If someone were to ask whether your business had a Quality focus, how would you answer? Would it be an enthusiastic, “Well of course! Quality is at the core of everything we do!” Or would it be more like, “Sure. We’ve got that document thingy we follow. We put it in a glass cabinet, so …read more »
News
Make your management system work for you in 3 easy steps
Many organisations have a quality (or environment, or safety) management system. That’s a great thing- it’s like the hidden helper and decision-maker to make our work lives easier. But I bet you’ve sometimes felt like the system rules your life, rather than you ruling the system. How did it get to be this way? More …read more »
The Lab Manager’s Circus Act: Juggling Regulations and Resources
Optimising lab performance and efficiency is difficult. Picture this: You’re a lab manager, juggling accreditation demands like a circus performer with too many flaming torches. NATA and the regulatory bodies keep tossing more hoops for you to jump through, and you’re balancing on a tightrope made of red tape. Just as you think you’ve …read more »
Risk in the Age of AI
We wrote about the discussions at Accreditation Matters a couple of weeks ago. A large number of the presentations focussed on AI. This technology has been billed as revolutionary and world-changing. But beyond the hype, it’s timely to drill down to what the risks in the Age of AI might be – and we don’t …read more »
The top 3 NATA deficiencies in labs
NATA deficiencies (aka conditions for accreditation) give you a clue on how you measure up. The question is, how common are those deficiencies? You never really know how you compare with your peers, and it can be difficult to know what to focus on. Sure, there are those performance reviews, but are you being told …read more »
The Less Fashionable Forms of Traceability
Much time is spent on NATA assessments discussing traceability – metrological traceability. But what about the other forms of traceability? They are just as important! In this article we highlight the requirements for the other forms of traceability, covering traceability of records and samples. But before we get too far into things, we have a …read more »
The Complete Guide to Traceability
Climbing your Traceability Tree Most NATA accredited labs will butt up against the requirements for metrological traceability. Those requirements seem to have become more difficult to meet, with even the tiniest and what would seem an insignificant piece of equipment or reference material being the subject of a condition for accreditation. Many labs have …read more »
3 things to avoid with NATA accreditation
written by Maree Stuart When it comes to NATA accreditation, we’ve seen it all! Including what not to do! You might have just started down the path of NATA accreditation and are stuck. Or maybe you already have accreditation and feel like you’re in a maze and there’s no way out. Maybe it’s simply that …read more »
Reporting for Impact
Lab reports are like bees. According to the Earthwatch Institute, bees are the most important species on earth. These tiny creatures are responsible for ensuring pollination of up to 87 percent of leading food crops worldwide. Some authors estimate that if insect pollination were to fail, economic losses would be about 8 percent at most. …read more »
5 simple steps for meaningful management reviews
written by Maree Stuart The prospect of doing a management review is not exactly a cause for celebration. Unlike birthdays, which also come around annually, management reviews can be dull, life-sucking events that last way too long. But it is possible to turn your management reviews from boring to brilliant! Our 5 simple steps explain how …read more »
The Definitive Guide to Understanding ISO/IEC 17025 (Updated 2024)
This article explains each of these topics, with some suggestions on how to address the requirements. Let’s start at the beginning with Impartiality What is impartiality and why is it important in labs? One of the core elements of ISO/IEC 17025 is impartiality, which refers to a laboratory’s commitment to maintaining independence, objectivity, and freedom …read more »
Corrective action under the microscope
When you get a wicked problem, do you just throw your hands in the air and give up? What about those problems that simply won’t go away? Or the dreaded negative findings in an external audit report, like a NATA report? Let me help you understand this better with a classic example of a problem …read more »
Where does your medical lab get stuck with NATA and ISO 15189?
