System and method for managing data for an equipment calibration laboratory

A system and method for managing data in calibration laboratory is disclosed. The system includes a database server, a database management system (DBMS) executing on the database server, and at least one client program coupled to the DBMS through a communication network. The client program queries the DBMS for data and sends data to the DBMS for storage on a database managed by the DBMS. The database managed by the DBMS includes at least an equipment tracking table and a work order table that may link a plurality of work orders in the work order table to a single equipment record in the equipment tracking table. This structure reduces the need for multiple identifications of a test instrument in the database. In a preferred implementation of the present invention, technical data records in a technical data table and administrative data records in an administrative data table are separately linked to a work order record in the work order table. In this way, the administrative data and technical data in the system are separately maintained. In another aspect of the preferred implementation, a standards used table contains standards used records which are linked to a work order record in the work order table to identify the calibration standards used for a calibration job on a test instrument. This structure facilitates measurement traceability for a test instrument. In a most preferred aspect of the system, an automated calibration procedure (ACP) program is implemented to use operating system interface commands for transferring data collected during a calibration procedure to the client program. The client program them sends the collected data to the DBMS for storage in the database. In the most preferred implementation, the ACP and client program use a Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) of the Windows operating system to transfer collected data from the ACP to the client program.