Inspection in ISO/IEC 17020 can be defined as examination of a product design, product, service, process or plant/installation, and determination of their conformity with specific requirements or on the basis of professional judgment, and general requirements. In addition, inspection of processes in this standard includes personnel, facilities, technology, and methodology which can be used to support the certification. Development of the inspection system in this era has resulted in a more complete standard. ISO/IEC 17020 was launched in 1998 as the development from ISO Guide 39:1988 about the inspection.
This standard offers many advantages for the organization which include assurance of good products, good management system for the materials and equipments, and guarantees for the storage facilities of the organization. Many organizations nowadays have already realized the importance of this standard in order to produce high quality products continuously.
ISO/IEC 17020 can be applied in various types of business units such as agricultural products, food products, mechanical equipments, pipelines, electrical equipments, and others. Therefore, by applying this standard, organization will be able to improve the quality of their services and products.