written by Maree Stuart It’s now been 6 months since NATA commenced assessments against the new edition of ISO 15189. Time flies when you’re having fun! 🙂 In this article, we’ll explore some of the areas Medical Labs get stuck. 1. Management review for ISO 15189 labs We’ve written previously about management reviews so it’s worth revisiting this …read more »
Bad Blood
As that iconic philosopher Taylor Swift reminds us, when behaviour and communication go bad in the workplace, it can mean some Bad Blood. We’re often subject to human foibles like Liam’s loud chewing. Or Lauren’s leg jiggling when she talks. Or Lachlan’s tendency to use the word “like” in every sentence. Plus, it’s possible that …read more »
Climbing your Traceability Tree
Most NATA-accredited labs will butt up against the requirements for metrological traceability. Those requirements seem to have become more difficult to meet, with even the tiniest and what would seem an insignificant piece of equipment or reference material being the subject of a condition for accreditation. Many labs have told us of the relentless demands …read more »
Navigating the Accreditation Maze
Here at MAS, we’ve noticed a troubling trend with navigating the accreditation process. There is some dissatisfaction with the NATA accreditation process and the time taken to get answers to applications and other submissions to NATA, as well as “creeping criteria”. We’re not naming and shaming individuals. The problem seems to be more systematic. …read more »
Measurement Uncertainty: More than just the numbers
How many times have you laboured away at doing Measurement Uncertainty, wondering what’s the point, besides ticking the NATA box? Do you even know what you’re doing in the first place? Well, the good news is that there is a point beyond simply complying with accreditation requirements, There are so many more things to MU …read more »
7 tips for choosing the right training partner
You always have a choice when it comes to who you partner with for training Listen up, because I’m about to lay down some truth. When it comes to education and professional training, you’ve got a choice. You can settle for the run-of-the-mill, cookie-cutter programs that promise the moon but deliver a flickering star, …read more »
5 steps to risk management success
No doubt you’ve read through the ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 15189, and ISO 17020 standards plenty of times and you’ve seen an increased emphasis on risk management. Some of these requirements have been in place for 5 years! These requirements mean you look at risks in a more formalised and strategic way. Having a risk …read more »
Future Trends for Labs in 2024
It’s time once again to get out the crystal ball and see what future trends await us. Warning– there are no predictions about future love life, jobs, or pandemics and we are definitely NOT psychics! However, as we step into the new year, the business landscape is poised for significant transformations driven by technological …read more »
Problem solving: When Honesty is the best policy
What happens when a management system to identify the causes of problems fails? Over Christmas, shoppers in Japan had an unexpected experience. Several hundred customers who ordered the “strawberry frill shortcake” later complained the cake had arrived damaged. In response to complaints, the Department Store issued the following statement: “We sincerely apologise …read more »
Plan for success
It’s been said that failing to plan is planning to fail. But sometimes we’re paralysed by the prospect of getting started and the time it takes to plan. Besides, there’s that other adage of “the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. So you can only take these sayings with a grain …read more »
Impartiality: passing the Pub Test
written by Maree Stuart A while back, there was quite a stir about the Federal Government’s program for funding of commuter carparks. Under the Urban Congestion Fund (UCF), established in the 2018–19 Budget, the Commonwealth sought to ‘support projects to remediate pinch points, improve traffic safety and increase network efficiency for commuter and freight movements in …read more »
Do you REALLY need to train your staff?
Whether you’ve been in your job for a while or if you’ve just started a new one (congratulations!) the ideal scenario is that you should always be learning. Not just the steep learning curve that comes with a new task or role but the knowledge that underpins what we do and helps us do it …read more »
Solving your communication catastrophes
You might have heard about the latest Sydney-centric communication stuff-up. It involves the Spaghetti Junction of the Rozelle Interchange. One reason for the traffic chaos came from poor signage. This miscommunication meant that there were extraordinary traffic jams and hours of lost productivity! It shows how a lack of communication can lead to frustration. It’s …read more »
Making your internal audits meaningful not mediocre
The recent renewed focus on the quality of audits performed by the Big 4 accounting and audit firms has put a spotlight on audit outcomes and reporting. While the focus has been on pesky financial audits, there are plenty of subjects that are covered by audits. The topics can be wide-ranging and include audits of …read more »
6 Ways competence can help us work smarter
In a lab, we work long hours and are highly competent. But there is often little recognition of the dedication to our work It’s Go Home on Time Day. The day shines a spotlight on the maldistribution of working hours and the scale of unpaid overtime worked by Australians. The Australia Institute has released …read more »
