Robin's interview with Paul King from Flow Mobile Surveying is up on YouTube. Take a look to see how we are joining forces to build the Lab Sample Exchange

If you've got an asbestos lab, watch this YouTube recording of an interview between Flow Mobile's Paul King and our director Robin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4vo4Iv4dfw

Paul King (Flow Mobile Surveying) and Robin Bennett (Alpha Tracker)

The Lab Sample Exchange feature that we have built will be a game-changer for Alpha Tracker labs wanting to work more closely Flow Mobile Surveyors (or Alpha Tracker asbestos surveyors!).

Watch the full video to learn more (especially about grey hairs...!).

Speak to your Alpha Tracker Account Manager to find out more about the Lab Sample Exchange and how it can benefit your asbestos lab and surveying team.

Head-spinning announcement coming soon! It's all about our new Lab Sample Exchange. Might turn things on their head!

We've just recorded an interview with another software company about the launch of our Lab Sample Exchange - and their identity might surprise you!

Our collaboration might turn the asbestos lab market upside down!

I've squeezed 3 different "head-spinning" puns into this blog post... that's more than enough! Watch out for the full announcement shortly...

Almond Environmental's asbestos lab is now live with asbestos software Alpha Tracker!

Welcome Lindsay and the whole of the Almond Environmental asbestos team!

Kim has just completed the virtual Alpha Tracker training session and Almond's asbestos lab is ready to go.

Kim talking to Lindsay, configuring Alpha Tracker for their asbestos lab

We're introducing some exciting (possibly revolutionary) new features for asbestos labs in the next release of Alpha Tracker.  Want to know more?  Get Get in touch!

Do you use Alpha Tracker's asbestos lab features? Please read this post about under-limit checks

Have we caused some confusion in your lab?  Sorry if we have!

Alpha Tracker specialist Kim - doing her best "confused" face!

As our asbestos lab users will know, we added the requirement for checking “under-limit” samples in Alpha Tracker Release 37 as one of the responses to the HSG248 update. 

Following UKAS feedback via clients, we changed the maths behind the calculations in the last release to always “round up” and not “round down”.  However,  the way we made the change had the effect of altering the counts on dates in the past, as well as going forwards.  This has caused some confusion for a couple of clients and we’re sorry if it has confused you too!

Some clients have also told us that they disagree with the “round up” interpretation and that their UKAS assessors have been happy that they check fewer samples and round down.

So, to give you ultimate flexibility to operate your lab in the way that works for you (and your UKAS assessor), we have added two new settings to Alpha Tracker which enable you to control if and when the “round up” change happens.

Please call Kim, whenever it is convenient on 0333 301 1010, or drop her a note, and she can talk you through your options and how we can apply the new settings to give you greater control over the calculations.

Denas Analytical asbestos laboratory are live with Alpha Tracker

Denas Analytical are the latest asbestos lab to choose asbestos software Alpha Tracker.

Some of the Denas asbestos lab analysts

Our trainer Kim really enjoyed meeting the Denas staff at their training session.

Can we help your asbestos lab to be more efficient?  Do get in touch!

Software update available: Multi-page lab certificates are now automatically inserted into asbestos reports "page by page"

We've just improved Alpha Tracker to help consultancies and labs working with the largest asbestos surveys.

Asbestos surveying consultancies & labs working with large reports will benefit

Adam has just finished an update to Alpha Tracker Document Manager to save staff time and effort when incorporating multi-page lab certificates into asbestos survey reports.

Previously, when Alpha Tracker asked Word to insert the PDF lab certificate and it ran over more than one page, there would be some manual effort required to reformat the document as Word only inserts the first page of a PDF, not all pages.

Adam's update - known as ATDM v1.4.1936 - automates the process and automatically splits the PDF into multiple pages and inserts them all, one-by-one.  This will be a real time-saver for asbestos admin staff.

Contact our support desk if you would like this update applied to your system.  It is free of charge to all users with active support contracts.

Alpha Tracker Release 37 is now available - it's an important one if you have an asbestos lab or you undertake air monitoring services for your clients

The team have wrapped up Alpha Tracker Release 37 and it's now publicly available.

Release 37 is version 5683 of asbestos software Alpha Tracker which means that there are more than 300 updates since we published Release 36 in August.  It's a big update.

This release is also an important update if you have an asbestos lab and/or you use Tracker Air, our air monitoring module.   The updated asbestos analysts' guide - HSG248 - has caused us to update Alpha Tracker in a number of ways, including:

• non-asbestos samples now count as 2 points in the lab, by default
  
  
• we have implemented the new "< 40 points" blind checking process
  
  
• the time that an analyst has started and finished with microscopes can now be recorded
  
  
• the Tracker Air air monitoring process has been revamped and updated to reflect the new requirements.
  

