Good News Stories from KOLAS

1. Korean Steel Exporter benefits from the ILAC MRA

A large Korean steel manufacturer, POSCO, has enjoyed improved market access benefiting from the accreditation of its laboratory by KOLAS in the year 2000.

In 2004, a Mexican automobile parts manufacturer was interested in buying POSCO steel, demanding the proof of the reliability of POSCO steel. The Mexican buyer was delighted to learn POSCO steel had been tested in an accredited laboratory by KOLAS and POSCO successfully secured order from the Mexican customer.

Again in 2004, an Indian buyer of POSCO steel required the steel to have certification from BIS (Bureau of India Standard). POSCO’s accredited laboratory was accepted thereby satisfying the BIS requirement. The steel tested by the POSCO laboratory was not required to be retested in India, resulting in a considerable saving on the cost of retesting.

POSCO is very pleased with its KOLAS accreditation, and its benefits from KOLAS’ signatory status in the ILAC MRA. POSCO estimates the ILAC MRA has brought the company US$5 million in economic benefits in 2004 alone. ILAC MRA has created the reliability of testing, realizing the vision of ILAC “One test, accepted everywhere” in the real world.

2. No need for costly re-calibration thanks to the ILAC MRA

When Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Company Ltd. (DSME) made a bid to build an offshore semi-submersible rig facility for British Petroleum (BP), it was required by BP that DSME prove the competence of its calibration laboratory and its operation to ISO/IEC 17025.

Since DSME is accredited by KOLAS, a signatory to the ILAC MRA, British Petroleum soon recognized its competence in calibration. The Korean manufacturer successfully won the US$400 million contract. KOLAS’ participation in the ILAC MRA was of huge benefit to DSME, and therefore there was no need for duplicating the calibration tests. DSME estimates that if their calibration reports had not been accepted, an additional US$10 million would have been budgeted for the project, reducing the international competitiveness of DSME. The Korean manufacturer views its laboratory’s accreditation status, and KOLAS’ participation in the ILAC MRA, as offering clear and measurable benefits to its profitability