Dissection of a NATA condition
Does this happen to you? You have your NATA assessment and start to deal with the conditions for accreditation. You respond to NATA and their response is: written in some unintelligible language (like everything you see coming from NATA) seems to say you need to do better and you have 2 weeks to provide a …read more »
Your NATA Assessment Survival Guide Part 3
written by Maree Stuart Welcome to our third and final part of our NATA Assessment Survival Guide. Last week in Lab Man vs Wild NATA, we looked at how reviewing and maintaining your staff competence and HR systems, equipment systems and methods go a long way in preparing for NATA Assessments. We also looked at …read more »
Your NATA Assessment Survival Guide Part 2
written by Maree Stuart Welcome to Part 2 of our NATA Assessment Survival Guide. In our last episode of Lab Man vs Wild NATA, we looked at how to prepare for NATA Assessments using your audit, non-conformances and corrective actions, and risk management systems, and thinking about how the audit will be conducted on the …read more »
Your NATA Assessment Survival Guide – Part 1
written by Maree Stuart Being a NATA-accredited lab can feel like you’re Bear Grylls, with a depleted level of resources but being pushed to achieve ever more thrilling feats to entertain the audience of NATA assessors. It’s hard to survive a NATA assessment. We get it- we’ve felt like that too! Being prepared not only will …read more »
The Quality – Value Link
written by Maree Stuart Himeji Castle I’ve been fortunate to visit several World Heritage sites over the past couple of weeks. Places like Hiroshima, Himeji Castle, the Palace of Versailles and Berlin’s Museum Island. I’ve also watched Oppenheimer in that same period. What’s the link between these things and why would I be writing about them …read more »
Everything you need to know about sampling and sample management
written by Maree Stuart The things labs test and calibrate don’t magically appear out of nowhere. Somewhere along the line, there is a sample taken. Many labs aren’t in charge of sampling. That’s something left to clients, clinical staff and production line staff. Just because it’s somebody else’s responsibility does not mean laboratories can ignore it. …read more »
The Essential Guide to Kicking your Accreditation Goals
written by Maree Stuart Finally achieving the ‘holy grail’ of NATA accreditation might be your resolution for 2023. Problem is, you don’t know where to start. And we’re more than half-way through the year! You might have even started down the path of NATA accreditation and are stuck. And if you’re a medical lab, now …read more »
Method Selection: A Step-by-Step Guide
written by Maree Stuart Method selection is one area that many labs take for granted. You often only have one choice…….or so you think. After all, when you have a hammer, everything is a nail, right? In this article we’ll explore some of the questions labs should be asking so that the right method is used …read more »
Can you rely on your suppliers?
written by Maree Stuart We’ve all been disappointed by our suppliers from time to time, especially in times of supply chain constraints. Imagine being the CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation a couple of days ago. You’re quietly minding your own business, basking in the last rays of glory that was Birmingham 2022 and looking forward …read more »
Quality Control: When doing your best is not good enough
written by Maree Stuart I recently came across a process that went along like this: Team completes an activity Quality control by review of records and report by a supervisor Quality control by review of the records and report by a technical manager Quality control by review of the records and report by a committee of …read more »
The top 3 things to do to be ready for ISO 15189 assessments
written by Maree Stuart Late last year, a new version of ISO 15189 was released. It wasn’t done under the cover of darkness – hopefully, those affected know it’s coming. The countdown is now on for implementation, and there’s less than a month to go until D-Day, 1 August. In this article, we’ll explore some of …read more »
We have to talk
written by Maree Stuart Ever had one of those terrible moments where you have to have that difficult conversation with a family member, friend or work colleague? You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t need to take a big deep breath before initiating one of those kinds of conversations. Having to do this in a workplace, …read more »
Risk Management in 5 steps
written by Maree Stuart No doubt you’ve read through the ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 9001, or ISO 15189 standards plenty of times and you’ve seen an increased emphasis on risk-based thinking. We’ve written articles previously about risk management and discussed how the requirements need you to look at risks in a more formalised and strategic way. Since …read more »
6 Accreditation Basics you might not know
written by Maree Stuart World Accreditation Day falls on 9th June each year. It was established by the International Accreditation Forum/ International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation Joint General Assembly in 2007 to mark the importance of accreditation in conformity assessment. This year’s theme is Accreditation: Supporting the Future of Global Trade and focuses on how accreditation …read more »