In addition, we've also added some amazing new features and made big improvements to others:

• the new map scheduling tool with automatic text confirmations to tenants is available - a massive help for any consultancy working with domestic surveying for councils and housing associations
  
  
• all of our geocoding programming code has been rewritten for faster mapping of clients, projects & sites
  
  
• we have improved and renamed some calendar screens.  "Select Resource" is now "Staff Calendar", and "Calendar" is now "Company Calendar"
  
  
• the login screen has been improved, including the incorporation of your own company logo
  
  
• our QR code feature has been improved for better formatting of QR codes for site registers, projects and QR codes for individual items of asbestos.
  
  
• finally, there is a new project pipeline feature on the client portal - great for your clients to track progress of jobs.

Please do send over ideas for Release 38 of Alpha Tracker.  We want to hear from you!

Alpha Tracker Release 33 highlights

We're really pleased with Release 33 of our asbestos software, Alpha Tracker, and hope you are too!

We've called this update the "AI" release as we've added intelligence into so many areas of the system.  Here's a short highlights video to show you three new features in particular:

1. Fibre analysis screen changes for quicker data entry, better display on smaller screens, and extra flexibility for your asbestos lab
   
   
2. Our intelligent Alpha Validator checks are now built into the Survey Data screen
   
   
3. A new follow-up system and improved display of quotations to help you to chase and win business.

If you need help updating your system please do get in touch - we're here 24x7 in person to help you.

What happens at Start Software when something goes wrong?

I wish we were perfect but 20 years of being in business has taught me that things will go wrong.  However many checks and balances are put in place, sometimes a combination of events will mean that a bug in our software impacts a customer.

So, we have a process that we follow.  Our hard-earned ISO9001 certification means that we have documented processes which enable us to contact the customer(s) affected, back-track to find out when the problem occurred, resolve any data issues, resolve the underlying cause, and then report back.  We also discuss any such issues at our next ISO9001 certification visit.

We've just had one such issue.  When we analysed the problem, we found that fewer than 50 fibre analysis records across the millions of records captured and analysed in Alpha Tracker were found to be faulty because of a software bug.  50 is 50 too many of course!

A detailed piece of work to find the root cause and fix it is now complete and we've contacted and apologised to all affected customers.

Onwards and upwards!

PS congratulations to Darroch McCartney at our Alpha Tracker client ABS for their recent ISO9001 success, it was his LinkedIn post that prompted me to write this article about our own ISO9001 activity!

NATA signs off Alpha Tracker's new laboratory update

NATA, the Australian equivalent of the UK's accreditation service for the asbestos industry, UKAS, has just signed off the latest Alpha Tracker lab update at our asbestos consultancy client, Environmental Health Solutions.

The asbestos professionals at EHS have been working with us to add a number of new features to our lab modules, all of which went live in Alpha Tracker Release 32.5.

The new features included an improved audit trail recording changes made to asbestos fibre analysis records and better management of superseded Word lab reports.

We're so pleased that we have the official "seal of approval" for our lab updates in Australia - something which will give new users of our Alpha Tracker asbestos lab module confidence when switching to Alpha Tracker from other asbestos software products.

Another sign that the asbestos industry is returning to normal - ARCA has resumed practical asbestos training at their centres

In another sign that the asbestos industry is returning to more normal working, ARCA has announced that it is resuming practical asbestos training courses at their centres.

This will be of great interest to our Alpha Tracker asbestos software customers who are looking to train their asbestos surveyors and analysts.

For more information, please see https://www.arca.org.uk/news/arca-resumes-practical-asbestos-training-at-centres

Alpha Tracker Release 32.5 - major asbestos lab improvements

We're really pleased to announce that Release 32.5 of asbestos software Alpha Tracker is now available.

Release 32.5 follows hard on the heels of Release 32 (you don't say!) and is focused on improvements for asbestos lab users.

There are 22 changes and improvements in the new fibre analysis screen, for example, and they include a fabulous new "keyboard mode".  By the way, the new screen is optional - you can switch between the two designs with a system setting to see which one you prefer.

Here is a quick YouTube video to show you around the new screen:

In addition to the new features, we have included 20 bug fixes in this update which improve other areas of Alpha Tracker.

Read about all of the changes in Kim's release notes, here: https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/release-notes/

The update is available now for you to apply to your system, or get in touch with our 24x7 support desk if you would like them to apply the update for you.

