1. Overview of the NIST Quality Management System
Presented by Sally Bruce, Quality Manager
December 3, 2015

2. Scope of the NIST Quality System
Standard Reference Data
~ 100 different types
~ 6,000 units sold per year
~ 18 million data downloads per year
Copyright Robert Rathe
Standard Reference Materials
1300 materials
Well-characterized composition or properties, or both
~ 30,000 units sold per year
Calibrations
~ 20,000 performed per year
Photo credit: M. Baum/NIST

3. Motivators for the Quality Management System at NIST
Transparency to our customers and stakeholders
Demonstrates competence
Enables customer satisfaction
Commitment to demonstrate competence via the CIPM MRA (maintains international acceptance of our measurement capabilities)
Opportunities for improvements
Fosters awareness and communication
Provides an environment to enable progress

4. In October 1999, the directors of the national metrology institutes (NMIs) of 38 Member States of the Metre Convention signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA)
for national measurement standards and for calibration and measurement certificates issued by national metrology institutes.

5. Mutual Recognition Arrangement
degree of equivalence of national measurement standards maintained by NMI’s;
mutual recognition of calibration and measurement certificates issued by NMI’s and DI’s;
secure technical foundation for wider agreements related to international trade, commerce and regulatory affairs
Assure that measurements traceable to different NMIs can be accepted across borders

6. Technical basis for comparability and confidence in Measurements
International comparisons of measurements,
known as key comparisons;
supplementary international comparisons of measurements;
quality systems;
and demonstrations of competence by NMIs.
Outcome
statements of the calibration and measurement capabilities (CMCs) of each NMI in a database publicly available on the Web.

7. Components for the recognition/approval of NMI’s capabilities in the KCDB
Signing of the CIPM MRA
Quality Management System
Intercomparisons
Assessments or Peer Reviews
NIST has more than 2,000 capabilities listed in the KCDB and has participated in nearly 500 key comparisons.

8. ©R. Rathe
In a given year the NIST quality system covers 50,000 measurement services

9. Regional Metrology Organizations: SIM, Euramet, APMP, COOMET, AFRIMET
The CIPM MRA has now been signed by the representatives of 98 institutes – from 54 Member States, 40 Associates of the CGPM, and 4 international organizations – and covers a further 152 institutes designated by the signatory bodies.

10. SIM the Regional Metrology Organization for the Americas

11. Inter-American Metrology System
SIM Quality System Task Force Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Mexico, Uruguay, USA

12. SIM QSTF: Quality System Task Force Quality Management System Reviews
Inter-American Metrology System
SIM QSTF: Quality System Task Force Quality Management System Reviews
Quality manuals
Internal audits
Management Reviews
Assessments or Peer Reviews
Findings
Corrective Actions

14. NIST Quality System for Measurement Services
QM-I NIST Policies and Procedures
QM-II Division Policies and Procedures
QM-IIIs
Measurement Systems Processes and Procedures
NIST-QM-I V9 was signed by the NIST Director, Dr. Willie May, on 13 November 2015
NIST Quality System

15. The NIST Quality Manager is a function within the Standards Coordination Office
The Divisions and Offices within NIST that have implemented the quality system are located at the yellow line and below

16. Division Quality Managers
Management of QMS:
Division Quality Managers
Division/Office
Quality Manager
Reference Materials
Maria Polakoski
Materials Science and Engineering
Carlos Beauchamp
Materials Measurement Science
Donald Windover
Biosystems and Biomaterials
Paul DeRose
Biomolecular Measurement
Ashley Beasley Green
Chemical Sciences
Mike Epstein
Applied Chemicals and Materials
Mike Lewis
Radiation Physics
Marc Desrosiers
Semiconductor and Dimensional Metrology
Ted Doiron

17. Division Quality Managers
Management of QMS:
Division Quality Managers
Division/Office
Quality Manager
Quantum Measurement
Rick Seifarth
Sensor Science
Catherine Cooksey
Quantum Electronics and Photonics
Igor Vayshenker
RF Technology
Tasshi Dennis
Time and Frequency
Mike Lombardi
Materials and Structure Systems
Clarissa Ferraris
Energy and Environment
Bob Zarr

18. Management of QMS: Management Reviews
Improvements to services
Volume of work
Customer feedback
Corrective actions
Lab conditions and other impacts to the availability of services
Interactions (with other NMIs, conference participation, etc.)
Standards work (committee activities)
International intercomparisons

19. Customer feedback for Reference Materials

20. New Customer Survey for NIST Calibrations
Launched June 2015
Replaces 30 year-old paper version
Responses received – return rate increased
Electronic and online
Available from websites
s link to technical and buyer
Interaction Areas Covered
Administrative
Business
Technical 20

21. New Survey Results

22. Management of QMS: the Assessment events timeline
NIST requirements for calibration reports were the majority of nonconformities.
Other areas included not identifying the physical laboratory locations and document control with respect to locations of quality manuals on the server.

23. NIST quality system Globally-accepted
Enables the international acceptance of the portfolio of NIST measurement services, the national standards maintained by NIST, thereby facilitating the acceptance of our customers’ measurements
Acoustics and Vibration
Chemistry
Dimensional
Electromagnetics
Ionizing Radiation
Mass and Force
Optical Properties
Photometry and Radiometry
Thermometry
Time and Frequency

24. Continual Improvement of NIST Measurement Services: Innovations
Transforming Calibration Services with New Technologies, Automation, and eAccess
Funding $1 Million per year, for 3 years
Replacing legacy standards, establishing a code repository for automation and measurement, and providing access to a customer portal.
Initially in two areas:
Line-scale interferometry
Laser Power Calibrations