: A Web Application for Tracking Analytical
Data Reporting and Quality Review Work Flow
Presented by
Lisa Allen
International Conference for Environmental Data Management
May 2013
Lisa Allen – Senior Analyst
• BA in Business Administration
• Environmental consultant/data analyst since 1985
• Changing computer technology
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WANG word processor
PC Focus
Apple Macintosh Programming
Fortran
Oracle
MS Access
SQL Server
VB.Net
Java
ASP
Who is Anchor QEA?
• Nationally recognized
environmental and engineering
consulting firm
• More than 300 staff in 30 offices in
the U.S. and Norway
• Service Areas
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Sediment Management
Environmental Sciences
Environmental Planning
Engineering
Construction Management
Habitat Restoration
Natural Resources
Landscape Architecture
Water Resources
What is AQTrax?
• Tracks samples and lab
sample delivery groups (SDGs)
from the field through the
reporting phase of a project
• Links to EQuIS
• Tracks data work flow by SDG
– Lab reporting status
– Validation status
– Data checks
• User-controlled reporting
features
• Customizable to meet
project needs
AQTrax Presentation at ICEDM
Anchor QEA’s Solutions Suite
• AQTrax – Tracking status of field
and lab data
• AQ Field Scribe – Flexible field data
collection application
• ADR – Automated Data Review
developed by Laboratory Data
Consultants (LDC)
• EQuIS – EarthSoft’s environmental
data management system
• Real-time tracking systems for
construction and water quality
monitoring and automated data
evaluation
Three Data Work Flow Scenarios
• Anchor QEA allows project staff flexibility in
collecting information to meet project needs
– AQ Field Scribe electronic data deliverable (EDD)
with data collected on site and uploaded to
laboratory
– Excel workbook filled in after the field event
– Laboratory SDGs received without prior field data
upload
AQ Field Scribe
AQTrax Keeps Track of Data Flow
• Where is my field and lab data? Is it complete?
Has QC been applied?
Four Key Components to AQTrax
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Field data tracking
Lab SDG tracking
Validation tracking
Reporting
Field Data Tracking
• Tracks whether field information has been
received by Anchor QEA’s Data Solutions group
– Have coordinates been received and verified?
– Have field data been loaded into EQuIS?
– Have field staff performed QC?
Field Data Tracking
To display data
Click button
Lab SDG Tracking
• Tracks status of SDGs
• Ensures that all SDGs are accounted for and
receive QA/QC from chemists
Lab SDG Tracking
AQTrax Presentation at ICEDM
To display data
Click button
Click on tracking icon to…
AQTrax Presentation at ICEDM
Tracking icon
…display tracking records
AQTrax Presentation at ICEDM
Tracking records
Additional tracking records can also be
added individually
Click
to add
record
Additional tracking record
Click on edit button to…
AQTrax Presentation at ICEDM
…display AQTrax in edit mode
AQTrax Presentation at ICEDM
Multiple SDGs can be
edited all at once
Yellow background
used for edit mode
Click on batch icon to…
Batch
icon
…display AQTrax in batch mode
Multiple SDGs can
have the same edits
applied at once
Key Tracking Records
• AQTrax uses status icons to display six key
tracking records on main page
• Snapshot of SDG status
• Status icons show that key QA/QC steps are
met
Key tracking records are added…
Key tracking records
…AQTrax displays status icons
Status icons
Status Icons
- Lab PDF report received
- Lab EDD received
- Lab EDD loaded
- Validation report sent to validator
- Validation peer reviewed by chemist
- QC check against lab report performed
All key QA/QC steps are met
AQTrax Presentation at ICEDM
Big green check mark is displayed
showing all steps have been met!
Validation Tracking
• Anchor QEA uses US EPA stage guidelines for
in-house and external laboratory data
validation for consistent terminology in
describing the scope and content of validation
• Laboratory SDGs receive validation to meet
Anchor QEA QA/QC guidelines
• Validation level is decided by project needs
Validation Stages
• Compliance with sample receipt conditions,
sample characteristics, and analytical
results
• Stage 1 and compliance with samplerelated QC
• Stage 2A and compliance with instrumentrelated QC
• Stage 2B and recalculation of instrument
and sample results and comparison of
recalculated results to laboratory reported
results
• Stage 3 and review of raw data
(chromatograms, instrument outputs, etc.)
Validation stage on main page…
AQTrax Presentation at ICEDM
Validation stage
Click validation icon
…validation page shows validation
details for SDG
Reporting
• AQTrax has reporting features that display the
status of field and laboratory data
• Staff can view and print standard reports
directly from AQTrax
Page from a standard report
AQTrax Presentation at ICEDM
Thank you
• Contact information
Lisa Allen
Anchor QEA, LLC
720 Olive Way, Suite 1900
Seattle, WA 98101
206-903-3310
lallen@anchorqea.com
www.anchorqea.com