Manufacturing industries depend heavily on machinery and equipment, and time-to-time checking is necessary for efficient long-term use.
Calibration management is a process where companies learn about machinery’s efficiency and allows organizations to manage their essential and valuable equipment, which is part of productivity.
What is Calibration management software?
Calibration management software is an online platform used for maintaining the data of the calibration process and scheduling equipment calibration. It helps businesses to save time, and it also minimizes the risk to the company.
Generally, many people are working behind the calibration management process, such as the managers and the team of calibration. So, the software helps to get access to the data for everyone, and it reduces the long burden of paperwork.
What is Calibration Management used for?
The primary use of calibration management is to improve machinery to give productivity regularly. In the competitive market, where every business person competes with others to win more customers, and for this purpose, it is mandatory to check their equipment at a specific time so that they run smoothly.
Calibration management shows three results of a device or machine:
- A machine is working correctly without an error
- An error was found, but it is not necessary to make changes
- A part or change in the machinery needed because of an error
How does it work?
An effective calibration process requires a team effort, data interpretation, and a systematic approach. The calibration process in a specific time improves the business’s productivity, directly impacting customer satisfaction and leading to profit maximization.
Here is the process of Calibration management:
- Identification & classification of equipment: The first step of the calibration management process is determining which machinery needs to be checked. Further, it should be divided into two parts which are critical and non-critical.
- Critical- Equipment that is continuously in use and lacking during productivity comes under this category. Evaluation of this category should be the priority of the business, and decisions have to be made as soon as possible.
- Non-critical- Machinery that comes under this category still needs to be checked but after the critical ones. During the calibration process, every part & piece of the machinery must be evaluated.
- Organizing staff: A knowledgeable and qualified staff with a disciplined schedule is essential for the calibration process. The manager of the calibration department has to assist all the staff properly so the calibration process finishes soon with minimal cost.
- Time of calibration process: The timeline of calibration management in every business varies, depending on the type of machinery or production level. The manager must set a specific time for the calibration process. Generally, the manager sets annual, quarterly, or monthly check-up times, but production also impacts this. The calibration process should be done before the start of a big project and at the end of heavy production.
- Calibration: After getting all the sufficient details about the equipment and staff, the calibration process starts. All the safety measures should be kept in mind, and the data of the Calibration process should be taken for documentation.
- Result: All the data of the calibration process must be recorded properly for documentation purposes. It shows the current status of the machinery, which helps to find out the performance and compare it to the previous calibration process.
- Analyzing the results: The last step of the calibration process is to analyze all the recorded data and take the necessary steps. Sometimes, Machinery or equipment just needs some regular maintenance, but if a part of the machine or machinery needs to be replaced, all the details come through the calibration process.
Benefits of Calibration management
Following are some of the benefits of calibration management:
- Efficiency: Calibration management improves the machines’ efficiency and the business’s workflow. Regular conduction of the calibration process allows businesses to put their effort into other work machines that can produce quicker than before.
- Performance improvement: The calibration process gives real-time data on the equipment so that managers can monitor the performance and get a detailed view of operations. The performance can make the appropriate decision based on past performance to increase their business performance.
- Equipment longevity: For the better life of equipment, it is necessary to monitor it for the regular decision of errors. Calibration management details the equipment error so that the industry can solve it at a specific time. It protects the managers from big industry-related problems in the future.
- Safety improvement: Some major defects in equipment can lead to safety issues for the workers. Calibration management solves this problem by reporting on all the equipment problems so that managers can reduce the chances of significant accidents.
- Improved production: Production that the company wants to grow in every result. Better equipment can give better production for the company. The company can’t change the machines regularly, but they can maintain them regularly for better results.
Here are some of the best calibration management software available in the market:
GAGEtrak
GAGEtrak calibration management software has been in the industry for over 35 years and is one of the most trusted software. It is compatible with a single user to several users on LAN. The software allows businesses to manage workload efficiently, maintain production schedules, minimize costs, etc.
Key Features:
- GAGEtrak lite- Gagetrak lite is a touch-friendly software application on PCs and tablets. It helps the industry to manage the gauges, calibration, and procedures. For a single user, it is affordable with a streamlined reporting and closing tool.
- GAGEtrak pro- This version has all the features of GAGEtrak lite, but this software also gives complete MSA analysis with extensive crib management. It allows users to have a highly flexible calendar with the latest Microsoft.Net technology platform.
GAGEtrak offers both perpetual and subscription licensing options. It has two subscription plans GAGEtrak Lite ($29 per month) and GAGEtrak Pro ($79 per month). The software also offers a free trial. The licensing models are flexible; you can contact them for a demo and more details.
Gagelist
Gagelist is a cloud-based and mobile-friendly calibration management software. It provides affordable solutions to businesses to manage their calibration data. The software is available as a mobile application for Android and iOS users and offers unlimited users on all accounts.
