Customized quality manuals
Procedures and processes are unique in every laboratory. In the early days of developing R18LabQMS, we knew sticking to the basics and following the guidelines of the AASHTO R18 standard were essential. We also knew laboratories needed the ability to customize their quality manuals for each individual laboratory.
Sections under the Quality Manual tab are the minimum basic requirements within the R18 Standard for sections 5 (management) and sections 6 (technical), and these sections cannot be changed by the user. Annually, when the R18 standard comes out with updates, the R18LabQMS team reviews the standard with any changes from the previous year and updates the application as needed.
Custom sections
You can customize your quality manual by adding ‘custom sections’, your laboratory may have specific standard operating procedures (SOPs) that you would like to have available for your lab staff. Safety could be a great example of this. Another great example is ASTM Quality System documentation, i.e. D3666.
Adding custom sections
Adding a custom section is done simply by clicking on the Quality Manual tab, and then on the ‘Custom Section’ tab found in the header. Under the Custom Section tab you will find two section types to choose from:
- Title along with section number, 1.1.1.1 for example.
- WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) with a file upload option. The WYSIWYG box is basically an area where you can add content at your choosing, while the file upload is the alternate option of adding content that is easily visible while going through your Quality Manual.
A custom section can be edited or removed by going to that section where you will find those options.
V2.2 February 15th launch date set
With a more diligent focus on security as R18LabQMS continues to grow, we are completing work on a single sign-on (SSO) that allows users to log in with a single ID and password. Only the primary lab manager will be able to activate this feature that also requires the assistance of their IT department to engage in the process.
When the SSO option is implemented, adding users will essentially be the same as new users will still receive an email from service@r18labqms.com to confirm their account. More details on this just prior to the projected February launch date.
Also, for non-SSO users, we are strengthening the password requirements as follows; 8-70 characters, upper and lower case letters and numbers.
User question
Q: It’s been a while since I’ve logged into our account. I’m unable to log in, can you help?
A: Yes! We were able to help this user, but unfortunately, they had not renewed their subscription for a period of time and the account had lapsed, ouch. The point I want to make here is that accounts that become inactive do not lose their content. All inactive accounts can be reactivated. However, we’re looking at purging old accounts at some point after being dormant.
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 soon.
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