Version 2.5 ASTM Quality Standards launch date
The time has come. The launch date for V2.5 ASTM Quality Standards will be Thursday, February 16th at 8 a.m. E.S.T., and we don’t anticipate an interruption in service.
Summary of the ASTM Quality Standards upgrade:
The following ASTM Quality Standards have been added to the R18LabQMS application and treated as their own stand-alone quality management system. When a laboratory initially establishes an account through the setup process, they are following the guidelines of AASHTO R18. When completing the setup process the user will now be asked if they would like to add additional ASTM Quality Standards. Selected quality standards will appear under the Quality Manual tab.
Adding ASTM Specifications making edits
This can be done by going to the Managed Lab tab, you will then find the left-hand column Quality Standards where you will be able to make edits.
Populating similar sections
With AASHTO R18 being the default quality standard during the setup process, any related sections will automatically migrate over to their respective sections within the ASTM quality standard. An example would be ASTM D3666 section 8.1.2 Quality Management is the same in AASHTO R18 section 5.4.4.
Optional ASTM Quality Standards
D3666 Standard Specification For Minimum Requirements For Agencies Testing And Inspecting Road And Paving Materials
D3740 Standard Practice For Minimum Requirements For Agencies Engaged In Testing And/Or Inspection Of Soil And Rock As Used In Engineering Design And Construction
ASTM C1077 Standard Practice For Agencies Testing Concrete And Concrete Aggregates For Use In Construction And Criteria For Testing Agency Evaluation
ASTM C1093 Standard Practice For Accreditation Of Testing Agencies For Masonry
ASTM E329 Standard Specification For Agencies Engaged In Construction Inspection, Testing, Or Special Inspection
Other Items included in V2.5
Completed procedures Prior to V2.5 when saving equipment procedures, the application went back to the default (all categories) displaying 10 pieces of equipment instead of back to the piece of equipment where you initiated the procedure. With V2.5, when completing equipment procedures, you can review the completed procedure, and the previous page within the inventory remains open as opposed to going back to all categories displaying 10.
Behind-the-scenes maintenance Optimize Google Drive API processing and storage of PDFs within R18LabQMS’s account.
Behind-the-scenes maintenance Encrypt S3 storage at rest. S3 storage that holds the PDFs can be encrypted to provide an extra layer of security.
User question
Q: Can you provide virtual training for a specific area of the application, and if so, is there a charge for this? The quality manager moved on and we need some help to get on track.
A: Great question! Yes, we are happy to provide MS Teams training limited to one hour, and there is no charge.
Resources
Once you work through the setup process, the following links can be found in the lower right-hand corner of the application.
Training
Let’s get started with R18LabQMS and what we provide regarding training, both virtual and onsite. Before we dive into options, getting started happens within the setup process, it’s intuitive and follows the sections that require procedures within the management and technical sections. Each section within the setup process corresponds to sections in AASHTO R18. You can either type in the procedure itself or upload a file with the details of the procedure. I always tell labs during a demo it’s much like a ‘Turbo Tax’ experience.
Once you have completed the setup process, or wish to move on to the dashboard view, just click Save Progress and Exit Setup. It’s straightforward and intuitive.
Additional Training needed to jump-start the onboarding process:
Virtual Training
We target a specific area for training and limit the time to one hour. An example would be adding Equipment Procedures to your Equipment. There is no charge for virtual training limited to one hour.
Onsite Training
We spend one day in your laboratory to review all aspects of your quality manual and take a deep dive into R18labQMS implementation. This training is fee-based, please inquire.
Upcoming Meetings we will soon be attending:
Rocky Mountain Asphalt User Producer Group (RMAUPG)
Lexington, Kentucky, March 7-9, 2023
2023 AASHTO re:source Technical Exchange
Fort Worth, Texas, March 27-30, 2023
Please check out our most recent promotional R18LabQMS video.
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 laboratory.
One last favor to ask, if there is a specific topic of discussion you would like to see in upcoming blog posts please send us a note.
Gary Irvine
R18LabQMS Program Manager