2020 – the year in review
2020 has been a challenging year for all on all fronts. And for laboratories seeking or retaining accreditation, and for accreditation bodies challenged with the task to make it happen, we had to look at ways to meet those necessary requirements specifically related to on-site assessments!
As we all know by now, the AASHTO accreditation program immediately pivoted from on-site to remote assessments to meet the requirements to keep labs up to date with the accreditation program. Kudos on their ability to make that shift quickly! Our AI laboratory went through the remote assessment process in September and all went well. We have written several blog entries in 2020 highlighting details of the process and our personal experience. Check it out.
April 2020 application upgrade
In April, we launched version 2.1 with upgrades that had been discussed and suggested by users and accreditation bodies. A blog debuting these upgrades can be found on our April 2020 blog entry.
April 2020 public site upgrade
Since the creation and launch of R18LabQMS in March 2013, the public-facing site had not been updated. April 2020 we launched V2.0 for the public site with a fresh new look and functionality.
What’s coming in 2021?
Invoice notification
We have just implemented a new invoice notification process for all users. Previously, our accounting department emailed invoices to the Primary Lab Managers and anyone else required to be on the invoice. With the new process, invoices will now be uploaded to the user’s account where the message, ‘New Invoice’ can be found on the PLM’s dashboard, click and it will take you to the invoice widget where current billing and history will be maintained. Email notifications will be sent when new invoices are uploaded.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
We are currently working on adding more security to R18LabQMS by allowing laboratories to implement Single Sign-On functionality (SSO). Single Sign-On essentially allows the user to log in with a single ID and password to multiple software applications. SSO will allow the user to login and access services without re-entering authentication factors. Stay tuned for, more to come in Q1 2021.
User question
Q: When adding equipment, I’m unable to save without adding “age” (in years), and “life expectancy” (in years), it is telling me this is a required field and it’s not in red. Can this be fixed?
A: Yes. This is a bug that we are correcting in the first week of 2021. It was slated previously for correction but was not caught because most labs have been placing a value in each field. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Resources and training opportunities
Once you work through the setup process, the following links can be found in the lower right-hand corner of the application;
- Support
- R18 Blog
- Virtual Training (1 hour or less, no fees), contact us for an appointment
- Extensive Virtual Training – Fee-based, please inquire.
Upcoming meetings
All travel to industry meetings will be assessed on their scheduled dates, hopefully, we can reset in 2021.
For all questions regarding your Quality Management System, whether your lab is accredited or not, please contact us and learn how R18LabQMS can add value to your company.
Gary Irvine
R18LabQMS Program Manager