Development of a quality management system and software for academic laboratories based on NBR ISO/IEC 17025:2017

• Grant number: 18/01155-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: March 01, 2019
• End date: November 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Maria Beatriz Calderan Rodrigues Bonassi
• Grantee: Maria Beatriz Calderan Rodrigues Bonassi
• Company: Confiance Gestão Ltda
• CNAE: Atividades de apoio à agricultura ; Atividades profissionais, científicas e técnicas não especificadas anteriormente
• City: Piracicaba
• Associated research grant(s): 19/19641-2 - Development of digital quality management platform for laboratories based on cg lab methodology, AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/03790-9 - Development of a quality management system and software for academic laboratories based on NBR ISO/IEC 17025:2017, BP.PIPE

Abstract

Increasingly, the needs of the market, the demands of government entities, and the search for greater reliability of results drive the laboratories of testing and calibration to adopt specific Quality Management Systems (QMS). This reality is also observed in the academic environment, where we note the interest of the laboratories in establishing partnerships with companies and institutions to develop marketable innovation products. From a technological and financial point of view, innovative and affordable solutions that collaborate with the adoption of an effective and efficient management system in the academic environment are increasingly necessary, especially in Brazil, where laboratories depend on investments to maintain their research. The academic environment has diverse demands, with specific needs, since most university laboratories carry out scientific research with different undergraduate and graduate students, do not render services to clients and do not operate as companies. Therefore, the need to develop a specific methodology, based on ISO17025: 2017, adapted to this reality, is essential and innovative. This project aims at the development and implementation of a specific QMS for research laboratories, in an academic environment, aiming the management of its activities, based on ISO17025: 2017. A management system for university laboratories is unprecedent. To solve this technical and scientific challenge, this project proposes the development of a software in order to bring reliable results and facilitate the life of Professors when managing the laboratories. In this purpose, a case study will be carried out, with a qualitative research in a microbiology laboratory at ESALQ / USP, in partnership with Confiance Gestão. Based on the literature review and evaluating the state of the art of the subject, it is verified that currently the studies on QMS developed are focused on laboratories of private companies, mostly. The software developed in theses and dissertations still need to advance since they are in the theoretical plane. In consultation with the NCBI, scientific articles from 2015 onwards already show a concern from the establishment of the standards to the calculation of the results uncertainty, guaranteeing their accuracy. As an expected result, we propose the creation of a specific management system for academic laboratories and a corresponding technological solution (software) for laboratories management in an organized way. Currently, there is no marketable model of QMS and software specifically targeted to university laboratories. The impact of the project is the management of scientific data, human resources and materials more efficiently than it has been done, thanks to the management system to be developed. Accordingly, the project in question is a pioneer in this segment, allowing universities to compete in the market with scientific integrity and obtain investors, especially in a scenario of crisis in science and investments in R,D & I. (AU)