Sherwin Williams Automotive Finishes
Sherwin Williams was using a primarily preventative maintenance database that had been pressed into service just as Frank Benedum was beginning to take on the company’s calibration duties. The database had a variety of issues that made it easy to tamper with the company’s calibration data.
“We really didn't have an application that specifically targeted the calibration function. With ProCal, we have both calibration and PM modules that relate, but are separate enough to accommodate both functions independently if desired.”
Sherwin Williams researched several vendors with calibration databases, Frank explained during his evaluation. “I believe one of the key factors was that ProCal had an MS Access-based operating system available, and Access was already in use in another segment of my team.”
When asked what his biggest return was since implementing ProCalV5, Frank notes it’s “hard to choose a favorite, but we do like the multiple user aspect, and the ability to modify user rights to access only specific areas. The advanced query has been a big help in searching for items with missing calibration labels; preparing the monthly calibration list published on the first of each month on our local intranet; generating inventory lists for specific groups, and all sorts of data sorting available.”
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Frank Benedum
Calibration Coordinator |
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AtriCure, Inc.
After using ProCalV5 for almost a year, Michelle Schnell, a Quality Engineer for AtriCure, Inc. explained that their selection of ProCalV5 was based on a several factors including ease of use, compliance tools for 21 CFR Part 11 and a system that was capable of being validated.
“ProCalV5 is very easy to pull up and review calibration histories as opposed to the paper based system that they we were using before” Michelle explains. Additionally, “the system was easy to learn because all screens look and act similarly,” she said.
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Michelle Schnell
Quality Engineer |
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PCC Airfoils
Shannon Crowe, a Calibration & Maintenance Technician for PCC Airfoils, explained that finding a new system was critical to meet the needs of the company’s customer requirements, NADCAP regulations and compliance for ISO standards.
“The system we required must have been versatile for future use and changes that we would want to make. It also had to be economical to fit within our budget.”
ProCalV5 fit perfectly as the flexibility, pricing and Technical Support provided were exactly what PCC Airfoils was looking for.
Since implementing ProCalV5, PCC Airfoils “has had a better way of tracking calibrations, streamlined information flow and the retrieval of important data has been easily gathered in a timely manner” Crowe notes.
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Shannon Crowe
Calibration & Maintenance Technician |
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Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory/Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corp.
After experiencing a thorough audit by a customer, it was determined that the database without audit trail features would no longer suffice for Jeff Cook, an Instrumentation Technician for Betts Atomic Power Lab. “Our customer wanted to be able to see at any time where our data was and if it was changed, why” explained Jeff. “In our MS Access database, anyone was able to go in and change anything for any reason so we needed some kind of control over that which is what started our search for a better method of management.”
After searching the internet for calibration management solutions, Jeff was impressed with the features and functionality offered by ProCalV5. Having used the system since 2008, Jeff explains that ProCalV5 provided the necessary benefits for him to “be able to keep track of audit trials as well as everything is now documented in one central location with the proper controls.”
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Jeff Cook
Instrumentation Technician |
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Big B Manufacturing
“Using an excel spreadsheet was messy. We had no reminders for when work was coming due and our method wasn’t very formal” said Skip Blyler, Quality Control Manager for Big B Manufacturing. “We selected ProCal to help organize and streamline this process.”
When asked what helped make their decision, Skip said “we found ProCal on Google, then had a web demonstration and were impressed with what this package had to offer in terms of functionality.”
For Skip, the biggest benefit ProCal had to offer was the Reminders feature that saves time on searching and sorting through Excel spreadsheets. Additionally, the ProCal Explorer provides visual indications when things are overdue.
“When using excel, we had to go through the entire spreadsheet almost daily to see what was due, coming due or overdue and it was very time consuming. This process…ended up wasting valuable time every single day.”
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Skip Blyler
Quality Control Manager |
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IER Fujikura
Having had no management system in place, the decision to purchase a new calibration system was made because the company needed something to help better manage its calibration activities, explained Van Culliton, Calibration Manager for IER Fujikura.
“We selected ProCal because the price was right and it incorporates the necessary features we required for recalls and notifications”.
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Van Culliton
Calibration Manager |
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New Belgium Brewing Company
“Our previous system was messy and hard to manage” said Greg Butala, an Instrumentation Technician for the New Belgium Brewing Co.
“We set out to implement a new system that would enable us to better manage and organize our calibration information, and we found ProCalV5.” Greg notes that New Belgium selected ProCalV5 because it offered the features the company was looking for at a very competitive price. After implementing ProCalV5, “everything is now managed in one place with records being very easy to pull up and evaluate.”
