Versaterm JusticeTrax's path to ISO certification and firm quality commitment
How Versaterm JusticeTrax confidently passes ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 audits and supports customers through their commitment to quality standards
An Ideagen Quality Management customer for eight years as of 2024, Versaterm LIMS product suite (Versaterm JusticeTrax) is a leading provider of Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), part of the wider Versaterm ecosystem for public safety.
The main industries that Versaterm JusticeTrax serve are forensic laboratories, medical examiners and police agencies. The software they provide allows those individuals or organizations to track evidence, collate their scientific examination results and produce the final scientific examination report which enters the criminal justice system.
“There is increasing scrutiny being placed on forensic laboratories. People want to be able to easily and readily show that they're complying and meeting some of these basic requirements that their jurisdictions are placing on them. Our solution allows them to do all of that,” explains Paul Tracy, Director of Operations.
Their software is, in essence, one of the key safeguards within the criminal justice system, ensuring that appropriate justice is served. “If we're testing something related to the chain of custody, I tell software testers to keep in mind that if our application wasn’t of a high standard, we could put an innocent person in jail or let a bad guy go free,” Paul continues.
So, how does Versaterm JusticeTrax demonstrate to their potential customers that their software can be trusted with such an important task?
Compliance with key standards as a competitive edge
It is understandable that labs working in the high-pressure field of law enforcement would be hesitant to do business with a software provider that doesn’t see the value of a clear commitment to high standards of quality. They want to see that whomever they do business with shares those same values.
The overwhelming majority of Versaterm JusticeTrax customers are themselves accredited to ISO standards, in particular ISO/IEC 17025. This is the definitive standard globally for demonstrating high quality in a testing laboratory setting.
It is extremely important for them to work with vendors that also recognize the value of being ISO registered,” explains Paul. “In part because of this, we are ISO 9001 and 27001 registered, and we have used Ideagen Quality Management to help us do that.
By demonstrating their own commitment to quality through ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 accreditation, both existing and prospective customers are reassured of the quality of Versaterm JusticeTrax’s practices – and in turn, the quality of their software.
It is in large part thanks to this commitment to compliance with these standards that has seen Versaterm JusticeTrax emerge as the trusted LIMS software in nearly 200 forensic, medical examiner and police agency operations across six continents.
This includes some of the most sophisticated crime laboratories in North America, South America, Australia, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Ideagen Quality Management was implemented at Versaterm JusticeTrax to meet the demands of these important standards.
“When we first engage with potential customers, they often have ISO certification. Knowing that we also hold ISO certification provides them with comfort and confidence in their purchasing decision. It demonstrates that we understand the value of ISO standards and the reasons behind their implementation,” notes Paul.
“By aligning with our customers in this way, we establish credibility and show that we empathize with their needs. Our commitment to quality management through Ideagen further reinforces our shared goals.”
ISO 27001 is a gold standard in demonstrating commitment to information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection. This is also important for Versaterm JusticeTrax customers because their software is used for the handling of particularly sensitive information due to their presence in forensics and wider law enforcement settings.
Their compliance with ISO 27001 shows that they understand the importance of the careful handling of sensitive data and are committed to data protection.
Once more, Ideagen Quality Management is the primary means by which Versaterm JusticeTrax demonstrate their compliance with ISO 27001 to auditors.
Eliminating audit anxiety and passing audits with ease
Versaterm JusticeTrax has implemented a quality management system that is so effective that it has almost eliminated audit anxiety. For the product team, passing their audits now feels like a formality thanks to the hard work that has already gone into creating processes that simply work.
When it comes time for an audit, Christine Patti, Quality Manager for Versaterm JusticeTrax, explained to us how easy it is to demonstrate compliance due to the quality system they have in place through Ideagen Quality Management.
“When working with an auditor, we supply policies and procedures, workflows, reports and other examples to show compliance. Our audits have been completed quickly because we were able to present everything efficiently with the organization we built in the application.”
Instead of rushing around preparing documents and evidence for audits and having difficulty demonstrating compliance, Versaterm JusticeTrax can approach every audit with full confidence in the system and processes they have put in place through Ideagen Quality Management. When compliance activities are being handled as a matter of everyday process, focus can switch to other key areas.
More than a quality management system
While Ideagen Quality Management was originally brought in at Versaterm JusticeTrax for quality, Paul and Christine both highlighted the many ways it is being used beyond that.
“It was initially only the quality management system, but we have since expanded its use. Now it is also our business management system. We run this part of the business using Ideagen Quality Management,” Paul says.
While Ideagen Quality Management is naturally being utilized for core quality tasks like CAPA processes, document control and a range of compliance activities, the Versaterm JusticeTrax team has pushed the system further to find more ways it can make a valuable contribution to their business.
Paul explains, “As the operations director, in almost everything I'm doing, it provides me with a comprehensive, easily digestible overview. I know what my QA testers are doing. I know what's going on in the quality management section.
I know how data is flowing through our implementation process, including complex data migrations. If there are any security issues that have surfaced relating to ISO 27001, those would appear in my inbox. We have pushed the software to its max by using it for our business workflows.”
They also use Ideagen Quality Management for product iteration processes and steps of QA testing. With a number of products in development, the system helps them manage the processes surrounding that. They have even set up a kudos program for staff recognition within the software.
Tackling common quality challenges
As well as those additional benefits, Ideagen Quality Management is still used for essential quality tasks in the business. In particular, the challenges of managing a complicated list of documents and maintaining high standards of staff competency through training.
“We have several workflows set up for the 9001 and 27001 audits. For example, if there is an employee addition or status change, we will do an onboarding process that documents all their information and internal requirements,” says Paul. “Those requirements are defaults set into the workflow as a checklist for each layer of management to review and document. This ensures that each new employee receives all training assignments and reviews important company policies.”
In any effective quality management system, robust document control is a must. This is one of the areas where Ideagen Quality Management excels, and Versaterm JusticeTrax takes advantage of this for smooth operations daily. “I'm also responsible for all product related documentation. I need to make sure that our product manuals and release notes, all of which are stored in Ideagen, are up to date,” continues Paul. “If a customer requests a copy of our policies or procedures, our help desk staff can easily access that information.”
“It all becomes second nature when there is a process to follow and a workflow that can help guide you through all the steps. You are no longer reinventing the wheel every time because it is documented in a place that can be referenced quickly.”
The system is also used for tracking and documenting training records, something that Christine finds particularly valuable. “I regularly check employee training records for our audits. It starts with a training approval workflow where I check the content for feedback and approvals. Once the training is complete, the employee enters their own training records, or I can assign one based on the type of training required. It is an easy record to view and show the auditors when requested.”
Finally, the often-overlooked benefit of staff morale was highlighted as a key advantage of using Ideagen Quality Management. Because of the ease of use and how much it streamlines and simplifies the daily tasks of the Versaterm JusticeTrax team, the software helps to alleviate the cognitive load related to staff workloads.
While we all recognize the importance of quality activities, there is no denying that sometimes carrying out tasks that feel like “red tape” can feel like a distraction from core responsibilities. By implementing a system that makes these tasks quick and easy, that burden is minimized.
“It is great for mental health. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but this system allows us to have layers of organization and maintain accountability for our management system. I can set due dates, retain documentation, and find records all within a matter of minutes. In that regard, it makes my job easier to manage and reduces overall stress."
As we’ve seen, the Versaterm JusticeTrax team uses Ideagen Quality Management to embed quality throughout their business processes.
The benefit is achieving stronger audit outcomes that verify solution security and support lab certifications for clients, ensuring that both meet industry standards.