Industry 4.0 and metrology centres

Interim Manager, 32005 Ourense, Spain

^* Corresponding author: jotaelepece@gmail.com

Abstract

Historically laboratories/metrology centres have considered the management aspects of their respective organizations in a somewhat collateral manner, putting all their emphasis on the technical aspects. The editions of the international standards that have sustained and supported the accreditation processes have been giving greater importance to these aspects of management. The ongoing revision of ISO 17025 indicates its most significant changes towards them. And if the regulatory environment is boiling, what about the socio-economic one! Industry 4.0 together with the digital transformation will influence all types of organizations, and laboratories/metrology centres cannot be alien to the challenges they face with. The transversality of the science of measurement, that it is to say, metrology, makes it relevant but not stellar in each and every one of the aspects to which this revolution is directed. Let’s not forget that governments and scientists are calling it Fourth Industrial Revolution. This paper focuses on the challenges that must be faced from these laboratories/metrology centres to key points of clearly organizational influence such as innovation, entrepreneurship and/or conversion to customer-centric organizations.