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Greg Butala
Instrumentation Technician |
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Cerium Laboratories
“We used the spreadsheet approach for a little while after Cerium Labs LLC was founded and that just wasn’t cutting it anymore” explained Mike Benjamin, a Materials Engineer for Cerium Laboratories. “We were shopping for an asset management system that was robust in its ability to track tools, as well as chemicals and calibrations. Traceability was the number one reason for a new management system in order for us to maintain 17025 compliance for select test methods.”
When asked why Cerium selected ProCalV5, Mike said that ProCalV5 “appeared to be the “Cadillac” of asset management systems for a company like Cerium Labs.
“The modular design of ProCal allowed us to select a package tailored to what we needed, but leaves the option to upgrade as our company grows and requires more asset management with more advanced uncertainty packages and a preventive maintenance module. 24hr customer support is a real plus!”
With regards to Return On Investment, Mike explained that “the Email Reminders utility saves me so much time because I don’t have to track people down to remind them they have items coming due for calibration. Users get the reminder and know what part(s) they need to order and when they need to calibrate tools and know when it’s expected to be completed by. That alone, is enough ROI for me.”
Additionally, “as an administrator, I just approve or make changes to user’s actions and it’s done. The software has many attractive features for tracking assets. When I’m being audited now, I just pull up ProCal and I am ready to answer anything they can throw at me. The ability to link files and web pages (unlimited numbers) to instruments is an impressive and fast feature that auditors like. There’s no digging through file drawers with 20 years of instrument calibration records to find one document.”
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Mike Benjamin
Materials Engineer |
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Harlan Sprague Dawley, Inc.
As a company operating under FDA regulations, the controlled management of calibration was not an option for Kevin Hansen, a Quality Assurance Engineer for Harlan Sprague Dawley, Inc. Kevin noted that his organization selected a new calibration system due to regulatory requirements facing the company. After evaluating a few different solutions available in the market, the company selected ProCalV5 to manage their calibration operations.
“We chose ProCalV5 because it was the best value for the money.” Since implementing ProCalV5, Harlan Sprague Dawley now has more control over calibrations, a better reporting system and can the reliability of the quality Technical Support offered by Prime Technologies.
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Kevin Hanson
Quality Assurance Engineer |
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Sencore Electronics, Inc.
The customized database Sencore formerly used to track equipment and calibrations would no longer suffice for Ralph Belding, the company’s Quality Assurance Supervisor. After evaluating several available software packages, “ProCalV5 looked the best and was the easiest to use. The technical support staff was also very knowledgeable and open to helping us” explained Ralph when asked why Sencore selected ProCalV5.
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Ralph Belding
Quality Assurance Supervisor |
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Almac Group, Ltd
“The Calibration Dept. at the Almac Group has been using ProCalV5 now for almost 1 year, and we are more than pleased with it. When sourcing and evaluating potential vendors, we recognized that ProCalV5 had something that the others did not - simplicity of use. The importance of this factor should not be easily disregarded. We decided that ProCalV5 was the best fit for us, because it did everything we required of it, and its user functionality was logical, making navigating through the different screens so easy. The system itself is configurable and adaptable to most requirements, and the reporting function is excellent”.
“We found the expertise of the analysts Prime Technologies sent to Almac Group was of exceptional quality, and their technical support teams are very knowledgeable and always efficient.”
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Padraig Hoy
Systems Engineer |
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SPI Pharma
While searching for the right calibration software package, Fred Starr, Team Leader for SPI Pharma , was searching for a system with ease of use, flexibility and versatility. SPI Pharma, a worldwide leader in custom formulation solutions for pharmaceutical and neutriceutical manufacturers, needed a program that would accurately manage their assets while offering a high level of future support.
“Their responsiveness to customer’s needs, especially our own, has shown that Prime Technologies takes customer support very seriously,” said Starr. “When we have a question or need assistance with our system, we can rely on their experts to assist.”
When asked what helped the organization to select ProCalV5, Starr explained that “the overall versatility of the program compared to other software was exactly what we were looking for. Versatility and easy navigation from screen to screen was what set ProCalV5 apart from the competitors.”
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Fred Starr
Team Leader |
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A.V. Nackawic Inc.
Bruce Jones, an Electrical & Instrumentation Planner for A.V. Nackawic Inc., had been utilizing a locally developed software program prior to the company’s investment into ProCalV5.
"Technical support for our original software was no longer available, and in completing a search for a new system, we found ProCalV5. "Jones explained that “the fact that ProCalV5 had a proven tracking system helped make our decision. It also helped that the software could calibrate as found and as left readings, as this is a requirement for our organization to be in compliance.”
“When moving from our old software to the ProCalV5 system, it was a huge benefit as well that the majority of our information was able to be transferred into ProCalV5. This helped save a lot of time and effort not having to re-enter information,” Jones said.
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Bruce Jones
Electrical & Instrumentation Planner |
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Covert Generating Company
“Finding software that actually does what a company claims it can is hard to find these days”, said Brian Kemp, an O&M Technician for Covert Generating Company. “With ProCalV5, everything was wrapped together into one package and did everything we were explained it would.”