Navigating the Accreditation Maze
written by Maree Stuart Last week, I attended the Future Labs Conference in Sydney. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn about developments in AI, machine learning, digitization, facility design, and systems. But there was a troublesome undercurrent in the discussions- dissatisfaction with NATA accreditation. Despite the enthusiasm to adopt new technologies in the lab, …read more »
Unveiling the Importance of Method Validation
written by Maree Stuart It’s the question that can excite you or make you groan, “Show me your method validation data”. It’s not like we are scammers trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the nearest gullible person. After all, we’re professionals! And the same response might apply when you’re asked about your method …read more »
MU isn’t just about about numbers
written by Maree Stuart Being Budget Week, the talk has been all about the number. A billion here, several million there. It’s all a bit eye-watering. Luckily our numbers for measurement uncertainty (MU) are usually not as large as these kinds of figures. It does make me wonder, what does the MU look like for a …read more »
5 ways to deal with Complaints
written by Maree Stuart Oh Alan, I would give everything, not to be like him. Would you want to be Alan Joyce right now? He’s the butt of many jokes, including this one from The Shovel: With QANTAS seen to be the stand-out performer in poor customer service and failures to respond to …read more »
Decisions, decisions, decisions
written by Maree Stuart Being in a lab isn’t always easy, especially when there are decisions to be made. According to prospect theory, if two equal options are put to a person but one option is described in relation to gains and the other is described according to losses, the person is more likely to …read more »
The future according to HAL
written by Maree Stuart What the future holds It’s the latest fun thing to do whether it’s an article or an essay: ask ChatGPT for its answer! Much has been publicised about the quality of these outputs. It’s been described as “fluent but not factual”. We asked ChatGPT4 for it’s sage advice on future …read more »
Keeping NATA happy about your calibrations
written by Maree Stuart You’ve had a NATA assessment and the assessors have demanded that you adhere to the frequency of calibrations in the NATA General Equipment Table. But you’ve noticed that the calibration results never really change so you may have stretched out this frequency to save money and interruptions to service delivery. Do you …read more »
Total Control
written by Maree Stuart Would you sell your soul for total control like Martha Davis in The Motels? Sadly, your documentation system isn’t just a ‘set and forget’. They require reviewing, updating and managing to ensure they’re accurate, up-to-date, and available. And that’s where a document control system comes in. A good system allows your documents …read more »
The Essential Lab Guide to QC
written by Maree Stuart I had a conversation with someone recently where we discussed what was meant by the concept “Quality”. The discussion quickly reached the subject of quality control and it was clear that there was a lack of understanding of what this term meant. We recently wrote about Quality Basics and included some …read more »
I’m a natural-born leader
written by Maree Stuart It’s a thing you might hear from applicants for jobs in your workplace, “I am a natural-born leader”. And it’s a statement that is rarely questioned as you nod sagely. We can debate the accuracy of this statement along the lines of nature versus nurture. But that’s not what is actually important. …read more »
Quality in the Spotlight
written by Maree Stuart Getting the basics right I’m sure if someone asked you what did “Quality” entail, you’d have a list of things that are done. Some of those things might be drawn from topics and requirements that appear in Standards like ISO 17025, ISO 15189, ISO 17020 and ISO 9001. Some of them might …read more »
3 things you need to know about the new ISO 15189
written by Maree Stuart Late last year, a new ISO standard was released. It wasn’t done under the cover of darkness – hopefully those affected know it’s coming. In this article, we’ll explore some of the key changes and what that means to Medical Labs. We’ll also cover how you can prepare for assessments done to …read more »
5 simple steps for great management reviews
written by Maree Stuart The prospect of doing a management review is not exactly a cause for celebration. Unlike birthdays, which also come around annually, management reviews can be dull, life-sucking events that last way too long. But it is possible to turn your management reviews from boring to brilliant! Our 5 simple steps are here …read more »
New Year Resolutions
written by Maree Stuart Do you make new year’s resolutions each year? A survey found that in 2022, just 23% of survey participants intended to make new year’s resolutions. The most popular resolutions for 2022 were living healthier (23%), personal improvement and happiness (21%), and losing weight (20%). Anyway, who really cares? By the time we …read more »
12 Days of a Lab Christmas – Day 12
written by Maree Stuart As we head into the silly season we are delighted to present: The MAS Management Systems 12 Days of a Lab Christmas! On the twelfth day of Christmas we had a NATA assessment For many lab folk, the prospect of a NATA assessment is the stuff of nightmares. If you’re a little …read more »
