Aggregate producers use QESTLab to help them improve their quality and efficiency in two main areas: in the laboratory that tests the producer's quarry products, and in producing quality control and quality assurance reports for production control purposes.

In the laboratory, QESTLab enables aggregate producers to:

• Quickly and easily track work progress and plan upcoming work in the laboratory;
• Manage samples and testing data;
• Quickly and reliably calculate test results;
• Automatically check results against specifications;
• Ensure consistent reporting formats between individual tests;
• Easily track and manage equipment calibration;
• Easily enforce structured (and on-line) data approval on three levels: system supports data 'entered by', 'checked by' and 'approved by' record keeping;
• Reduce report turn around times due to rapid data entry, on-line checking and on-line approval followed by automatically generated test reports distributed electronically;
• Have full auditability/traceability with no overhead cost: the comprehensive audit trail is maintained automatically;
• Automate the billing process to increase efficiency and reduce missed billing;
• Support the testing from various disciplines in a single centralised system including concrete, aggregates, asphalt, soils, etc.; and
• Quickly and easily produce QA/QC reports from the test data.

From a production perspective, QESTLab brings significant benefits to aggregates producers, because it:

• Significantly reduces the time taken for the laboratory to produce and distribute material test reports;
• Centralises testing and reporting in a single system for multiple disciplines (e.g. aggregates, concrete, asphalt, etc.) allowing companies that cover multiple disciplines to access data and reports from the other disciplines in a fully integrated manner; and
• Allows the setup of fully customised production and QA/QC reports, including historical material performance tables and charts.

 

The system can be implemented in a single location, however for companies with multiple operations, a centralised implementation of the system brings significant additional benefits, including:

• Standardising processes and practices across multiple operations, with greater centralised control and document management;
• Ensuring consistent reports (both material test reports and production QA/QC reports) are produced across the organisation;
• Makes it possible for non-technical staff (for example sales staff) to access the latest materials performance data and remain up to date with materials variations;
• Providing a seamless work environment for employees that move to a different location;
• Providing centrally available data, which in turn makes it very efficient to manage from an infrastructure/IT point of view; and
• Enabling benchmarking and corporate level monitoring of efficiencies between different business units.

The above is not a comprehensive features list of QESTLab. It gives an indication of some of the most common benefits that customers have reported after they have implemented the system. For more information on QESTLab, please click here, or contact Spectra QEST sales.