• Overview of the EQA Programme Management System
• Download a Powerpoint Presentation
• 5 good reasons to choose the EQA Programme Management System
• The EQA Programme Management System
• EQAlite - our new web service for PT organisers on a limited budget
• Demonstrations
• Forum for EQA / PT organisers

  Overview of the EQA Programme Management System

The EQA Programme Management System is software for organisers of external quality assessment and proficiency testing schemes, sometimes called inter-laboratory comparison programmes (interlab proficiency testing). Our EQA / proficiency testing software can be tailored for use by any EQA / PT scheme organiser. In summary the system records participant data along with the schemes they subscribe to. It manages the subscription process, registration letters, invoices/invoice requests etc. It records the samples used, and all of the trial information, generating cover sheets, results forms, labels etc. The result data (quantitative, qualitative or interpretive) can be entered by you and your staff from the results sheets into the system, or directly by participants onto a website (the office database is updated automatically by the web database). Finally the system matches results against designated responses, a panel of experts, or uses z-scoring calculations (tailored to match your scheme formulae) and generates the reports in hard-copy or in Acrobat PDF format for participants to view on the website. The system has been developed as a standard Microsoft Windows application and integrates with Word and Excel. The system is currently used by:

• ECAT Foundation (Netherlands) (work in progress)
• Health Protection Agency
• Heidelberg Cement (Germany) (work in progress)
• NIAID DAIDS Quality Assessment (USA)
• Proficiency Testing Australia
• Tackler Analytical Ltd
• UK NEQAS for Blood Coagulation (web application & web services only)
• UK NEQAS for Blood Transfusion Laboratory Practice
• UK NEQAS for Feto-maternal Haemorrhage
• UK NEQAS for Haematinic Assays
• UK NEQAS for Haematology
• UK NEQAS for Immunocytochemistry
• UK NEQAS for Immunology
• UK NEQAS for Leucocyte Immunophenotyping

KPMD have developed the EQA Programme Management System using the latest technologies. The system is developed in Microsoft .Net using Visual Basic Windows Forms and .Net Web Services. The data can be held in Microsoft Access databases or Microsoft SQL Server. The main system is held in the office. This is multi-user allowing your staff to maintain the office database containing participant data, programme (scheme) data, trial data etc. Participants' results can be entered into the office database but the real benefits are to be gained by encouraging participants to enter their results on the website available over the internet. The database on the website periodically exchanges data with the office database, sending new test results and receiving new trial/distribution/exercise/round/run/campaign and participant data etc. The reports are produced in Acrobat and made available to participants on the website.

Key features are:

• easy searching, ordering and filtering of participants by scheme, country, status and more
• programme pricing (using price-bands, discounts etc where required) based on financial years
• automatic production of annual registration forms, invoices (or invoice request forms) and participant certificates
• multi-currency
• handles distributors for pricing, samples and reports as necessary
• generation of standard forms and letters
• central location for all correspondence available to all users
• records participants' queries, complaints, appeals and generates 'jobs to-do' and reminders (for example for repeat samples)
• manages the production of samples and stock control
• trial/distribution/exercise/round/run/campaign cover sheet and data entry form generation
• generates picking lists and despatch notes for individual couriers
• clear indication of trial/distribution/exercise/round/run/campaign progress, returned results etc
• simplified data entry with look-ups where required for analytes, methods, manufacturers, machines, units, techniques etc
• web data entry for participants also using look-ups and validation where required to eliminate input errors as far as possible
• generation of programme trial/distribution/exercise/round/run/campaign reports using graphs, data tables etc
• we will replicate your statistical analysis and participant scoring whether you use consensus, expert consensus, z-scores, sum of squared z-scores, uncertainty etc
• colour web reports using Acrobat files for participants who want to use it
• link results data back to surplus samples for certification of reference materials
• integrated on-line quality management system for documentation of forms and procedures
• projects database to manage other work for participating laboratories eg consultancy, training etc
• audit trails for key procedures and data management if required
• ad-hoc reporting
• additional features for web use are available, including on-line registration, sample result images etc

Additional functions can be added, including

• quality management system for the management of procedures and quality documents;
• management of staff training records;
• maintenance of participant events and projects;
• reference materials management for sample stock control, stability & homogenity studies and certification testing.