New Alpha Tracker system goes live at NZAS - New Zealand Asbestos Services

With New Zealand almost back to normal after their fast and decisive approach to the Coronavirus crisis, it is great to see asbestos consultancies in NZ active, busy and switching across to asbestos software Alpha Tracker.

The latest asbestos consultancy to come on board is New Zealand Asbestos Services, based in Napier.  Judy from our Adelaide Alpha Tracker office trained the NZAS staff via Zoom to get them up to speed.

Fullu accredited and with experienced asbestos professionals, NZAS welcome enquiries from new clients via their website (click here).

Can we help your asbestos consultancy to improve quality, efficiency and save 1000s of admin hours each year?  Do get in touch (UK or New Zealand/Australia).

Another new Alpha Tracker system goes live: West Yorkshire Analytical Services

West Yorkshire Analytical Services are now live with asbestos software Alpha Tracker!

After a socially-distanced training session via Zoom (in Zoom-friendly 40 minute chunks), the asbestos lab staff are now up to speed and working in Alpha Tracker. 

Alpha Tracker can efficiently manage and automate the whole of a lab's operations from booking in samples, through lab analysis and finishing up with issuing invoices to clients.  Truly a one-stop-shop for an asbestos lab.

If we can help your asbestos lab to become more efficient please do get in touch.

West Yorkshire Analytical Services choose asbestos software Alpha Tracker

We're delighted that West Yorkshire Analytical Services have chosen asbestos software Alpha Tracker to run their asbestos lab.

Find out more about Alpha Tracker's lab feature here: https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/3-improve-the-lab/

IOM asbestos lab switches to Alpha Tracker

The highly respected Edinburgh-based asbestos lab at the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) has started the process of switching to asbestos software Alpha Tracker.

For more information about the features in Alpha Tracker which are aimed specifically at asbestos labs, click here.

Another asbestos consultancy chooses Alpha Tracker - welcome LAANZ!

It's lovely to end the year with another Alpha Tracker asbestos software order.

This time it is Auckland (New Zealand) based asbestos consultancy LAANZ who has researched the market and has chosen to have Alpha Tracker as their asbestos management software.

LAANZ are WorkSafe New Zealand licensed asbestos assessors having proven their abilities with industry qualifications and many years of experience in the industry.  Specifically, LAANZ work in these areas of asbestos management:

• Issuing clearance certificates
• Management surveys
• Refurbishment surveys
• Demolition surveys
• Air monitoring
• Management plans
• Asbestos awareness courses
• Asbestos Removal Guidance

Improving the efficiency of surveying for asbestos is at the heart of Alpha Tracker:

1. Before the survey, you can log calls and other contacts, generate quotes and plan work
2. When the asbestos surveyor is on site, they will have access to the Tracker Mobile data collection app enabling data, plans and photos to be captured on smartphone and tablet
3. Back in the asbestos lab, the results are recorded and auto-entered into the survey report
4. The asbestos report is generated with one-click!  It is produced in your format, too, not ours
5. The report is then viewable and shareable via the built-in Alpha Tracker Client Portal
6. To wrap up the job, you can generate an invoice automatically and post to Sage, Xero or other accounts packages.

Welcome LAANZ to the Alpha Tracker asbestos software family!

Eurofins chooses Alpha Tracker to manage their lab

We're really pleased to announce that Eurofins has chosen Alpha Tracker to run their lab.

https://www.eurofins.com.au/

We'll post more info when Eurofins goes live, so watch this space!

Another NATA endorsed asbestos laboratory is switching to Alpha Tracker

Our order line is as hot as the weather!

Another National Association of Testing Authority (NATA) endorsed Australian asbestos laboratory has placed an order for asbestos software Alpha Tracker.

The lab, with headquarters in Victoria, will be switching to Alpha Tracker later this summer.

Watch this space for more info!

Dounreay go live with Alpha Tracker for asbestos surveying and management

Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) is the site licence company responsible for the clean-up and demolition of Britain's former centre of fast reactor research and development.

"Dounreay is coming apart - safely, securely and environmentally"

We have just spent a very enjoyable two days on site with Dounreay's specialist asbestos team, training them to use Alpha Tracker to speed up the asbestos surveying process and improve working in their on-site asbestos lab.  The asbestos team are working with the other decommissioning specialists to enable the complex process of dismantling the nuclear facility to run as smoothly as possible.

Dounreay's team chose Nexus 10 android tablets to use with Tracker Mobile, the handheld data collection side of Alpha Tracker.