The 2015 measurement survey targeted over 1,000 UK businesses to understand how they use measurement within their operations and the impact it can have.
The 2015 measurement survey of both customers and non-customers of NPL and its key partners (LGC, National Gear Metrology Laboratory, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, National Measurement and Regulation Office and TUV NEL) provided compelling evidence that:
Measurement supports a broad range of businesses
| Measurement customers by sector | |
| 15% | Transport, aerospace and defence |
| 17% | R&D and engineering services |
| 8% | Energy |
| 12% | Extraction and utilities |
| 8% | Chemical and pharmaceutical |
| 11% | General manufacturing |
| 11% | Electronic and optical |
| 18% | Other |
Measurement customers are evenly split between small, medium and large companies
| 36% | 32% | 21% | 11% |
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| 250 + employees, a large firm | 51 - 250 employees, a medium firm | 11 - 50 employees, a small firm | 1 - 10 employees, a micro firm |
UK measurement expertise is acknowledged by customers as the best
UK businesses make use of a range of measurement products and services
| 656 | collaborate with measurement scientists |
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| 1075 | use training courses |
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| 1924 | use calibration |  |
| 3500* | share technical knowledge at events |
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| 25162* | use publications, software or guides |
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* Data not taken from 2015 Measurement Survey. Data collected independently by the National Physical Laboratory in 2013-14
Measurement customers are more innovative than their peers
| Customer | Non-customer | |
| 60% | introduced new or developed existing processes | 29% |
| 57% | improved their measurement capability | 18% |
| 53% | introduced new or developed existing products | 24% |
| 11% | changed their calibration or measurement capability | 6% |
| 20% | made no changes |
53% |
Measurement is used throughout the manufactuing lifecycle
| 75% | take measurements during product design and development |  |
| 80% | test bought products to ensure suppliers meet quality standards |  |
| 76% | take measurements during the production process |  |
| 95% | test that the final product meets quality standards |  |
Over 1,400 customers believe that... **
Measurement support enables
businesses...
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| to make improvements more quickly | 72% | AGREE |
| to reduce the risk of associated with development | 75% | AGREE |
| to make improvements more effectively | 79% | AGREE |
| 30% | of innovations would have failed without measurement support |
** Customers were asked about recent products that could not have been developed without measurement products and services and required skills and capabilities that would have been very difficult to find elsewhere.
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