Case Study

Accreditation empowers digital transformation in high-tech labs

 

Summary

A Sichuan-based enterprise, with China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS) accreditation spanning 21 testing categories (e.g., electronics, telecommunications, electromagnetic environments), established a fully digitalised testing and certification system. This has helped over 800 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging sectors like low-altitude economy and smart manufacturing address quality challenges.

Background

To promote the specialised, refined, distinctive, and innovative development of SMEs, which are also known as “Specialized and New” enterprises, since early 2024, the Chinese government has been encouraging SMEs to obtain quality management system certification accredited by CNAS as an important measure to strengthen quality management and enhance production management capabilities.

Strategy

A laboratory in Sichuan has obtained CNAS accreditation covering 21 categories of testing objects, including electronic and electrical products, electromagnetic environments, and software products. With its end-to-end services, it has helped over 800 SMEs address quality challenges, becoming a “specialised, refined, distinctive, and innovative” benchmark in testing and certification services in the Chengdu-Chongqing region.

Empowering market access: the strong engine driving drone airworthiness

In the low-altitude economy sector, airworthiness certification is a key market access threshold for SMEs. Through the empowerment of accreditation, the laboratory has been deeply involved in implementing airworthiness approval standards set by the Civil Aviation Administration, focusing on resolving challenges related to electromagnetic compatibility, environmental adaptability, and software reliability of drones. It has provided full-process quality control from research and development (R&D) testing to certification for more than 60 drone companies. After entering the market, these products have seen an average order increase of 45%, effectively accelerating the shift of the low-altitude economy industry from an “R&D boom” to commercialisation.

Supporting technological innovation: the “R&D accelerator” for intelligent manufacturing

In the field of intelligent manufacturing, long R&D cycles and high verification costs constrain SME development. Relying on the technical support enabled by accreditation, the laboratory has innovatively established a “testing + R&D” collaborative model, integrating deeply into enterprises’ R&D processes. Taking an intelligent robot project as an example, early detection of issues in key components through testing enabled design optimisation, shortening the R&D cycle by 30%. Over the past three years, it has supported more than 200 enterprises, boosting overall R&D efficiency by 40%, and has become a reliable backbone for enterprise innovation and development.

A digital management benchmark: a model for laboratory transformation

Through accreditation, the laboratory has continuously strengthened quality awareness while enhancing digital management. Its self-developed “Smart Laboratory Digital System” covers over 30 core processes, utilising Internet of Things (IoT) for data collection and automated verification with 99.8% accuracy. The built-in CNAS risk module enables real-time monitoring. Version control and tiered access management for electronically controlled documents improved internal audit efficiency by 70%. A visual dashboard displaying 50+ core indicators has increased management decision-making efficiency by 60%, establishing the lab as a digital transformation paradigm.

Results and impact

This has helped over 800 SMEs in emerging sectors like low-altitude economy and smart manufacturing address quality challenges.

It has provided full-process quality control from R&D testing to certification for more than 60 drone companies. After entering the market, these products have seen an average order increase of 45%, effectively accelerating the shift of the low-altitude economy industry from an “R&D boom” to commercialisation.

Over the past three years, it has supported more than 200 enterprises, boosting overall R&D efficiency by 40%, and has become a reliable backbone for enterprise innovation and development.

Version control and tiered access management for electronically controlled documents improved internal audit efficiency by 70%. A visual dashboard displaying 50+ core indicators has increased management decision-making efficiency by 60%, establishing the lab as a digital transformation paradigm.

Contact

Organisation: Compiled by China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS)