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Software for Calibration Laboratories

Calibration laboratories use multiple software systems to manage their operations. These systems form a layered software stack, where each layer addresses a specific aspect of laboratory work — from the technical execution of calibrations to the administrative management of equipment, orders, and certificates.

calServer is a calibration management software platform that serves as the central management layer in this software stack.

The Calibration Laboratory Software Stack

A typical calibration laboratory operates with the following software layers:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Customer / External Systems             │
│         (ERP, Customer Portals, Procurement)         │
└───────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┘
                        │ Orders, Results, Certificates
                        ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│         Calibration Management Software              │
│    e.g. calServer, MET/TEAM, IndySoft, GAGEtrak      │
│                                                      │
│  • Equipment inventory    • Certificate generation   │
│  • Calibration scheduling • Audit trail              │
│  • Order management       • Customer management      │
│  • Status tracking        • Reporting                │
└───────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┘
                        │ Procedures, Results
                        ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│          Calibration Execution Software               │
│              e.g. MET/CAL, custom systems             │
│                                                      │
│  • Automated test procedures                         │
│  • Instrument communication (VISA, SCPI)             │
│  • Data acquisition and recording                    │
│  • Pass/fail determination                           │
└───────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┘
                        │ Commands, Readings
                        ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│            Laboratory Instruments                    │
│     Reference standards, calibration equipment       │
│                                                      │
│  • Multimeters, oscilloscopes, pressure calibrators  │
│  • Temperature standards, dimensional instruments    │
│  • Force, torque, and mass reference standards       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Layer Descriptions

Calibration Execution Software

Calibration execution software controls the technical process of performing a calibration. It communicates directly with laboratory instruments, applies defined test procedures, and records measurement results.

Examples:

  • MET/CAL (Fluke) — Industry-standard automated calibration software that controls instruments via VISA/SCPI and executes predefined calibration procedures
  • Custom automation systems — Laboratory-developed software using instrument drivers to automate specific calibration tasks

Calibration execution software focuses on the measurement itself. It does not manage equipment inventories, customer relationships, or administrative workflows.

Calibration Management Software

Calibration management software handles the organizational and administrative aspects of laboratory operations. It manages the full lifecycle of measurement equipment and provides the business logic layer for laboratory workflows.

Examples:

  • calServer — Web-based calibration management platform with REST API, Fluke MET/TEAM and MET/CONNECT connectivity, and integrated customer portal
  • MET/TEAM (Fluke) — Calibration management system designed to work alongside MET/CAL
  • IndySoft — Calibration management and asset tracking software
  • GAGEtrak — Gage and measurement tool management system

Key responsibilities of this layer:

Function Description
Equipment inventory Central register of all managed instruments
Calibration scheduling Automatic tracking of calibration due dates
Order management Handling of customer orders for commercial laboratories
Certificate generation Production of calibration certificates from measurement data
Status management Tracking of equipment status (in calibration, approved, out of tolerance, retired)
Audit trail Recording of all changes for quality assurance and compliance
Customer management Managing customer accounts and access
Reporting Statistics and reports for management review

Customer and External Systems

The top layer represents systems that interact with the calibration laboratory from outside:

  • ERP systems — For procurement, invoicing, and organizational resource management
  • Customer portals — Web-based access for external customers to submit orders, view equipment status, and download certificates
  • Procurement systems — For ordering new equipment or calibration services

calServer includes a built-in customer portal that allows external calibration customers to interact directly with the laboratory's management system.

How the Layers Interact

Execution to Management

Calibration execution software produces measurement results that are transferred to the management system. This transfer can happen through:

  • Direct API integration — The execution software sends results to the management system via REST API or database connection
  • File-based exchange — Results are exported as files (CSV, XML) and imported into the management system
  • Manual entry — For laboratories without automated execution software, technicians enter results directly into the management system

calServer provides REST API endpoints that enable automated data exchange with calibration execution systems.

Management to Customer

The management system generates outputs consumed by customers and external systems:

  • Calibration certificates — PDF documents containing calibration results, measurement uncertainty, and traceability information
  • Status information — Current calibration status of equipment, accessible via portal or API
  • Notifications — Alerts about upcoming calibration deadlines or completed calibrations
  • Data exports — Structured data for import into customer ERP or quality management systems

Choosing Software for Each Layer

Layer Selection Criteria
Execution Instrument compatibility, protocol support (VISA, SCPI), procedure flexibility, automation capabilities
Management Architecture (web vs. desktop), API availability, multi-tenancy, compliance support, integration options
External Compatibility with existing ERP/business systems, data exchange formats

The layers are independent — a laboratory can use MET/CAL for execution and calServer for management, or any other combination that fits its requirements. The key requirement is that data can flow between layers through supported integration mechanisms.