working fast and competitively to provide timely and cost effective services, how does all this play out? Does accreditation matter?

By the 1980s calibration laboratory accreditation was well established in Europe, Asia and Australia (Australasia), In the United States however, it was non-existent. Since then, accreditation has grown dramatically in the U.S. as well as worldwide and continues to be a hot topic with ISO/IEC 17025 General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories. The NCSLI played a leading role in this by developing accreditation in North America and providing 17025 supplements and the Z540 Standards. Accreditation to calibration documentary standards has driven requirements for accredited calibration services; thus stimulating the growth of accreditations.

With technology moving at the fastest pace in a decade, industry too has had to keep up. We’re modeling uncertainties on our phones; we’re exchanging data over the internet. Customers are verifying accreditation and scope 24/7. Corporations must continue to respond and adapt to this globally. The need for authenticating metrological traceability is a driving force. ILAC and BIPM have established principles for the determination of internationally acceptable paths for metrological traceability and technical barriers to trade.

This keynote address will provide some history on accreditation and the future development of accreditation in the U.S. and worldwide including the roles played by industry organizations and industry groups. Although not a panacea, accreditation has been helpful in improving calibration services. I will provide an overview of current ILAC requirements for accreditation of calibration laboratories, how accreditation requirements should be specified and my thoughts on accreditation becoming a de facto credential for providing calibration services to the marketplace.

Peter S. Unger

Peter Unger is President and CEO of the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). A2LA is a nonprofit, membership organization administering the largest, internationally recognized laboratory accreditation systems in the United States and one of the leading bodies in the world with over 2,400 accreditations. Mr. Unger has been involved with national laboratory accreditation since 1978. Prior to attaining his current position in April 1996, Mr. Unger served as Vice President of the Association and prior to that, was Associate Manager of Laboratory Accreditation at the National Bureau of Standards. Mr. Unger serves as Chair of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) for 2010-2014. Mr. Unger has a BS degree in systems engineering from Princeton University and a masters in environmental management from George Washington University.