In a previous article I presented an overview of ISO10012: 2003 Measurement Management Standard. This standard was written originally as a support document for ISO 9001: 2000 under the 10000 series of documents composed for this purpose. When ISO 9001: 2015 was released these 10000 series documents were reviewed for their applicability to this revision. The review of ISO 10012: 2003 revealed a significant need to revise the document. Technology advances, experience in the process approach and a need to create the document to be applicable to all management standards was needed. Thus, an international team of subject matter experts was formed. The team began a redesign of the standard in May 2021. A plan was created, and a timeline based on the ISO requirements. Work began with monthly meetings and small teams being reasonable for sections of the standard. In 2022 the team performed a self-critique and realized that the original plan was not making the progress required. So, the next step was for the team to perform a restart. The team began this restart by creating a Type A standard instead of Type B (current version) and with the High-Level Structure format of Type A as the new starting point. Some of you are asking what is a Type A standard? Type A standards are those an organization can elect to be certified to. The current version of ISO 10012 is a Type B which is a guideline document.

Let’s discuss what ISO 10012 is for those who are not aware. The main objective of a measurement management system (MMS) is to have confidence in the validity of the measurement results. This includes managing the risk of measurement processes that could produce incorrect results affecting the quality of an organization’s products and/or services. The purpose of ISO 10012 is to provide an organization the appropriate framework for implementing measurement management requirements. This standard is now applicable to be used by any industrial sectors requiring an MMS, and is complementary to the requirements of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 or any other documented management system.

This brings up an interesting point. There are some organizations and individuals who are concerned about having another standard to be certified to. We as a team highlight that certification is an option, there is no mandate to certify to the standard to use it. There are others who are concerned about that it competes with ISO/IEC 17025. Let’s look at a comparison of these two standards.

The team completed the first major phase of development in July 2023. This Working Draft was submitted to ISO to be circulated to each of the T/C 176 committees of each country for feedback. The team will meet again after the comments are collected to address each of the comments to develop a draft of the International Standard (DIS). Stay tuned for a follow-up on the progress of this revised ISO 10012 standard.