Standards Comparison

    ISO 37001

    Voluntary
    2025

    International standard for anti-bribery management systems

    VS

    ISO 17025

    Voluntary
    2017

    International standard for testing and calibration laboratory competence

    Quick Verdict

    ISO 37001 provides anti-bribery management systems for all organizations worldwide, mitigating corruption risks through certification. ISO 17025 accredits testing labs for competent, impartial operations. Companies adopt them for compliance, risk reduction, market access, and stakeholder trust.

    Anti-Bribery/Compliance

    ISO 37001

    ISO 37001 Anti-Bribery Management Systems

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    6-12 months

    Key Features

    • Risk-based anti-bribery management system framework
    • Comprehensive third-party due diligence requirements
    • Leadership commitment and compliance function
    • PDCA cycle for continual improvement
    • Certifiable with legal mitigation evidentiary value
    Laboratory Quality

    ISO 17025

    ISO/IEC 17025:2017 General requirements for laboratory competence

    Cost
    €€€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    12-18 months

    Key Features

    • Risk-based impartiality and confidentiality requirements
    • Personnel competence lifecycle management and authorization
    • Metrological traceability to SI units required
    • Measurement uncertainty evaluation and method validation
    • Proficiency testing for results validity assurance

    Detailed Analysis

    A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

    ISO 37001 Details

    What It Is

    ISO 37001:2025 Anti-Bribery Management Systems is an international certifiable standard for establishing, implementing, and improving an ABMS. It focuses on preventing, detecting, and responding to bribery risks through a risk-based, proportionate approach using the Harmonized Structure (HS) and PDCA cycle.

    Key Components

    • Clauses 4-10 cover context, leadership, planning, support, operations, evaluation, improvement.
    • Core areas: risk assessment, due diligence, financial/non-financial controls, training, reporting.
    • Built on leadership accountability, third-party management, and continual improvement.
    • Optional third-party certification with audits.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mitigates legal risks (e.g., FCPA, UK Bribery Act) via evidentiary "reasonable steps".
    • Builds stakeholder trust, reduces compliance costs up to 15%.
    • Enhances reputation, ESG alignment, operational efficiency.
    • Enables market access in high-risk sectors.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: gap analysis, risk assessment, controls design, training, audits.
    • Scalable for all sizes/sectors; 6-12 months typical.
    • Involves certification audits for global recognition.

    ISO 17025 Details

    What It Is

    ISO/IEC 17025:2017 is the international accreditation standard specifying general requirements for the competence, impartiality, and consistent operation of testing and calibration laboratories. It ensures technically valid results through a risk-based, performance-oriented approach linking management and technical controls.

    Key Components

    • Eight elements: general (impartiality/confidentiality), structural, resource, process, management system requirements
    • Core areas: personnel competence, metrological traceability, method validation/verification, measurement uncertainty, proficiency testing
    • Built on risk-based thinking; Option A (standalone) or B (ISO 9001-aligned) management systems
    • Scope-specific accreditation by ILAC-recognized bodies

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Enables global acceptance of results; required by regulators/customers
    • Mitigates risks of invalid data, legal/reputational damage
    • Improves efficiency, continual improvement, stakeholder trust
    • Provides competitive market access, differentiation

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased PDCA: gap analysis, documentation, training, validation, internal audits
    • Suited for labs all sizes/industries worldwide
    • Culminates in on-site assessments, witnessed activities for accreditation

    Key Differences

    Scope

    ISO 37001
    Anti-bribery management systems (ABMS)
    ISO 17025
    Testing/calibration laboratory competence

    Industry

    ISO 37001
    All sectors worldwide, any size
    ISO 17025
    Testing/calibration labs across industries

    Nature

    ISO 37001
    Voluntary certifiable management standard
    ISO 17025
    Accreditation for technical competence

    Testing

    ISO 37001
    Third-party certification audits, annual surveillance
    ISO 17025
    Accreditation body assessments, proficiency testing

    Penalties

    ISO 37001
    Loss of certification, no legal penalties
    ISO 17025
    Loss of accreditation, rejected test results

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about ISO 37001 and ISO 17025

    ISO 37001 FAQ

    ISO 17025 FAQ

    You Might also be Interested in These Articles...

    Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

    Transform your compliance journey with our AI-powered assessment platform

    Assess your organization's maturity across multiple standards and regulations including ISO 27001, DORA, NIS2, NIST, GDPR, and hundreds more. Get actionable insights and track your progress with collaborative, AI-powered evaluations.

    100+ Standards & Regulations
    AI-Powered Insights
    Collaborative Assessments
    Actionable Recommendations

    Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages