Accupoint Software  is excited to announce the release of our Version 5 platform.  The V5 platform has a multitude of exciting new features and functionality, including:

• Responsive User Interface (UI)
• Streamlined Menu Navigation (Desktop & Mobile)
• Expanded Module Functionality
• Improved Mobile Device Performance
• Expanded Reporting Options
• Access to Interactive Safety Training Video Library
• Access to Interactive SOP creation capabilities
• Improved Desktop Menu Layout
• Optimized for all major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, IE & Safari)
• Enhanced instance security protocols
• Streamlined Database structure
• HTML Report Functionality
  • Generate and save reports to HTML, MS Word or PDF
  • Customized Logo Display on Reports
• Refinements to modules, including:
  • Vendor Certifications
  • Associate Management
  • Curriculum Management
  • Incident Management
  • Service Quality Plan
  • Asset Management

If you have any questions or require additional information about the Version 5 release, please feel free to contact us.

An internal quality audit is folded into a company’s corrective and preventative practices. The audit takes a snap shot of the organization’s compliance procedures, and then analyzes that snapshot to identify potential problems. In the oil and gas industry, internal audits are an integral part of the quality management system. 

To that end we have outlined 5 key steps to ensure that your internal audit process is effective:

1. Scheduling. Audit dates, the person leading the audit and the processes or machinery to be audited on those dates. Any and all pertinent documentation should be included in these audits. Everyone involved needs to be clear on when the audit will occur, and what is being audited. This gives them time to prep all their documentation and resources correctly.
2. Plan. What is the plan for this audit? The scope and depth of the audit must be made available to all involved in the audit. Included in this plan should be the chronology of the actual audit. Again, preparing employees, staff and c-level for the audit process is as important as the audit itself.
3. Audit manager communication. The person that leads the audit has to communicate any changes that may occur in a timely fashion. This means that a schedule change has to take into consideration the department being audited and how much time they will need to respond to the change. Keeping the schedule on track is of the utmost importance, other departments and divisions are relying on their schedule too.
4. Generating accurate reports. Management, stakeholders and c-level staff are usually the first to receive the reports generated by the audit. Problems (noncompliance) are analyzed and discussed at this stage, along with solutions to bring the department back into compliance. All essential personnel need to get this information at the same time.
5. Action taken. The compliance manager will respond to noncompliance issues on an agreed date. The response must include an investigation into the problem, along with suggested remedies and a date for those remedies to be completed. The lead auditor should sign off on these proposals before work can begin.

Oil and gas concerns are usually multi-state and multi-location enterprises with hundreds, if not thousands of employees. The compliance audits for the oil and gas industries are exhaustive and complex. Effectively managing the audit function will ensure compliance to customer requirements, as well as related regulations and standards.   For more information on how Accupoint Software can help improve your internal audit process, please contact us.

A well-designed continual improvement program is the key to a company’s growth within the petroleum industry. In addition to providing the framework for attaining the highest quality of product and service, a continual improvement program helps petroleum companies target inefficiencies and reduce waste. The result is a company that has the resources to weather challenging market conditions and thrive in favorable markets. Below is a look at 10 elements of effective continual improvement programs.
  

1. Link continual improvement programs to your company’s mission or goals. Employees need to understand why a continual improvement program is being implemented. By linking the program to your company’s mission, you will be more likely to garner support and participation at all employee levels.  
2. Communicate goals and program benefits to employees. Identifying and relaying goals for improvement is critical to a program’s success. Goals should be specific, attainable and actionable to produce ideal results. If incentives will be offered to employees for exceeding performance goals, these incentives should be specified before a program’s inception.  
3. Stress the participation of managers and supervisors. Involvement of upper management is necessary to lead and engage front line employees. Managers should model desired behaviors and highlight the specific ways that continual improvement programs will value specific employees within a company. Managers and supervisors must make sure that employees remain on track and focused on performance goals.  
4. Regularly monitor program performance. Evaluating the effectiveness of a continual improvement program is impossible without regular performance monitoring and results tracking. Real-time, accurate program results are vital to the ability to a program’s success because companies can target under-performing areas of their organization.  
5. Develop strategies to reduce waste. In the petroleum industry, strategies for waste reduction serve a dual purpose. They target supply chain inefficiencies and reduce the environmental effects of petroleum operations. Non-value added processes should be minimized and recycling should be considered when appropriate.  
6. Focus on the prevention of common problems. In the petroleum industry, front-line supervisors are often unable to effectively manage employees or procedures because they spend much of their time reacting to problems and tackling exception reports. A continual improvement program focuses on the prevention of injury, waste, and supply chain bottlenecks.  
7. Identify key inefficiencies. An effective program identifies and targets opportunities for improvement. This process can target sluggish activities at refineries, subpar sales performance, ineffective marketing, and bottlenecks in supply chain activity. Quality control and testing procedures should be evaluated for effectiveness and amended to enhance accuracy and efficiency.  
8. Enhance employee training programs. A training program should be thorough and engaging for all employees. Safety and compliance should be key program focal points, and employees should be encouraged to develop new skills. Finally, employees should receive continuing education and ongoing training.  
9. Link employee bonuses to performance improvements. Tying rewards or bonuses to performance improvement is a great way to keep employees engaged and interested in program outcomes. Periodic internal audits are an effective means of assessing program results.  
10. Develop a long-term mindset. The most effective continual improvement programs are future-oriented in their approach. They stress preservation of the environment, conservation of resources, continued education, and long-term company growth. Finally, long-term solutions are valued more than short-term strategies. 

Seeking the Guidance of an Expert in Continual Improvement  

Not all continual improvement programs are created equal. The best way for you to design a sound continual improvement program is to enlist the expertise of an industry expert. Accupoint Software has been facilitating continual quality programs for companies in the petroleum industry for nearly a decade. Please contact us to learn how we can help you launch an effective continual improvement program. We look forward to hearing from you!

It has come to our attention that some organizations struggle with the concept of effective design review.  Although the details of implementation are different from one organization to the next, successful design review programs are developed from the same basic foundation.  The design review function is an important step in the successful launch of any new product or feature. To that end, today’s blog will focus on defining the Design Review process.
 
The process of design review represents a milestone in product development, where completed designs or revisions are evaluated against requirements to ensure we meet expectations before committing to production. Design review helps us provide the level of product control and regulatory compliance that ensures performance and safety, essential for oil and gas production.
 
As a general rule the design review process is divided into 4 distinct stages:

1. Design Specification

This stage should identify the criteria of the design project. Information developed here should be used as a reference document when conducting design reviews to assess the finished product project against the initial design criteria.  This stage identifies the criteria of the design project.

1. Design Review

This stage is intended to record and maintain the information discussed and actions assigned from design reviews. The design review should be measured against the product specification and any existing design concepts. It should also encompass individual observations, suggestions & recommendations and is used as a measure of the design outputs.

1. Design Verification

This stage should confirm that all detailed drawings and calculations have been reviewed and verified prior to releasing to production. The verification stage will be the final stage of the design process prior to validating the end product.

1. Design Validation

This stage will record the results of the validation process. The validation process is the final stage of the design / engineering project and can be conducted by means of workshop tests, function tests, field tests, etc.
 
 
For more information on how Accupoint can help manage your design review and verification process, contact us toll-free at 800.563.6250 or visit us on the web at www.accupointsotware.com.

The API Spec Q1 standard requires that organizations “maintain a documented procedure for the establishment of preventive maintenance for equipment used in product realization."  An effective PM program will reduce operating costs, improve product quality, and increase productivity for the company. Our goal is to minimize interruptions that  adversely impact productivity. With that in mind, we thought we would take this opportunity to discuss a number of best practices around the preventive maintenance process.
 
1. Preventive Maintenance factors:

Understand that preventive maintenance schedules are based on a variety of inputs, including:

• Usage history
  
• Risk analysis
  
• Manufacturer’s recommendations
• Industry recommended practices
• Regulatory requirements
• Internal experience
• Notable changes in system performance

2. Develop an actual plan

Most plans can be formed with a triggering mechanism. This means that certain events are slated to occur at a specific interval. The schedule may be developed with a condition-based or company-based protocol. The preventive maintenance schedule should always be assigned to a particular trigger.