12 Days of a Lab Christmas – Day 11
written by Maree Stuart As we head into the silly season we are delighted to present: The MAS Management Systems 12 Days of a Lab Christmas! On the eleventh day of Christmas a key supplier informed us of serious quality issues with their products This is probably one of the least expected things that could go …read more »
12 Days of a Lab Christmas – Day 10
written by Maree Stuart As we head into the silly season we are delighted to present: The MAS Management Systems 12 Days of a Lab Christmas! On the tenth day of Christmas we discovered we had missed calibration of our most used piece of equipment Issues to do with equipment and calibration are often areas where …read more »
12 Days of a Lab Christmas – Day 9
written by Maree Stuart As we head into the silly season we are delighted to present: The MAS Management Systems 12 Days of a Lab Christmas! On the ninth day of Christmas, the air conditioning in our lab died If you’re in Melbourne right now, then dealing with hot temperatures hasn’t exactly been a recent issue. …read more »
12 Days of Lab Christmas – Day 8
written by Maree Stuart As we head into the silly season we are delighted to present: The MAS Management Systems 12 Days of a Lab Christmas! On the eighth day of Christmas, two of our key staff resigned To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, losing one key staff member is a misfortune, to lose two looks like carelessness. …read more »
12 Days of a Lab Christmas – Day 7
written by Maree Stuart As we head into the silly season we are delighted to present: The MAS Management Systems 12 Days of a Lab Christmas! On the seventh day of Christmas, one of our test reports appeared in the newspaper when it was leaked to a journalist by a staff member You might regard this …read more »
12 Days of a Lab Christmas – Day 6
written by Maree Stuart As we head into the silly season, we’re delighted to present: The MAS Management Systems 12 Days of a Lab Christmas! On the sixth day of Christmas, our field staff were given a gift from a client It’s always nice when a client recognises the hard work of our staff. But sometimes, …read more »
12 Days of a Lab Christmas – Day 5
written by Maree Stuart As we head into the silly season, we’re delighted to present: The MAS Management Systems 12 Days of a Lab Christmas! On the fifth day of Christmas, we did our management review with our business planning session. Huh? You mean we can do a management review not just to tick the accreditation …read more »
12 Days of a Lab Christmas – Day 4
written by Maree Stuart As we head into the silly season, we’re delighted to present: The MAS Management Systems 12 Days of a Lab Christmas! On the fourth day of Christmas, we did an internal audit of some new work we wanted to seek accreditation for. How many times have you requested a change to your …read more »
12 Days of a Lab Christmas – Day 3
written by Maree Stuart As we head into the silly season, we’re delighted to present: The MAS Management Systems 12 Days of a Lab Christmas! On the third day of Christmas, our Quality Manager discovered the benefits of a thorough root cause analysis. In an ideal world, everything would run smoothly with only very small bumps …read more »
12 Days of a Lab Christmas – Day 2
written by Maree Stuart As we head into the silly season, we’re delighted to present: The MAS Management Systems 12 Days of a Lab Christmas! On the second day of Christmas, our server went down! These days, most information and data are stored electronically. Apart from saving the planet, maintaining information in an digital format can …read more »
12 Days of a Lab Christmas – Day 1
written by Maree Stuart As we head into the silly season, we’re delighted to present: The MAS Management Systems 12 Days of a Lab Christmas! On the first day of Christmas, we found our procedures hadn’t been reviewed for 2 years. Lab documents provide essential guidelines and references for what we do. They allow us to …read more »
5 secrets for successful risk management
written by Maree Stuart The world can be a risky place! With claims by Mark Bouris who says Australia runs the risk of “going overboard” and pushing interest rates too high next year, and ongoing risks to our personal data and privacy through data breaches, we’re besieged by warnings about the present and the future. Those …read more »
Trends and Predictions for 2023
written by Maree Stuart We’re starting to get that sense of a new year right around the corner. The Melbourne Cup has been run and won. Hints of slightly warmer weather are appearing. Unless you’re in Melbourne and then you have our sympathies and hopes for warmer temperatures from now. And the sounds of Christmas are …read more »
Happy World Quality Week!
written by Maree Stuart It’s World Quality Week and this year’s theme is “Quality Conscience: Doing the right thing”. It’s a good opportunity to pause for thought. What does it mean to act with a “Quality Conscience”? Our conscience is our moral sense of right and wrong. We develop this from birth, with influence from our …read more »
Measurement Uncertainty isn’t just about the numbers
written by Maree Stuart Being Budget Week, the talk has been all about the number. A billion here, several million there. It’s all a bit eye-watering. Luckily our numbers for measurement uncertainty (MU) are usually not as large as these kinds of figures. It does make me wonder, what does the MU look like for a …read more »
Happy customers, happy life!
