Calibration Tracking Software or Laboratory Management System?

Two people searching for "calibration software" often want very different things. One is the quality manager of a factory that sends its measuring devices to an external laboratory; the other runs a laboratory that provides calibration to other companies. Both work with calibration, but their needs differ. Choosing the wrong type of software means either many unused modules or critical steps left uncovered.

Calibration tracking software: the side that has devices calibrated

A factory's question is: "When is each device due, where is it now, is the returned certificate acceptable and may I use this device?" The key tasks on this side are:

• Device inventory and due-date tracking
• An annual calibration plan and reminders
• Comparing laboratory quotations and choosing a laboratory
• Dispatch, return and review of the returned certificate
• The fitness decision and permission to use the device
• Intermediate checks and verification between calibrations
• Quality records such as failures, corrective actions and risks

For this need we built KalDataV2, which tracks outsourced calibration from the plan to an approved fitness decision and has a live demo.

Laboratory management system: the side that performs calibration

A calibration laboratory's question is: "What did we quote, when did the device arrive, who will do the job, is the certificate approved, is it registered in TBDS, has it been invoiced?" The key tasks on this side are:

• Quotations, revisions and customer approval
• Device intake, labels and on-site calibration jobs
• Measurement data, calculation templates and measurement uncertainty
• Multi-step certificate approval and electronic signature
• TÜRKAK TBDS registration, revision and cancellation
• Delivery, e-waybill, e-invoice and payment
• Personnel competence, reference equipment and ISO/IEC 17025 quality records
• A portal where customers see their certificates

For this need we built KALDATA, which runs laboratory operations from quotation to payment on one record.

When the factory has its own accredited laboratory

Some factories and organisations calibrate in their own accredited laboratory. Here the customers are the organisation's own departments: the request comes from a department, the laboratory calibrates and the department using the device confirms the result. For this structure, the In-House Calibration Software is a separate product.

Five questions to help you choose

1. Do we perform calibration ourselves, or have it done externally?
2. Do we issue certificates and invoices to other companies?
3. Do we have TÜRKAK accreditation and TBDS registration?
4. Whose devices are calibrated: ours or our customers'?
5. Should our quality records (corrective actions, risks, internal audits) be in the same system?

If the answers to the first two questions are "externally" and "no", calibration tracking software is the right starting point; if they are "ourselves" and "yes", a laboratory management system is. If you are not sure, talk to us and we will work out together which product fits.