A sophisticated system of guidelines, institutions, and processes creates reliability and trust in safe products and services. The level of quality is in the responsibility of the manufacturers. However, it is the quality infrastructure (QI) that ensures, supports, and makes it comparable. It consists of five interlocking elements.
Metrology is the science of exact measurement. The fields of activity include the definition of internationally accepted units of measurement, the realisation of units of measurement by scientific methods, as well as the establishment of traceability chains by determining and documenting measured values and their accuracies, and the dissemination of this knowledge. (Source: Metrology - in short, 3rd edition)
A standard is a document that specifies requirements for products, services, or processes. It thus creates clarity about their properties, facilitates the free movement of goods, and promotes exports. It supports rationalisation and quality assurance in business, technology, science, and administration. It serves to ensure the safety of people and property and to improve quality in all areas of life.
When a product, service, process, system, person, or body meets requirements that are specified by law, contract, or otherwise, then this compliance is called conformity. Conformity assessment can be carried out by the manufacturer or supplier itself, its contractual partners, or customers, as well as by independent conformity assessment bodies.
