Risk is part of everyday laboratory operations and organisations that understand and embrace risk are more likely to succeed.
We spoke to NATA Technical Manager, Danielle Dicker, on how ISO conformity Standards are increasingly becoming more risk focused, how risk can empower laboratories when reframed the right way, and using accreditation to effectively manage risk.
“Risk is something we all deal with every day. Consciously or not, we make calculated decisions that have the potential to impact a personal or a professional reputation,” said Danielle.
“It could be something as simple as staying in bed an extra ten minutes and risking the extra traffic or driving five kilometres over the speed limit and risking a fine or, worse, causing an accident. Or it could be a decision in a laboratory that may significantly impact its results.”
For many laboratories, results are its main product. Danielle believes accreditation forms an additional layer of trust and confidence that the laboratory can build confidence in the reliability of its results.
“Accreditation is at the heart of successful risk management, and it is the leading laboratories that understand and embrace this. It provides laboratories with increased credibility, better customer confidence and better access to market,” added Danielle.
“It also provides laboratories with a framework for identifying, assessing, and evaluating the effectiveness of their risk management strategies. Laboratories that ignore or delay taking risk into account may well create an adverse impact on their results, staff, clients, reputation, trust, and credibility.”
Danielle believes accreditation helps laboratories incorporate risk-based thinking into everyday operations and it them identify and mitigate risks, prevent errors and accidents, and continuously improve operations.
“Accreditation can help an organisation grow and improve by managing risk. While accreditation is voluntary, an organisation that chooses to be accredited to a recognised Standard inspires confidence to the end user,” says Danielle.
Danielle believes that accreditation is a sound risk management tool that allows organisations to make informed decisions and provide a framework for risk management.
“By monitoring the effectiveness of risk reduction strategies, as well as outcomes achieved, you will set yourself on a continuous path for improvement as well as higher quality outcomes,” added Danielle. “Customers have more confidence in an organisation that can demonstrate it has taken the necessary steps to evaluate itself.”
“Overall while risk may be inherent in everyday operations, it can be reframed as an opportunity to help improve an organisation’s operations. When managed correctly, it can also be genuine competitive advantage.”
We thank Danielle for her insights and look forward to her second instalment on ‘Why you Should Risk Everything.’