YT-LAK: Proficiency Testing Software for PT Providers

YT-LAK is software that manages the whole operational process of proficiency testing and interlaboratory comparison programmes, from planning to completion, on a single platform. Technical protocol and round management, laboratory applications, quotations, participant management, sample circulation, collection of results and reporting are all carried out in the same system.

Every action is recorded with the user, date, status and related document version. The history of each process can be traced, it is visible which version of a document was used, and the records needed in audits can be presented in order.

• A dashboard for the organiser summarising rounds, participations, samples, results and reports
• Laboratories apply, submit results and reach reports from their own accounts
• Jobs that need action highlighted on the home screen
• Web-based access, no installation needed

YT-LAK manages proficiency testing (PT) and interlaboratory comparison (ILC) programmes under a common operational structure. The technical requirements that differ by programme type are preserved, while application, quotation, participation, sample tracking and reporting run on a shared structure.

• Proficiency testing: The measurement scope, assigned reference values and performance evaluation form the basis. Methods such as z-score, En, deviation and consensus can be used according to the programme design.
• Interlaboratory comparison: Sample or device planning, optional use of a reference laboratory and deviation or consensus evaluation can be managed.

Besides calibration fields (dimension, pressure, temperature, electrical, force, volume, mass), programmes can also be defined for testing fields such as water, food, emissions, microbiology and chemical analysis.

The technical structure of a programme is defined through its protocol. Scheme revisions can be created, related PDF documents can be attached and the approved protocol can be published.

A new round is created by linking it to a published technical protocol. Requirements defined in the protocol, such as sample type, matrix and quantity, are carried over to the round. The organiser plans round dates, result deadlines and the reporting calendar, defines samples and manages how participating laboratories join the process.

For each round the application deadline, sample dispatch date, start and end dates, result submission deadline and report publication date are visible on one screen. General information, technical scope, samples, participations, measurement results, reports, circulation plan and sample movements sit as tabs on the same round screen.

• Draft, planning, ongoing, completed and cancelled rounds tracked separately
• Result and report status shown together in the round list
• Participation codes generated for participants

Laboratory users see open rounds from their own accounts and apply to the programmes they want to join. When applying they can state their preferred start and end dates and notes on planning.

When an application is saved, both the laboratory and the organiser are notified. The organiser sees pending applications and can combine several round applications of the same laboratory under one quotation. The availability dates and notes given by the laboratory are carried into the quotation and used later in round planning.

The organiser can also invite a laboratory directly to a round; open applications and invitations are managed in the same system.

YT-LAK links the participation process of a laboratory directly to quotation management. A quotation prepared for a laboratory can include several rounds; unit price, quantity and line discount are set for each round, while the overall discount and VAT are calculated by the system.

• Unique quotation numbers per year
• A PDF quotation bringing together the organisation logo, contact details, laboratory and shipping details, availability dates and items
• Draft, sending, approval or rejection, and admission to the round
• Approved quotations passed on to participation acceptance one by one or in bulk

When price or scope changes, the existing quotation is neither deleted nor overwritten; a new revision is created under the same quotation number. Earlier versions are kept in the archive, and it is recorded which version was sent and which was approved. When the commercial scope changes, for example when a participant withdraws, the quotation is set to awaiting revision, so the quotation scope stays consistent with the actual participant list.

After the quotation is approved, the laboratory is admitted to the round as a participant. Contact details, shipping address and the preferred dates given by the laboratory are carried into the participant record. Active participants, quotation links and contact details are shown together within the round.

• Statuses such as application made, invitation sent, active, withdrawn and cancelled
• Invoicing and payment status followed per participation
• Participating laboratories managed separately as active and passive

YT-LAK records not only application and quotation processes but also the physical movements of samples during a round. Two distribution models are supported.

• Sequential circulation: The sample moves between laboratories in a defined order. For each stage the sending and receiving laboratory, the shipping address and the planned start and end dates are defined. Availability dates given by participants are used in planning, and circulation dates can be recalculated when needed.
• Parallel distribution: Each participant is assigned a separate sample unit; dispatch and delivery are tracked directly on that sample.

Every sample movement is recorded with statuses such as planned, sent, delivered, returned or delayed. At any moment the system shows which laboratory holds the sample; serial number, manufacturer, model, assigned value and reference documents are kept in the same record.

Laboratories submit their round results from their own accounts. Results are reviewed by the organiser and tracked with the statuses uploaded, under review and approved.

The evaluation method is determined by the technical design of the programme. In proficiency testing, z-score, En, deviation or consensus can be used together with the assigned value and its uncertainty; in interlaboratory comparisons a reference value, deviation or consensus can be taken as the basis depending on the programme.

• Draft reports published first, then final reports
• Report revisions and PDF output
• The round is closed when evaluation and reporting are complete, and its history is preserved

In YT-LAK the life cycle of a programme moves through linked records rather than disconnected actions: Protocol → Round → Application → Quotation → Participation → Sample → Result → Evaluation → Report

Which version of the technical protocol was used, when the laboratory applied, which quotation was sent and which revision was approved, when participation was confirmed, when the sample reached which laboratories and which stages the results went through can all be followed in the same system. The organiser, the laboratory and the quality unit manage the same process within their own permissions and reach the records they need from a single point.

Roles and permissions are defined at screen and action level; legal texts such as privacy notices and participation terms are published through the system. YT-LAK is designed to make recording and traceability easier for processes carried out under ISO/IEC 17043.

Who is YT-LAK for?
For organisers of proficiency testing (PT) and interlaboratory comparison (ILC) programmes. Both programme types are managed in one system with a shared application, quotation, participation and reporting structure.

How do laboratories take part in programmes?
Laboratories apply for open rounds from their own accounts with preferred dates and notes, submit their results and receive their reports. The organiser reviews and approves the results.

How is the location of a sample tracked?
In sequential circulation the sample travels between laboratories in a set order; in parallel distribution each participant receives its own sample unit. Every movement is recorded as planned, sent, delivered, returned or late, so the current location of the sample is visible in the system.

How are results evaluated?
Depending on the programme, z-score, En, deviation or consensus is selected with the assigned value and uncertainty. Draft and final reports are published and revisions are kept.

How do quotations and invoicing work?
Several rounds are combined in one quotation; discount and VAT are calculated and a PDF is produced. A change opens a new revision under the same number. Invoicing and payment status are tracked separately for each participation.

Which fields can programmes cover?
Besides calibration fields such as dimension, pressure, temperature and electricity, programmes for water, food, emissions and microbiology can be defined.

Is there a free calculator to check results quickly?
Yes. With our proficiency testing calculator you can calculate the z-score, z′, zeta and En number, and the robust mean of participant results with ISO 13528 Algorithm A, free in your browser.

To plan, manage and monitor your proficiency testing and interlaboratory comparison programmes from one system, request a demo. You can also review our KALDATA Calibration Laboratory Management Software and Testing Laboratory Software.