written by Maree Stuart There’s a saying often used by many a marriage partner, “Happy wife, happy life”. The same can be said for our business relationships, both inside and outside our organisations. The question is how do you get to that point? Well, like any partnership you have to work at it. But the investment …read more »
The best kept secrets to GCP (Good Compliance Practice)
written by Maree Stuart Compliance is big news! The woes of Optus following its data breach keep on coming. And we can look forward to investigations by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and ACMA to help understand why this breach of data security requirements occurred. Hopefully, we’ll also get some insights into how these …read more »
5 tips for writing good Policies and Procedures
written by Maree Stuart Have you heard that in New Zealand, they’re legislating for laws to ensure that bureaucrats use plain language? You’re probably thinking, that would be nice, but how does it relate to me? Have you read an ISO standard or NATA accreditation document recently??? Apart from those ISO and NATA documents, we see …read more »
The Lab Manager Conversations wrap up
Over the past seven weeks, we’ve shared stories from lab managers and leaders about their roles and challenges. Naturally there were some industry variations and individual issues around accreditation. But generally, the types of issues faced by the lab managers and leaders we approached were fairly similar. We then collated these conversations into a series …read more »
Internal audits – who are you pleasing?
If you’ve been doing internal audits just to tick the ‘yes we did that’ accreditation or certification box, you’re doing your business a huge disservice. Of course, internal audits are necessary for compliance and conformance. But they can also drive real change and add value for your business. As well as determining if the lab …read more »
The Lab Manager Conversations part seven – Quality
We’ve been speaking to lab managers and leaders about their roles and their challenges. These conversations have been collated into a series of articles that will probably resonate not only with lab leaders, but those across other businesses as well. While their pathways may have been somewhat different, all our respondents have clocked up well …read more »
The Lab Manager Conversations part six – Equipment
We’ve been speaking to lab managers and leaders about their roles and their challenges. These conversations have been collated into a series of articles that will probably resonate not only with lab leaders, but those across other businesses as well. While their pathways may have been somewhat different, all our respondents have clocked up well …read more »
The Lab Manager Conversations part five – Learning
We’ve been speaking to lab managers and leaders about their roles and challenges. These conversations have been collated into a series of articles that will probably resonate not only with lab leaders, but those across other businesses as well. While their pathways may have been somewhat different, all our respondents have clocked up well over …read more »
The Lab Manager Conversations part four – Communication
We’ve been speaking to lab managers and leaders about their roles and challenges. These conversations have been collated into a series of articles that will probably resonate not only with lab leaders, but those across other businesses as well. While their pathways may have been somewhat different, all our respondents have clocked up well over …read more »
The Lab Manager Conversations part three – Development
We’ve been speaking to lab managers and leaders about their roles and challenges. These conversations have been collated into a series of articles that will probably resonate not only with lab leaders, but those across other businesses as well. While their pathways may have been somewhat different, all our respondents have clocked up well over …read more »
The Lab Manager Conversations part two – Leadership
We’ve been speaking to lab managers and leaders about their roles and challenges. These conversations have been collated into a series of articles that will probably resonate not only with lab leaders, but those across other businesses as well. While their pathways may have been somewhat different, all our respondents have clocked up well over …read more »
The Lab Manager Conversations part one – Staffing
We’ve been speaking to lab managers and leaders about their roles and challenges. These conversations have been collated into a series of articles that will probably resonate not only with lab leaders, but those across other businesses as well. While their pathways may have been somewhat different, all our respondents have clocked up well over …read more »
Navigating the 7 Cs of communication
Every day we need to communicate. And whether it’s grunts from teenagers or the long, winding conversations we have with old friends, we also need to interpret what’s being said. Effective communication in the workplace is critical. Management is often judged by the quality of communications with the rest of the organisation. Teams judge their …read more »
Does your lab face these 5 ISO/IEC 17025 challenges?
Even the best labs can find themselves floundering a bit when external audit or assessment time rolls around. As consultants and mentors, we’ve visited a LOT of client’s labs over the years. And although each lab faces different challenges, we’ve found that there are a few issues that regularly crop up that can lead to …read more »
Process improvements for productivity
written by Maree Stuart Since accredited or certified labs have solid systems in place, you could be forgiven for thinking there’s nothing much else that needs to be done. After all, your existing business processes are tried and true and mean that you can navigate those accreditation or certification visits relatively unscathed. But (there’s always a …read more »
New Financial Year resolutions for business success
A new financial year is approaching with alarming speed. Although it may not be a thrilling time for everyone, any end of year event comes with a certain amount of navel gazing. And 1 July is the perfect time to examine just what has and hasn’t worked in your business. For business owners, unless you’re …read more »
Are you drowning in documents?