3. Form the plan with savings in mind.
 
The plan should be developed with a specific set of savings objectives. Metrics like the maximum manufacturing time available for each machine may be used to create the schedule. There may be some downtime required where minimal lost production opportunity time may be factored into the planning process. There may even be a schedule developed around the concept affecting the quality of products manufactured.

4. Make the system available to others.
 
Once the framework has been constructed, the information should be created in some sort of a computerized maintenance system. The system will be formalized and assigned to key personnel responsible for monitoring the maintenance to be performed. The Accupoint system allows tasks to be automated and scheduled in a manner where work orders are generated on a timetable.

5. Set routine maintenance.
 
Once routine maintenance schedules are established for one system, move on to another critical system.  Again, set up maintenance schedules, documenting current conditions for future reference. An effective PM program can extend the asset life and ensures that it can be replaced as a scheduled event, rather than in an emergency situation.

6. Match the cost to the PM protocol developed.
 
It may be more cost-effective to perform a set of repairs simultaneously to a machine. It may also be much more cost-effective to take a reactive approach to maintenance. This approach may be better if this type of repair or maintenance duty doesn’t occur nearly as often.

In summary, a combination of inspections, repairs, and testing should be a part of any comprehensive preventive maintenance process. In addition,  any credible program should be long-term in nature.
 
To find out how Accupoint can help manage your preventive maintenance management program, call us toll free at 800-563-6250 or visit us at www.accupointsoftware.com.

Companies relying on the traditional spreadsheet to manage their QMS often find it to be overwhelming to manage as the data volume continues to grow. Those working using spreadsheets have to contend with issues like how best to collaborate when working within the same sheet or how to maintain data integrity. Quality management software can be advantageous for organizations that want to save time and improve productivity when managing data.

Barriers with the traditional spreadsheet

Traditional spreadsheets can be challenging to keep updated. Different individuals working on the same spreadsheet can lead to versioning issues where it’s difficult to keep track of the most current file. Collaboration within a spreadsheet is also limited. Comments can be hidden or mistakenly overlooked due to the very layout of the spreadsheet. Working within multiple spreadsheets can lead to difficulty when reconciling data. One version may have been edited with the current information, while a team member works concurrently on a different file at the same time, making updates to a different item. It can be challenging reconciling the two versions. Quality management software makes for a good alternative to the long and often cumbersome spreadsheet.

Top advantages of a quality management software solution

Millions of companies are utilizing quality management software solutions to answer the need for a better way to manage data and information. Both management and team members alike recognize the value in being able to better manage large volumes of data in order to improve their information flow.

Adopting Quality Management Software (QMS)

Accupoint’s quality management systems can automate your program updates based on parameters set. This means that you don’t have to worry about changing and overhauling your system because the solution evolves as your business needs do.

1. Our solutions improve data integrity. Redundancy of data, entry protocols, system updates and records maintenance can all be done conveniently from within the software solution. Pulling accurate reporting is easiest when information is consolidated and entered uniformly.
   
2. Detecting emerging trends across different areas of the organization is simplified with our quality management solutions. The information is securely stored within the centralized system, which makes all of the data is available for review in real-time. Accessibility to real-time data enables smart, quick decision-making across the board.
   
3. While spreadsheets can hold a large amount of data, keeping information secure and reliable as data continues to grow presents its share of challenges. Scalable quality manage systems empower teams to seamlessly expand their solutions to accommodate growing customer and regulatory requirements.
   
4. An Accupoint solution offer flexibility in how data is entered. Individuals can choose to enter data traditionally or through other methods such as scanning or geo-tagging. These options facilitate collaboration and reduce error rates among those handling information. Embracing the spreadsheet alternative reduces the risks associated in having multiple hands involved with the data management process.
   
5.  User-friendly methods to track a range of different types of information are an additional advantage to transitioning to an Accupoint solution.  Tracking training progress, quality standard updates, testing cycles, and auditing results can all be done conveniently through one single user interface.
   

