Most people know what a laboratory does. Far fewer understand what a laboratory consultant does — and why you might need one. Laboratory consulting services sit at the intersection of technical expertise, regulatory knowledge, and industry relationships. A good TIC (Testing, Inspection & Certification) consultant can save you months of wasted effort, tens of thousands in unnecessary testing costs, and the very real risk of choosing a lab that produces results your customers or regulators won’t accept. Here’s what the work actually looks like.
There are thousands of testing laboratories in the United States. Some are ISO 17025 accredited; many are not. Some have validated methods for your specific product type; others will develop a method on your dime and get it wrong. Some have fast turnaround and responsive account management; others will lose your samples and take six weeks to tell you.
Choosing the wrong laboratory wastes money, delays your product launch, and can produce results that don’t satisfy your retailer or regulatory requirements. A laboratory consultant who has worked with dozens of labs across your industry knows which ones consistently perform — and which ones to avoid.
If you’re a manufacturer, brand, or organization that needs to establish a systematic testing program — not just one-off tests — the complexity multiplies. You need to decide which tests to run, at what frequency, using which methods, against which specifications, with which documentation. You need to manage multiple labs, track results, and respond to failures. A consultant who has built testing programs before can compress a 6-month learning curve into a 6-week engagement.
If you operate a testing laboratory and want to achieve ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation — or if you’re a manufacturer seeking ISO 9001 certification — the process is complex, time-consuming, and full of pitfalls for organizations doing it for the first time. A consultant with accreditation experience can guide you through gap analysis, system design, documentation, internal auditing, and audit preparation in a fraction of the time it would take to self-implement.
Expert note: “The most common mistake I see from organizations seeking ISO 17025 accreditation is treating it as a documentation exercise. Accreditation bodies are looking for evidence that your quality system is real — that your people actually follow your procedures, that your equipment is actually calibrated, that your corrective actions actually prevent recurrence. A consultant who has been through multiple accreditation cycles knows what auditors look for.” — Sam Sammane, Founder, Aurora TIC
Lab Selection and Qualification Identifying accredited laboratories with validated methods for your specific product type, evaluating their capabilities against your requirements, and managing the qualification process (sample submission, method review, results comparison). For supplement brands, this means finding labs with ISO 17025 accreditation and validated methods for identity, potency, heavy metals, and microbiology. For industrial manufacturers, it might mean finding labs with specific ASTM or ISO method capabilities.
Testing Program Design Designing a systematic testing program that covers your regulatory requirements, customer requirements, and quality control needs. This includes: which tests to run, at what frequency, on which sample types, against which specifications, with which documentation and record-keeping requirements.
ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation Consulting For testing laboratories seeking accreditation: gap analysis against ISO 17025:2017, quality management system design, documentation development, method validation support, internal auditor training, and pre-assessment audit preparation.
ISO 9001 Certification Consulting For manufacturers and service organizations: gap analysis, QMS design and documentation, implementation support, internal audit program, and certification audit preparation.
Regulatory Compliance Consulting Navigating FDA, EPA, USDA, and other agency requirements as they apply to your testing and quality programs. This includes 21 CFR Part 111 (dietary supplement cGMP), 21 CFR Part 117 (food safety), and other sector-specific regulations.
Lab Audit and Assessment Conducting independent audits of your current testing laboratory partners to verify their capabilities, quality systems, and compliance with your requirements. Particularly valuable before signing long-term contracts or when you have concerns about a lab’s performance.
Expert Witness and Litigation Support Providing technical expertise in legal proceedings involving testing methodology, laboratory results, or product quality disputes. This is a specialized service requiring deep technical knowledge and experience with legal processes.
You’re launching a new product in a regulated category Dietary supplements, cosmetics, medical devices, food products — each has specific testing requirements. A consultant who knows your category can tell you exactly which tests you need, which labs can run them, and what documentation you’ll need for regulatory compliance and retail access.
