“We are very excited about the updates in version 12 because they all came about as direct requests from our customer base,” notes chief technology officer, Rhett Price.
“Over the past year we have been very focused on being partners with our customers rather than just being a faceless vendor. This meant a lot of conversations where we asked: ‘what can we do differently to help you improve your business processes?’
“We conducted surveys, hosted a customer advisory board and got tons of feedback on the product and direction that our customers wanted us to go. This release is all about the implementation of features that will solve the problems that our customers brought to us.”
One such problem was syncing data back to the lab when a calibration technician carried out offsite field work where internet access was not available. IndySoft came up with an elegant solution where a starter database is created once a week that includes offsite workflows, security settings, masters and historical data, equipment templates and charges, and calibration procedures.
Prior to heading out to undertake field work, the technician selects the companies that they will be visiting, and the starter database, equipment, history and work orders are all downloaded onto the technician’s device.
During the week the technician would perform calibrations as normal, enter the data into IndySoft, then once his or her computer detects they are connected to the internet again, the results are pushed back to the lab. Lab updates such as calibration procedures or master modifications are automatically sent to the field technician. This is all carried out without user interaction, so there is no additional technician training required. The lab is able to invoice the same day.
“We also received a lot of feedback on how we manage test points, so we overhauled the system,” Mr Price adds. “The upgraded advanced test point grid is a new superior way to set-up calibration test results. The system was modified to be more powerful than ever and easier to use, especially for customers familiar with Excel.”
The test point system was also enhanced to allow multi test points within one piece of equipment or template – very useful when different sets of tolerances are needed for one piece of equipment. For example, if you have one set of tolerances for standard calibrations and a different set for accredited calibrations; or if you have a customer that has very specific tolerances.
Also, as a result of customer feedback, IndySoft added a wealth of new fields throughout the software. From test points, to events, to customer information, there are over 60 new fields that allow for complete customisation. The operator is able to determine which fields are hidden or visible, so the user experience is tailored to every individual customer’s requirements.
Further, version 12 introduces IndySoft Spreadsheet, an Excel clone, into the software. It allows users to work natively with the popular spreadsheet document file environment without using any external spreadsheet software, saving companies the additional expense of having to purchase Excel for all of their workstations. It works with .xlsx, .xls, .csv and .txt files, so most calibration results already written in Excel can be performed with IndySoft Spreadsheet.
“ISO/IEC 17025 compliance is critical to IndySoft customers, so we received a good deal of feedback from our customers requesting making revision status and change tracking easier to manage. As a result, we added automated revision control to our certificates and a version control system that tracks changes, documents, and allows rollback to prior versions for all customisable areas of the software,” Mr Price explains..
IndySoft has long been a leader in the calibration management software sector. With the introduction of version 12, IndySoft further offers commercial calibration companies and enterprise customers performing internal calibrations innovative solutions to solve their problems, improve their processes and create efficiencies while providing the required documentation to ensure compliance with industry’s standards.
IndySoft www.indysoft.co.uk
