Product Performance
As a manufacturer, you need to know how your product will perform in the field. Performance testing (such as the prototype or benchmark testing) can be the tool you need to reveal usability and durability issues giving you time to make changes to your product before you go to market. Comparative testing can then show how effective the changes were. Performance testing offers several ways to obtain the information you are looking for:
- Comparative Testing: compares your product to another product, such as a competitor’s — to highlight the advantages of your product — or against a previous version of your product – to ensure your product is improving.
- Benchmark Testing: is similar to comparative testing. Benchmarking establishes your initial product performance through testing. Then when testing is performed at a later date, the results can be compared to your benchmark in order to track the product’s change in performance over time.
- Quality Assurance Testing: is conducted on small lots during production runs to ensure that your product continues to meet specific requirements of codes or standards. Often part of a Quality Assurance Program, this continuous testing provides assurance that your product maintains its code compliance.
- Prototype Testing: evaluates an innovative product to see if it will perform as expected. This allows time for various issues to be ‘designed out’ of the product, ensuring fewer returns and more satisfied customers.
What NTA can do
NTA is accredited by A2LA to perform a variety of tests. You can find a thorough list of our fields of testing and the accredited test methods in our ISO 17025 Scope of Accreditation. Although manufacturers may be able to conduct testing in house, NTA’s test reports offer data from a third-party agency, which offers greater assurance to the market and reduces liability.
If you have questions about testing, ask NTA.