The Global Accreditation Cooperation, Incorporated (Global ACI) is ushering in the next chapter of globally recognized conformity assessment! On January 1, 2026, the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) and the IAF Multilateral Arrangement (MLA) were replaced with the Global ACI Multilateral
Key Considerations for the FDA ASCA Program
The Accreditation Scheme for Conformity Assessment (ASCA) Program is a voluntary program that was launched in 2020 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve the reliability, consistency, and regulatory confidence in medical device testing performed to FDA-recognized consensus standards.
The Integration of Drones into Crime Scene Documentation
Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) is the process of examining a crime scene to collect, document, and preserve evidence of potential forensic value. Crime scenes are commonly documented with photographs, sketches, notes, forms, and reports. However, there are limitations that come with typical
Thanks for Joining Us at AnnCon26!
Thank you for joining us for AnnCon26 in Nashville, TN this year at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center! It was another incredible year of engaging sessions, valuable networking, and professional growth for accreditation and quality professionals at every level, from quality
A2LA 2025 Annual Report
In this Annual Report, we share A2LA’s organizational growth, the strategic plan we took to get there, the positive impacts we’ve made, and meet the leaders who have helped to pave the way. Everything that we’ve accomplished—and everything in this report—is thanks to our united efforts in pursuit of
The Pressures of Similarity
Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) are increasingly receiving requests—often driven by regulatory expectations or market pressure—to apply test results to products beyond those physically tested. These requests most commonly arise from model number proliferation, regional part number variations,
ISO/IEC 17065: Mechanism for Safeguarding Impartiality
Impartiality is a common theme amongst conformity assessment schemes. By definition, impartiality is the absence of bias. The International Standards Organization (ISO) establishes the significance of this concept in every conformity assessment scheme (CAS). Specifically within ISO/IEC 17065, the
Accreditation Case Study: ViVitro Labs
Imagine you’re the president of a testing organization with two separate labs. Each lab has its own quality management system (QMS), is accredited by different accrediting bodies (ABs) in two different languages, and there’s a nine-hour time difference between them. Operating these labs separately,