Changes to the quality manual, continued…
As we make updates I wanted to drill down on the change that will be seen in the quality manual within the R18LabQMS application.
Some section numbers will remain the same, while others have changed. A good example is section 5.8.2 (formerly 5.7.2), “the laboratory shall maintain a procedure used in responding to customer complaints” as it is described in the standard, in the application we will be more descriptive and intuitive, in this example section 5.8.2 in the application will say “Procedure for Handling Customer Complaints.”
Another effort to declutter the quality manual is to eliminate section numbers that are only informational in nature. A good example is section 6.1.2.3 – “The laboratory shall have written detailed written procedures for all in-house calibrations, standardizations, and check activities not addressed in standards or operating instructions,” there is no content required for this section.
All sections within the quality manual will have information that will populate automatically (equipment inventory as an example), content, or will require procedures going forward. The intent is twofold; encourage the user to reference the AASHTO R18 Standard, and provide a less cluttered quality manual.
Just prior to these section changes a special blog will go out with a description along with a video walk-through, stay tuned.
Recent questions by user
Q: On the procedure history tab, as I navigate my “filing cabinet,” I don’t see the equipment names, there are only numbers, what am I doing wrong?
A: When adding a piece of equipment you have the option of adding a “nickname” which overrides the equipment name on the summary list, in this case the user was putting the equipment serial number in or a numerical value, the problem was solved.
Q: Do you provide professional services beyond WebEx, emails, I need to complete my quality manual and verify it’s 100% completed?
A: Yes, we provide professional services on a fee basis, that includes on-site one-on-one training, please inquire for your specific needs.
Resources
R18LabQMS has a knowledge base
Accessible from the dashboard within the application, top right “help”.
Training and information videos that includes version updates, R18LabQMS demos, and more.
News
As of August 22nd it’s AASHTO re:source (formerly AMRL), they have refocused and are rebranding. Their new website is AASHTOresource.org.
For all questions regarding your quality management systems whether your lab is accredited or not please contact us and learn how R18LabQMS can add value to your company.
– Gary Irvine