Imagine having all the documents you deal with in a week piled on your desk. If you were to include print outs of your work and personal emails the pile would probably be too high to see over! Clearly, you’re not going to do this (no time, waste of trees) but thinking about that pile …read more »
Why do we celebrate World Accreditation Day?
Every week there’s a special day to celebrate or cause to acknowledge. These range from important causes such as Breast and Prostate Cancer Awareness to those a little more left of field like National Sea Monkey Day (it was 15 May if you’re wondering). These days are useful for raising the profile or drawing attention …read more »
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TRAINING IN THE LAB Part 2
In our last article we looked at why you need a training plan and what you should consider when developing one. This week, we’re looking at the best ways to deliver that knowledge. Training isn’t a one-off event. It’s a continuous process that requires monitoring and upgrading as your business environment changes. Professional development isn’t a …read more »
Marvin’s Guide to Quality – part 2
written by Maree Stuart Welcome back! In our last episode, we explored how to enhance Quality Management through automation and digitisation with a little help from Marvin the Paranoid Android. We discussed how digitisation and technology could help with managing people, documents, and QC. This week we’ll look at facilities, equipment and purchasing. Facilities management Facility …read more »
World Metrology Day
We enjoy any opportunity to celebrate significant dates on the scientific calendar, but World Metrology Day continues to be a favourite. Not only because we run a Measurement Uncertainty training course on this day. But also because metrology plays such a central role in scientific discovery and innovation. This year’s theme is Metrology in the …read more »
Marvin’s Guide to Quality – part one
written by Maree Stuart In the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Marvin the Paranoid Android is a robot and has a ‘brain the size of a planet’, but he is seldom asked to use this capability. Instead, people ask him to perform simple tasks, like opening doors and picking up pieces of paper. Back in the …read more »
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TRAINING IN THE LAB
The ultimate guide to training in the lab – part one You know that having competent, well-trained staff ensures the stability and reputation of your business. A dedicated and skilled workforce allows for innovation and helps your business to stay ahead of the curve and to flourish. And that’s why you’ve put together a training …read more »
Protecting your lab from today’s bandits
written by Maree Stuart You might remember the famous case where David Bowie and Queen took Vanilla Ice (or Robert Van Winkle as he is legally known) to court for copyright infringement of their song ‘Under Pressure’. Van Winkle had quite clearly sampled the classic bassline to Under Pressure. However, he famously insisted that the two …read more »
5 proven tips for accreditation mastery
Those gurus that promise your lab will obtain accreditation (or re-accreditation) in seven days or less are like those recipes that tell you caramelised onions will only take five minutes. It just isn’t going to happen. We’ve certainly assisted clients to obtain accreditation quickly. This meant that with a lot of work, focus and effort, …read more »
Do you REALLY need to carry out root cause analysis for everything?
Let’s say something goes wrong in your lab, like that QC fails on your least favourite test. Nobody likes mistakes, but you go ahead and fix it because it’s the right thing to do. Problem solved! And then a week later, the same thing happens again. And then again. Correcting the problem is now just …read more »
From spreadsheets to solutions – implementing a new system
During March, we took part in the Future Labs Conference. As well as the excitement (and strangeness!) of being back in a face-to-face conference setting, we heard insights from speakers on how their labs are preparing for the future. One such speaker was Dr Shabnam Tarahi Tabrizi, Lab Manager at Nanosonics. She was instrumental in …read more »
An end to Measurement Uncertainty?
What if we told you that you’ll never have to do Measurement Uncertainty again? Would there be cheering? Balloons and streamers? Morris dancing in the halls? While we’d like to witness such unbridled joy (although perhaps not the Morris dancing…) unfortunately it’s not going to happen. And that’s because Measurement Uncertainty (MU) is a vital …read more »
How sustainability, testing and quality align to support our future infrastructure
We believe in seeking out information and ideas that will support your business to be better and smarter. Different perspectives on quality and business practices may provoke conversations in your workplace. This could lead to new and better ways of doing things. Paul Davies, Principal of Think Sustainability shares his thoughts on how sustainability, testing …read more »