A retailer or customer is requiring testing documentation you don’t have Amazon, Walmart, Whole Foods, and other major retailers have increasingly specific testing requirements. If you’ve received a supplier qualification request you can’t satisfy, a consultant can help you identify the fastest path to compliance.
Your current lab is underperforming Late results, inconsistent quality, poor communication, or results that don’t satisfy your customers — these are signs you need either a new lab or a structured performance improvement process. A consultant can assess the situation and recommend the right course of action.
You’re building a new testing laboratory Setting up a new laboratory — whether in-house or as a commercial testing business — involves equipment selection, method development, personnel qualification, quality system design, and accreditation. A consultant who has done this before can save you from expensive mistakes in equipment selection and facility design.
You’re acquiring or being acquired by a testing organization Due diligence for M&A transactions involving testing laboratories requires specific technical expertise: evaluating accreditation scope, method validation records, quality system maturity, and regulatory compliance history. This is not work for a general business consultant.
The Testing, Inspection & Certification (TIC) industry has its own language, standards, and dynamics that general management consultants don’t understand. The major accreditation bodies (A2LA, ANAB, ILAC members), the key standards (ISO/IEC 17025, ISO/IEC 17020, ISO/IEC 17065), the major certification bodies (Bureau Veritas, SGS, Intertek, TÜV), and the regulatory frameworks that govern different sectors — all of this is specialized knowledge that takes years to develop.
Aurora TIC was founded specifically to serve organizations in and around the TIC industry. Our founder, Sam Sammane, spent 25+ years building and scaling testing laboratory networks across North America and Europe, including as CEO of Tentamus Labs of America (4,000+ employees globally). That experience is the foundation of every consulting engagement we take on.
For organizations also needing accredited laboratory testing services (not just consulting), Qalitex is an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory in Irvine, California that we recommend for supplement, cosmetic, and food testing. For Canadian regulatory requirements, Androxa provides Health Canada compliant testing and consulting.
A laboratory runs tests. A laboratory consultant helps you decide which tests to run, which laboratory to use, how to build your testing program, and how to achieve accreditation or certification. Some consultants also have laboratory backgrounds and can provide technical guidance on methodology — but they don’t run tests themselves.
Hourly rates for experienced laboratory consultants range from $150–$350/hour. Project-based fees are more common for defined engagements: lab selection projects typically run $3,000–$8,000; ISO 17025 accreditation consulting for a small lab typically runs $15,000–$40,000; testing program design for a manufacturer typically runs $5,000–$15,000. Ongoing retainer arrangements are available for organizations that need regular consulting support.
Yes, with caveats. Aurora TIC specializes in the US market and US regulatory frameworks. For Canadian regulatory requirements, we work with Androxa. For EU regulatory requirements, we work with Care Europe. For global laboratory network management, our founder’s experience building international laboratory networks is directly applicable.
Ask for specific examples: “Tell me about three organizations you’ve helped achieve ISO 17025 accreditation. What were the main challenges? What was the timeline? Can I speak with a reference?” A consultant with real experience can answer these questions in detail. One with only theoretical knowledge will give you vague generalities.
No. We work with any organization that interacts with the TIC industry: manufacturers who need to select and manage testing labs, brands building compliance testing programs, organizations seeking ISO 9001 or ISO 17025 certification, and companies navigating regulatory requirements that involve laboratory testing.
Laboratory consulting services are most valuable when the cost of getting it wrong — choosing the wrong lab, failing an accreditation audit, missing a regulatory requirement — exceeds the cost of expert guidance. For most organizations in regulated industries, that threshold is crossed quickly.
The right laboratory consultant brings industry-specific experience, established relationships with accredited labs, and a track record of successful engagements. They save time, reduce risk, and typically pay for themselves in avoided mistakes.
Aurora TIC provides laboratory consulting services for testing, inspection, and manufacturing organizations across the USA. Get a free initial consultation →