E-Signature and QR Code Verification in Laboratory Reports

A calibration certificate or a test report is the written form of the promise a laboratory makes to its customer. The customer relies on it to run production, to submit it to the relevant authorities or to give assurance to their own customers. If nobody can be sure that the document was really issued by that laboratory and has not been altered since, the results it contains lose some of their value. For a laboratory manager the question is simple: why should the person receiving the document trust it? In this article we look at what electronic signatures and QR code verification add to laboratory documents.

The difficulties of a wet-signature paper process

In a paper process the report is printed, carried to the desk of the authorised signatory, signed, scanned and sent to the customer. If the signatory is in the field or on leave, reports pile up. Documents sent by courier can be delayed or lost. It is hard for an outsider to tell whether a scanned document is genuine. Finding an old report among files that take up archive space also costs time.

What these difficulties have in common is that trust in the document stays tied to the physical journey of the paper. The more hands a document passes through, the harder it is to trace.

What the electronic signature brings

Broadly speaking, an electronic signature helps show who signed a document and whether it has changed since it was signed. The signatory does not need to be in the same place as the report, which can be signed as soon as it is ready. The document can reach the customer electronically without being printed. For the laboratory this means shorter delivery times and less paperwork. The need for a paper archive shrinks as well.

In KALDATA, e-signature is one of the stages of the certificate workflow, after which the certificate is sent to the customer by email. In our Testing Laboratory Software, a test report is likewise completed after passing through the e-signature stage. In both cases the signature comes after the review and approval steps.

How QR code verification helps customers and audits

The QR code on a report gives whoever holds the document a short route to verification. The customer, or a third party to whom the document is presented, can scan the code and compare the document with the laboratory's record. This reduces the need to phone the laboratory and ask for confirmation. During an audit it also makes it easier to get to the source of a document quickly. In our Testing Laboratory Software, reports can be verified with a QR code.

For accredited calibration laboratories, another route to calibration certificate verification is TBDS. TBDS is the Document Verification System of TÜRKAK, the Turkish Accreditation Agency, and it allows documents issued by accredited bodies to be verified through that system. KALDATA is integrated with TBDS. Obtaining a number, activation, and revision and cancellation notices are all handled from within the software.

Revised and cancelled documents

When an error is noticed in a document or a piece of information changes, the document is revised. In the paper world the old version stays in circulation, and it can become unclear which one is valid. This is where verification shows its real value. Someone holding the old version should be able to see, when they verify it, that the document is no longer valid. When evaluating software, it is worth asking how revised and cancelled documents appear on verification.

In KALDATA, revision and cancellation are statuses that are tracked separately in the certificate workflow. Revision and cancellation notices to TBDS are made from within the software. A revision on an active certificate requires additional confirmation, and a reason must be given for a cancellation. This way, operations that affect the validity of a document are not carried out inadvertently.

Separating the preparer from the approver

A signature only means something if the checks before it are sound. When the person who prepares a report and the person who approves it are different, errors are more likely to be caught before signing. When the same person both prepares and approves a document, no second pair of eyes has been involved. In our Testing Laboratory Software the preparer and the approver are separate, and a report can be sent back for review when needed. In KALDATA, a certificate reaches e-signature after passing through the preparation, review and approval stages.

ISO/IEC 17025, the standard that defines the general requirements for the competence of laboratories, expects records to be traceable. Roles and permissions together with the audit trail in our Testing Laboratory Software show who created a record, who changed it and when. These features make record keeping and traceability easier.

Points to consider when making the switch

Moving from paper to electronic documents is not only a technical change, it also affects habits. It helps to tell your customers in advance that documents will be delivered electronically and how they can be verified. Inside the laboratory, it should be clear from the start who prepares, who reviews and who signs. It is also worth thinking ahead about what happens on days when the signatory is not available. For legal requirements, it is best to consult your own adviser or the relevant authorities.

Conclusion

E-signature and QR code verification help make trust in a laboratory document less dependent on paper and on individuals. The customer gets the document sooner, anyone who receives it can verify it, and the laboratory runs a more orderly process. The soundest way to take this step is to try the verification and approval flow of the software with your own documents. For calibration, take a look at KALDATA Calibration Laboratory Management Software, and for testing, at our Testing Laboratory Software. If you would like to see it with your own document flow, request a demo.