Key Features:
- It provides a Multi-Site Control Panel to manage the accounts on Gagelist.
- It allows automated calibration and scheduling to save time.
- It sends email notifications to team members with reports of upcoming or past-due equipment.
- The software provides printable certificates with customized branding.
- Other features of the software include simple data import & export, Email reporting with an editable email distribution list, etc.
Gagelist has five pricing plans: – Starter ($20 per month), Starter Plus( $50 per month), Business ($100 per month), Enterprise ($200 per month), and Enterprise Plus ($400 per month).
Qualer
Qualer allows businesses to streamline processes related to calibration and asset compliance. Quaker efficiently provides real-time documentation from any device with internet access at a minimum cost. The software is available for both the Assets owner and the calibration team to ensure transparency between the manager and the employee.
Key Features:
- It provides a one-stop solution to store and access necessary data allowing team members to view and share the current status of assets and deadlines.
- The platform allows the automatic assignment of service levels and measurement forms.
- It provides a digital report of measurement data with performance specifications where every report of equipment is just under your fingertips.
- Other features are facility scheduling, reverse traceability analysis, service history tracking, and asset and warranty tracking.
You can request a demo by filling out a form, and their team will contact you to discuss services and pricing.
Qualityze
Qualityze is a Salesforce cloud-based calibration management software that improves the decision-making process of businesses. It provides an all-one solution to streamline processes, making the calibration process easy and accurate.
Key Features:
- The platform’s audit management tools cover the entire processes of the audit lifecycle: Planning, Scheduling, Preparation, Execution, Building Audit Reports, Tracking Findings, and Performing Follow-Ups.
- It offers a change management feature allowing businesses a smooth process of standardized workflows, review, approval, initiating and documenting change, revision archiving, and compliance.
- It provides a document management feature to create, approve, and review documents collaboratively.
- It integrates seamlessly with the existing business system to get the data of the equipment.
You can request a free platform demo to learn more details and pricing.
Ape Software
Ape Software is another popular calibration management software helping businesses to manage their equipment and tools. It allows them to maintain certification to quality and regulatory standards.
Key Features:
- It has several features to comply with FDA standards.
- It sends automatic email notifications to remind team members and users about equipment due for calibration.
- It provides customized reports, due calibration, or certificates.
- Asset transfer is effortless and quick with this software as it uses barcodes.
- Other features of APE software are data grid filtering, measurement templates, calendar and charts, label printing, barcode scanning, etc.
The platform has four paid plans: Free Trial (30-Day), Per Seat ($768), Concurrent ($1037), and Terminal($50 or $75).
GAGEpack
GAGEpack is an easy-to-use calibration management software that is very efficient and allows a free trial for new users. The software makes quality control and maintenance easier for businesses and is available for every industry.
Key Features:
- GAGEpack is an all-in-one solution for users, providing scheduling of calibrations, compliance management, and measurement device maintenance.
- It provides barcode readers and labels printer support
- The platform offers a management analysis report
- It provides pre and post-Calibration reports with all the historical records.
- It can generate 160+ gauge reports.
GAGEpack provides a Free trial, you can fill out a form regarding your requirement to get more details, and their team will contact you.
HGI
HGI, Harrington Group International is a new enhanced software tracking software allowing users to do calibration programs and care for their equipment. The platform provides a cost-effective solution to businesses for calibration management.
Key Features:
- Easily compatible with any device such as mobile, tablet, or PC.
- HGI offers an equipment barcode scanner, allowing users to get information about equipment quickly.
- Users can get the equipment’s history and access the historical gauge performances.
- Scheduling the calibration program is the primary feature of this software so that you can minimize the risk of downtime.
It is a cloud-based software with multi-user access that helps the users get the equipment details for every team member.
Blue Mountain
Since 1992, Blue Mountain has provided its users with world-class calibration management software. It is scalable, flexible, easy to use, and cost-effective too. This software also provides a demo program to its users.
Key Features:
- Assets management with a maintenance solution
- Cloud storage for future data use
- Paperless calibration, which saves times
- Increase workflows with configurable work rules
You can contact them or request a demo for more details about their pricing plans.
Cross
Cross offers the industry’s most user-friendly and comprehensive calibration management software. It is a cloud-based software with expertise in precision measurement.
Key Features:
- The platform allows tracking your equipment with real-time asset management.
- It allows automation of the manual process with hose & fitting.
- Testing, engineering, and inspection service is also available with calibration.
- It allows storing and saving your data securely for as long as you want.
You can contact them by submitting a form or calling to learn more about their features or pricing plans.
Conclusion
Businesses nowadays focus on more and more productivity, but they have to be ready for challenges that come through their machinery. That’s why they need calibration management software to manage and use their equipment or tools best. The main objective of calibration management software is to increase the life of equipment or take care of it before it becomes a disaster for the company.