Quality Magazine - March 2009 - (Page 44) | QUA LIT Y SO FTWA RE & A N A LY S I S | COMPLIANT CALIBRATION MANAGEMENT GAGEpack offers bar coding, scanning, e-mailing, remote entry of calibration data, managerial reports and gage repeatability and reproducibility. Source: PQ Systems Inc. rganizations use calibration management software to help achieve compliance to industry standards and regulations. It facilitates an organization’s effort to maintain accurate gage calibration records and—ultimately— correctly calibrated gages. Much of the benefit associated with such software is derived from its ability to automate the calibration management process, bringing it a higher level of accuracy and efficiency. Such software alerts operators to what needs calibration, when it needs to be calibrated and who needs to calibrate it. It also informs management when equipment due for calibration is not being serviced. These automated functions help to eliminate human error from the gage calibration process, O Calibration management software can help foster a management system compliant to ISO and other requirements. B Y STE V E WI C H E L E C K I , ASSI STAN T E D I TO R which can lead to increased productivity and less waste. Calibration management software has other advantages. Calibration records can be stored to a common database, so operators can easily view the history or check the status of any gage from a variety of locations. For greater oversight, control and efficiency, some packages can integrate with other software applications, such as statistical process control (SPC) or enterprise resource planning (ERP); others are sold as modules intended as components of a greater management system package. KEEPING A COMPLIANT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Calibration management is a crucial part of an organization’s management system, and calibration management software is designed to help organizations comply with a variety of ISO standards and other regulations, such as the FDA’s 21 CRF Part 11. ISO standards do not dictate the use of commercial software, but paper-based and TECH TIPS Calibration management software trumps paper-based and homegrown systems in its accuracy, efficiency and scalability. Much of the benefit associated with calibration management software is derived from its ability to automate the calibration management process. Most calibration management software can integrate with other software applications or is intended as a component of a larger management system package. 44 QUALITY | March 2009 www.qualitymag.com http://www.qualitymag.com
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