We’re at the midpoint in the year and most construction materials laboratories are in full swing! Non-essential activities typically take the back seat and, unfortunately, the details of the quality management system will typically take a hit. Wouldn’t it be nice to wrap up all those activities and have some sort of a system or
Continue ReadingR18LabQMS Version 2.0 set to be released We are now in the final stages of beta testing for V2.0, as this new version will be released shortly. In the past five years we have gone through numerous version updates, with V2.0 being our 20th significant version update. Additionally, there have been numerous changes along the way
Continue ReadingIn the first quarter of 2018 we plan to launch v2.0 of the R18LabQMS application. This version provides a new and refreshed layout of the application that will be more efficient to use and hopefully provides better management of your Quality Management Program. The enhancements of this version provide a more comprehensive dashboard that contains
Continue ReadingR18LabQMS was initially launched in March 2013 with version 1.0, now in over 30 states, three countries, several state agencies and universities, we are now working on version 2.0 that will significantly enhance the user experience. After nearly five years of working with users and accreditation bodies, this version will streamline the way you manage your quality
Continue ReadingWe have released a new update to the application, one we think will go a long way in how you manage equipment and procedures, among a few other things. For both of these items just mentioned we have made significant improvements on how a piece of equipment is created, as well as any need to
Continue ReadingEquipment procedures are the most overlooked part of a laboratory’s QMS, and quite possibly the most misunderstood, especially by those new to the accreditation process. I have found that most laboratories tend to have their own version or interpretation of what they understand AASHTO R18 expects. While R18LabQMS allows the user to create procedure forms
Continue Reading2016 has been a year of growth and changes for R18LabQMS. The support and feedback from the users has enabled us to build on what is already a great management tool! Success and growth of R18LabQMS We continue to grow! We are now used in 30 states, 2 countries, at 5 DOTs and one university. Users
Continue ReadingIn our February 29th blog earlier this year we talked about equipment inventory guidelines. I’m going to hit on a few points about equipment procedures and what is required. Laboratories often ask how they can get started with accreditation especially when it comes to the required documentation in writing and developing a comprehensive cal/check/standard and
Continue ReadingSince AASHTO came out with the changes to the R18 standard, there have been questions on updates to the R18LabQMS application. Following up on our May 2016 blog entry, we are in the planning stages that will reflect changes to section numbers, new areas to be addressed, and frequency of activities within the quality manual.
Continue ReadingThe longer I’m in this business the more I understand the need for quality and maintaining our laboratory’s equipment maintenance and calibration records. Let’s take a look how this can dramatically affect the business of a construction materials operation and their bottom line. I’ll use the example of a laboratory that uses a dynamic shear
Continue Reading