When asked what helped ProCalV5 become their calibration management tool, Kemp explained that “management was sold through the online demonstration. Being able to see what the software could do, how it could accommodate our work, and remove all our paper forms were of great benefit.”
In regards to the new user interface, Kemp also stated that “it’s nice to see a company taking their software by the horns and making improvements without the customer suffering.”
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Brian Kemp
O&M Technician |
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Cangene Corp.
Increasing calibration efficiency was the driving force behind John Kuehl’s recent decision to purchase ProCalV5 software for the Cangene Corp., a worldwide leader in the development , manufacture, and commercialization of specialty hyper immune plasma and biotechnology products.
“In addition to the technology, our choice had a lot to do with the expertise of the people behind the product,” explained Kuehl, who is Manager of Controls/ Metrology for Cangene.
“This was reinforced by the 30 day demo they provided. It was well designed and helped assure me that the product would meet our needs for many years to come. The fact that ProCalV5 is so easy to use is a credit to the designers,” said Kuehl. “It tells me that a lot of thought and work has gone into the product and that is very reassuring.”
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John Kuehl
Manager of Controls/Metrology |
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Voridian - Division of Eastman Chemical Co.
Over the last few months, I’ve been to our calibration shop on a number of occasions, either as part of a customer visit or audit, and have had a chance to observe our use of the ProCalV5 software. It seems to have a lot going for it including:
- Calibration reports show the test instrument used and reference the current calibration status of the test instrument.
- Reports are easy to save and e-mail as PDF files which has cut down on the amount of paper we handle.
- We are able to link our specific procedures which are stored on a local server to the information used when calibrating instruments.
- The system interface is extremely flexible which allowed us to have the software fit our existing processes rather than having to re-think our processes to fit the software.
- Calibration records are easy to retrieve several different ways.
ProCalV5 is a key element of the Calibration Lab's part in our ISO 9001 quality management system. The flexible and intuitive data retrieval and reporting capabilities, along with electronic data collection, helps us make our lean calibration staff completely effective. Our centralized shop is subject to examination in any internal, customer, or 3rd party audit. Auditors leave the Calibration Lab very satisfied with the effectiveness and efficiency of our calibration processes.”
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Brian Lander
Quality Assurance Manager |
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Vector Pipeline
“We converted to ProCalV5 about two years ago and are currently using Version 5.1”, said Jim Reno, a Production Supervisor at Vector Pipeline in Livonia MI. “We like the program because it walks us through the calibration processes. All records are documented at one location, like the trending feature.”
Reno pointed out that the company was sold on the program through the online demo that Prime Technologies provides to potential customers. “It really let us experience the features and benefits of the program”, he said.
Reno added that his people like to use ProCal in tandem with the Fluke 744 portable calibration tool, a combination that works well for calibration pressure transmitters – a major system element in pipelines.
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Jim Reno
Production Supervisor |
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Eastman Chemical Company
“We’ve been using ProCalV5 for about two years now,” said Ray Haynes, an Engineering Technology Associate in the Electrical Metrology lab at Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, TN.
“We like the program because it is ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) compliant. This allowed us to develop automated methods of printing our calibration labels. This minimizes the potential for non-conformities due to mislabeling. As an ODBC database ProCal also made it possible to update our web based critical instrument list. ProCal’s ability to export data into Excel formats allows us to do more with the database than we ever could with our previous system.”
“In those few instances where we did have a problem with the system, ProCal’s Customer Service worked with us to work the problem through in a timely manner,” Haynes added.
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Ray Haynes
Engineering Technology Associate |
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Fortune 1000 Organization
“ProCalV5 is well organized and easy to use,” explains Mark Rustad, a Systems Engineer and Project Manager for a fortune 1000 company that is now in the final phases of validation for a conversion to ProCalV5.
“We’ve made the change from an older, hard copy-based system and the convenience and structure of the records makes the calibration process much more efficient with ProCal.”
“We particularly like the security and accountability features,” said Rustad, who looked at several other systems before selecting ProCal.
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Mark Rustad
Systems Engineer & Project Manager |
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Schering-Plough
“The system alerts us when calibrations are due or overdue. That helps when we assign strategies and resources for scheduling calibrations,” said Louis Mezzina, a Manager of Subcontract Services for Schering-Plough.
“Plus, since we outsource our calibrations, invoicing for those services is done in a much more timely fashion. We can run reports that show exactly which instruments were calibrated in a particular billing period.”
Mezzina also explained that “ProCal is specifically designed to run on a mobile platform. Once people saw that using mobile PC’s instead of carrying clipboards gave them increased access to information and actually aided the data entry process, they embraced the new system. They saw how it could make them more effective”
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Louis Mezzina
Manager of Subcontract Services |
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