Asset Management

This is the core component of CalMetro on which all other modules pivot. It facilitates the efficient and effective management of organizations assets, including your laboratory standards (M&TE) and customer instrumentation (UUT). The module allows for the recording of instrument details and the tracking and monitoring of their status throughout the calibration cycle. Additionally, the module enables scheduling and storing of calibration and maintenance history, as well as paperwork inspection and document control.

Workflow

The calibration cycle consists of several phases: receiving the instrument into the system, conducting a receiving inspection, recording the calibration results, and performing a paperwork inspection. Each phase is crucial to ensure that the calibration is performed accurately and thoroughly. Let's take a closer look at each phase in detail.

After identifying the asset to be received in the system (if it’s not found, it must be created first), the receiving person must enter all the service information such as calibration level, if it needs repair or if the required service is expedite, as well as relevant receiving information like received date, if its performed at customer facility or inside the laboratory, remarks, customer PO, and accessories -in the case of in-house calibration. The system allows adding pictures of the instrument. When received a service report will be assigned to the instrument (a worksheet or a receiving label may be attached to the UUT).

When dealing with a high volume of work, there may be a few days between the time a UUT is received for in-house calibration and the time a technician can perform the calibration. To ensure that any issues with the UUT are identified before it reaches the top of the FIFO calibration list, a quick receiving inspection is required. Typically, the lab supervisor performs this inspection. CalMetro prompts an action that requires a visual inspection of each unit received in the system. All units are reserved until the inspection is completed.

The receiving inspection module lists all pending instruments received. The reviewer checks each instrument and assigns it to a technician. Once assigned, the report proceeds to the next step. If any issues are found during the inspection, such as a missing accessory, specification not available, or standard not available, the status of the UUT is changed to reflect the issue. The system then creates a follow-up task to inform the customer and resolve the issue.

Next step is calibrating the UUT and recording the results on the service report. After searching for the instrument ID or report number and opening the report, the calibration information shall be entered including the calibration date, environmental conditions, equipment standards, calibration procedure, and measurements. Once saved, the report moves on to the paperwork inspection phase.

During this phase, the report is reviewed to ensure that it complies with system requirements. The inspector technician will check that calibration procedure, standards, equipment specifications, and criteria are correct. If everything checks out, the technician will stamp the report and it will be filed in the Calmetro database. The system will store every stamp with its own revision number.

Laboratory instruments (M&TE) require routine preventive maintenance to ensure their standards are maintained, and the default interval is set to half the calibration cycle. When a maintenance due notification is received, the laboratory can efficiently schedule and assign maintenance for the units. Once assigned, the technician will perform all the necessary maintenance actions and verify that they have been completed before saving the maintenance report.