Essential elements of selection of a third party testing lab in apparel export

Lab Affiliation

As with any business transaction, it is important to understand the partner. There is no good or bad affiliation for a lab, but one should know how that affiliation may affect testing.

In-house Lab

There are pros and cons to using a lab within the organization. An important advantage is the opportunity to observe a test. One can often learn much more from seeing the results first hand than from a single number on a written report. One can quickly retest or make adjustments based on those results. It is better to control confidentiality if the product never leaves the organization.

The most obvious downside to an in-house lab is the possibility of bias—or the perception of bias. Even if every test is done “by the book,” some customers may prefer confirmation from a third party.

Manufacturing Labs

The in-house lab may be one of the manufacturing labs in the textile supply chain. However, if one is the customer in another organization’s in-house lab, there are a few other things to consider.

Often, manufacturers are the best resource for solving a problem. If the sample fails to test, the manufacturer may know exactly how to improve it. (One may also have learned something about the products in use that could be helpful to the manufacturer!)

Relationship with the lab will probably be a key factor in how much detail one can get about the results and how much one trusts those results. As with in-house labs, be aware of the potential for bias—we all want to see our own products perform well. For a variety of reasons, it is generally not a good practice to have a manufacturing lab test its competitor’s product.

Independent Labs

They are Independent; contract; third-party; commercial. These are labs whose primary business is to perform testing for other organizations. They generally do not benefit from giving good or bad results. Testing is a business for these labs. This means they may be more likely to guarantee turnaround time or other services in an effort to earn and keep your business. It also means you will pay for these services.

Academic Labs

Many colleges and universities offer testing services. These are often run as independent for-profit labs, but there may also be less formal arrangements in which students or faculty will perform testing on an ad hoc basis or as part of a research project.

Proficiency

Merriam-Webster defines “proficient” as “good at doing something” or “well advanced in an art, occupation, or branch of knowledge”. These all sound like good attributes to look for when selecting a lab to do textile testing. But how does one know if a lab is good at doing something—specifically the tests one wants to be performed? How can one tells if technicians have advanced knowledge of the tests?

Proficiency Programs

One way labs can measure their performance is by participating in proficiency programs. Proficiency programs allow labs to anonymously compare their results to those of tens, or even hundreds,  of other labs.

Each participant performs the same test on specimens of the same fabrics. Results are compiled and reported back to the participants.

For instance, in the case of AATCC Proficiency Testing Programs, each participant is assigned a number, known only to themselves. Tables and graphs are distributed so each lab can see how its results compare to those of others and determine whether additional training is needed on particular test methods.

Proficiency

Merriam-Webster defines “proficient” as “good at doing something” or “well advanced in an art, occupation, or branch of knowledge”. These all sound like good attributes to look for when selecting a lab to do textile testing. But how does one know if a lab is good at doing something—specifically the tests one wants to be performed? How can one tells if technicians have advanced knowledge of the tests?

Proficiency Programs

One way labs can measure their performance is by participating in proficiency programs. Proficiency programs allow labs to anonymously compare their results to those of tens, or even hundreds,  of other labs.

Each participant performs the same test on specimens of the same fabrics. Results are compiled and reported back to the participants.

For instance, in the case of AATCC Proficiency Testing Programs, each participant is assigned a number, known only to themselves. Tables and graphs are distributed so each lab can see how its results compare to those of others and determine whether additional training is needed on particular test methods.

ertificates from these and other proficiency programs may be on display in the lab. If not, one can ask if the lab participates in such programs, how frequently, how recently, and for which test methods.

ertificates from these and other proficiency programs may be on display in the lab. If not, one can ask if the lab participates in such programs, how frequently, how recently, and for which test methods.