Cutting costs with accurate real-time data and improved collaboration are the most common reasons for making the switch to a quality management software solution. Better reporting, collaboration, data integrity, and automated program updates become possible with the right system and solution in place. Excel spreadsheets can serve a purpose for a specified amount of time when data is limited in volume. As the amount of data grows, management must be prepared to evaluate quality management systems if they are to remain productive.
 
For more information on Accupoint solutions or to schedule a platform demonstration, please call us toll-free 800.563.6250 or visit us at www.accupointsoftware.com

When it comes to quality management standards, complying with the latest revisions is key. A big change is underfoot in the standards world, with the release of the new ISO 9001 standard. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) reviews all standards every five years to ensure they are up-to-date and comparable with the modern market, and since the latest ISO 9001 was released in 2008, a revision has been long-awaited.

However, there is no need to fret about a complete overhaul of your system; the 2015 update is just that - an update. The ISO reports that the main change with the new standard is a restructuring

"to make it easier to use in conjunction with other management system standards, with increased importance given to risk."

If your business is registered to the 2008 version of ISO 9001, you have a three year span to update your quality management system to the 2015 version. The new standard was just released in September of this year, meaning that you have until September of 2018 to fully integrate it into your quality management protocols. However, as with anything safety and quality related, it is better to update to this revised standard sooner rather than later.

More information on the new ISO 9001 standard can be found on the ISO's website, where you can watch a quick video outlining the main changes within the new standard.

If you have any questions on ISO 9001:2015 and how Accupoint can help you meet the new requirements, please contact us at 800.563.6250 or visit us at www.accupointsoftware.com.

For any business, the more efficient your business processes are, the lower your business costs will be. Identifying the appropriate corrective actions not only eliminates poor practices, it also ensures that your business is in compliance with applicable API standards.

There are many reasons why corrective actions become necessary. Those reasons can include process issues, customer complaints, or improper training among other things. Effective corrective actions should be informed by data that is gathered throughout the productions cycle. The most effective way to gather this data is through the utilization of software. Through automation, it will be easier to see process dependencies that may not be apparent if each stage and its supporting processes were looked at individually. This approach eliminates the likelihood that a corrective action in the production process has a negative impact on processes that follow it, like packaging and shipping.

Choosing comprehensive quality management software that includes data collection for corrective actions will help ensure that your micro decisions are made with considerations for the macro business environment. The software should also allow you to quickly gather information to assess the impact of corrective actions to make ongoing changes rapidly if needed. And, the software should have functionality to generate real-time reports to support recommended corrective actions to win company buy-in.

Accupoint Software empowers companies to make optimal decisions to improve productivity and drive more efficient operational procedures. For more information on how Accupoint can help you manage your corrective and preventative action programs, visit www.accupointsoftware.com or call us at 800.563.6250.

Maintaining a management system that is effective, satisfactory and suitable is a requirement of the API Spec Q2 standard. In fact, section 6.5 states:

“The organization’s quality management system shall be reviewed at least annually by the organization’s management to evaluate the quality management system’s continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness.”

To that end, we thought we would discuss a couple of items to help streamline your Management Review planning.

When to Have a Review
The standard requires that you review your system annually, at a minimum. However, best practice dictates that you schedule your reviews more often, say quarterly and focus on specific aspects during each session. Ultimately,   this makes the process easier to manage and avoids duplication of efforts.

What to Include
When you are setting up your Management Review agenda, make sure to compile data for use in the discussion.  Include internal and third party audit results, customer complaints, non-conformities and corrective action requests.  Develop a schedule that allows you to review each aspect of the management system by the anniversary date.  Be sure to allow for a discussion period, to address areas for improvement as well as ways that the system should be monitored.

Upon completion, prepare action plans to address required changes to processes, resources, and other items identified in the review.

Documentation
Per the standard, the results of the Management Review must be documented and maintained.  In addition, top management must review and approve the summary assessment.  Results should be communicated with appropriate individuals throughout the organization.  Finally, the results should be used to drive continual improvement efforts within the organization.

To find out how Accupoint can help streamline your Management Review and related processes, please call toll free 800.563.6250 or visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com.