Download this Powerpoint presentation which includes a series of screenshots covering both the office-based functionality and the website pages. Click the link below to view the presentation in a new window, once loaded click FILE from your browser menu and SAVEAS to keep a copy on your PC. If you have security issues regarding such downloads then contact us (details above) and we'll convert it to an Acrobat PDF file for you. Click here for the Powerpoint Presentation

  5 good reasons to use the EQA Programme Management System

Various UK NEQAS and other proficiency testing scheme organisers are already using the system and others are interested. Here are 5 reasons why you should choose KPMD and our EQA Programme Management System:

1. Save staff time and money!:
   • registration and invoice production is automated;
   • no data entry or data validation by scheme staff as this can be done, over the web, by the participants themselves;
   • no time spent packing and posting reports;
   • save printing paper, toner etc;
   • save postage.
2. KPMD understands your business to support you, not just now, but in the future!:
   • we have developed a variety of systems for various organisers so we already have a good understanding of your requirements;
   • your EQA / PT software and the data is vital, you need the best backup and support to ensure your service continues; we currently support numerous EQA / PT organisations in the UK and USA;
   • the software adds structure and consistency to your record keeping and procedures, which will assist your UKAS / CPA / ISO 43 accreditation (ISO/IEC 17043);
   • our EQA software will be enhanced in the future with new features; possible new functionality includes staff training & competence records, internal quality audit & management review recording, and key document storage & control;
   • KPMD have been around for over ten years, and we intend to be here for another ten at least! 
3. It's easy to use!:
   • everything is held together in one unified system, giving a consistent approach to all of the functions in a modern, intuitive, Windows interface.
4. Better reporting!:
   • the system offers more flexible reporting, graphs, and the export of report data to MS Word and Excel.
5. Marketing features!:
   • customer relationship management - the ability to manage communication with potential and existing customers by keeping all correspondance relating to a customer in one place, and tracking all those little jobs you need to do to sign up a new customer or keep an existing one happy;
   • improved participant satisfaction by more efficient data entry and reporting.

The key data in the system is:

• participant - a laboratory in the UK and world-wide who is an actual or prospective participant in the programme;
• programme or scheme - a series of tests to which a participant subscribes;
• subscription - the link between a participant and a programme;
• test - a specific laboratory test which yields one or more results;
• trial or distribution or exercise or round or run or campaign - an instance of a set of samples being sent to participants of a programme;
• sample/material - details of the samples used in the trials;
• reference materials - surplus test sample/material that can be used for the calibration of an apparatus or the assessment of a measurement method;
• results - test results returned from a specific participant for a specific test for a specific trial;
• issue - a complaint, question, appeal against a result, request for a repeat sample, persistent unsatisfactory performance report etc;
• communication - a contact made with a participant, phone call, letter, email.

There are also be numerous lookup tables to give you complete flexibility for classifying your data. For example:

• method analysis: the type of method used by a participant to perform a certain test;
• courier: for the delivery of samples (recording these allows the generation of sample picking lists / delivery notes, labels etc);
• distributor: sub-contractors responsible for managing groups of participants for example countries outside of the UK;
• analytes: the analytes used in tests;
• prospect status: whether the participant is signed-up to a programme(s), or if not, the level to which they are interested in joining (eg cold prospect/hot prospect/member).

The system holds participant contact data. That is, correspondence with a participant can be recorded and Word documents generated using mail merge with Word templates created by users. These Word templates use contact information such as name and address from the database. The Word documents generated are stored and recorded within the system so that they can easily be found again. The Word documents can be printed and sent as mail, faxed, or sent as an email attachment. Documents received from the participants can be scanned (not provided) and stored as images with the participant record keeping everything in one, easily accessible place.

If you need a system to manage your proficiency testing (PT) schemes but you do not need all of the functions in our main EQA Programme Manager system, then EQAlite is for you.

At its simplest, EQAlite offers you a web-based system that allows you maintain the details of your participating laboratories, the schemes you run and the individual distributions or rounds that you issue. It also provides your participating laboratories with a website where they can enter their results and view the final round report.   

Read more about EQAlite here

We are more than happy to demonstrate our EQA / proficiency testing software, at your office, here in Sheffield or a location of your choice.