Preparation for audits and external assessments is much easier for ESR
ESR (the Institute of Environmental Science and Research) is New Zealand’s Crown Research Institute that specializes in science relating to people and communities.
ESR provides world-class forensic science services and research to a range of New Zealand and international government agencies and private corporations.
It is also the sole provider of forensic services to the NZ Police and works closely with NZ Customs on illicit substance screening and identification.
Implementing Quality Management in the Forensic group has greatly improved the efficiency of managing the quality system, and we have noticed many advantages since it has been put in place.
The challange
With a quality management system (QMS) which was predominantly paper based, the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) found keeping track of workflow progress and the status of various activities and documents a challenge.
Their system was managed using a combination of tools from which records were then printed and filed, so there was a desire to improve the continuity and efficiency of the system.
As one of New Zealand’s Crown Research Institutes, ESR specialises in providing independent scientific advice and services that keep New Zealanders safe and healthy
They were looking for a QMS which could be used to streamline incident reporting, improve document control, and be user-friendly across their 400+ employees.
ESR’s Forensic Quality Manager had noted some shortcomings with their previous QMS that needed to be tackled: “The previous system was unwieldy and inefficient, and there was a desire for consistency across the entire organisation.
The areas where improvements were particularly needed were document control, equipment calibration and maintenance, and auditing.
There was also a need for improved streamlined incident reporting which allowed graphical representation for trend identification.”
The challange
With a quality management system (QMS) which was predominantly paper based, the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) found keeping track of workflow progress and the status of various activities and documents a challenge.
Their system was managed using a combination of tools from which records were then printed and filed, so there was a desire to improve the continuity and efficiency of the system.
As one of New Zealand’s Crown Research Institutes, ESR specialises in providing independent scientific advice and services that keep New Zealanders safe and healthy
They were looking for a QMS which could be used to streamline incident reporting, improve document control, and be user-friendly across their 400+ employees.
ESR’s Forensic Quality Manager had noted some shortcomings with their previous QMS that needed to be tackled: “The previous system was unwieldy and inefficient, and there was a desire for consistency across the entire organisation.
The areas where improvements were particularly needed were document control, equipment calibration and maintenance, and auditing.
There was also a need for improved streamlined incident reporting which allowed graphical representation for trend identification.”
Staff like having everything in a central location and the use of a CA/PA wizard has provided an easy-to-use interface that has been welcomed.
“For one, the accessibility has been greatly improved as it is fully electronic – this has allowed flexibility in accessing records and reduced the storage requirements we had for hard copy records.
It has also improved accountability as asset records for commissioning and maintenance are all saved in one place with a complete history of the record.
“The Asset Management module is being used for drug standard records and other reference materials which has allowed us to monitor these records across our complete inventory. And, because of the link between the Asset Management module and the CA/PA module, it allows for any issues to be raised quickly and efficiently.
“Our internal and external audits are now scheduled and maintained with the Audit module, and we have the ability to raise corrective action reports from the audits. The Audit module also allows us to regularly schedule and assess proficiency tests and participants are notified of any issues or observations raised
The submitted results and test provider reports are all stored as part of the record and any associated follow-up is then linked via the CA/PA module.
We are also using the Audit module to assess other quality related events such as environmental monitoring – something that was difficult to accurately report on before we brought in Quality Management”
The Forensic Quality Manager for ESR also noted that Quality Management had been a success amongst employees: “Staff like having everything in a central location – from forms and Instrument Operating Procedures (IOPs) to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) – the use of a CA/PA wizard has provided an easy-to-use interface that has been welcomed.
And because all of our document control is managed in Quality Management, the review and change request functionality has resulted in a much more streamlined and efficient process.” ”Several external assessors have also commented on how user-friendly and effective Quality Management is for managing the quality records
– and, because all of our records are in one central location and in a consistent format, the preparation for audits and external assessments is much easier.”
Benefits
Unlike hard-copy records, the electronic nature of QM facilitates improved accessibility and decreased storage requirements
Calibrations are scheduled and monitored, resulting in improved management of workloads and future planning
CA/PA workflows work well for quality incidents and complaints, and allow target dates to be set to monitor timeliness and analysis of trends e.g. categories, root causes)
The Audit module schedules and maintains the records for all internal and external audits
Having the records in one central location and in consistent formats simplifies the preparation for audits and external assessments
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