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Calibration Management Software
Page: 4/16
Starting Point
There are 4 main categories of starting point:
· manual card-index systems
· legacy software systems written specially for the user
· software packages not capable of meeting changing requirements
· standard database or spreadsheet packages.
Consider the following:
· Integrity and timeliness of existing records – are they up-to-date ?
· Existence of obsolete records – do we need them all ?
· Transfer existing computer records to a new system – is this possible ?
· Access to old records – can we keep the old system for reference ?
With manual records you can pick and choose what you put into a new system. If your existing records are computer-based then this may be the time to filter out all the obsolete items. If the current database is in some proprietary format or on a mainframe it may or may not be possible to extract the data in a form suitable for transfer to a new system. If you are using a standard database or spreadsheet then there should be no problems in transferring the data.
Calibration records generally fall into 6 categories:
· Physical attributes (asset number, description, status, etc.)
· Recall details (asset, type of control, interval, date due, etc.)
· Calibration event (asset, date, pass/fail, etc.)
· Calibration details (asset, date, numerical measurements)
· Calibration equipment traceability (asset, date, standards, etc.)
· History (asset, date, location, event, etc.)
You should consider the practicality and desirability of transferring each of these 6 categories of records, if they exist. In cases where the old and new databases may be incompatible, information about previous calibrations and history perhaps can be consolidated into a single ‘notepad’ type of record in the new system.
Hopefully, the supplier of the software package that you select will be able to offer a data migration service to move your existing data into the new database so that you end up with the best possible starting point in the new system.
The other key consideration at your starting point is your existing investment in calibration equipment. Replacement of older calibration equipment with up-to-date technology capable of direct computer links is likely to cost far more than the calibration management software. If you are thinking of investing money in new calibration equipment then decide upon the equipment and its calibration software before looking at calibration management software.
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