ISO 17025 is the equivalent of ISO 9000 for calibration and testing laboratories. It applies to any organization that wants to assure its customers of precision, accuracy and repeatability of results. This includes in-house laboratories for which assurance of results is at a premium.

The growth in use of quality systems generally has increased the need to ensure that laboratories that form part of larger organizations or offer other services can operate to a quality system that is seen as compliant with ISO 9000 as well as with ISO 17025. Testing and calibration labs that comply with this standard will also operate in accordance with ISO 9000. Certification to ISO 9000 alone does not demonstrate the competence of the lab to produce technically valid data and results, whereas certification to ISO 17025 does provide that evidence.
QS 9000, the Automotive Quality Management System, and its successor, TS16949, have stipulated that first-tier suppliers of calibration and test services be ISO 17025 certified, and that suppliers upstream of them be compliant.