Ideagen Quality Management

Pros

The system provides us enough structure to build a solid QMS on, but we can also customise it enough to work within our more unique manufacturing environment. We had a good experience recently migrating from an on-premise install to their SaaS product. The whole process was relatively smooth and happened on time and within the expected budget.

Cons

The main downside about moving from an on-premise install to the SaaS version was the reduction in speed. Obviously we understand that there are many factors which can affect this but I believe it should have come up in the scoping as something that could be an issue.

Pros

Ideagen Quality Management makes quality management quite straightforwad

Cons

Ideagen Quality Management must be improved in terms of user experience.

Pros

IdeaGen provides a consolidate platform for compliance related activities. It's web-based, so support of the application is minimal. Email communications and reminders are supportive to keep compliance up-to-date. Configurable workflows all of purpose built design to support business specific processes.

Cons

On the Inbox page, some of the UI organization feels old. Scaling of sections when names are longer and pages are narrower, leaves to-do items off the screen. It would benefit from some responsive design in this and other areas of the application. All dashboard links seem to push user back to Inbox page. it would be better if a user could drill down here.

Pros

Simply put Ideagen quality system does what it says on the tin and more. It provides a platform for total quality system management in an efficient and effective manner without any fuss. It's highly flexible and can be tailored to individual organisation needs.

Cons

Wrapping my head round setting up of some module functionalities takes some getting used to for my liking.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Ideagen Quality Management

Pros

The Ideagen Quality Management system is user friendly and easy to navigate. The wizard functions provide pre-templated step by step processes which makes entering data a swift process and ensures the user doesn't miss anything vital. Extensive help articles available to access within the system.

Cons

I have found the changes to the customer support service frustrating. We used to be able to phone direct through to customer support agents who would assist you there and then. It is now much harder to get through to anyone and most times you are required to send in a video recoding of the problem before someone will get back to you by email. This can cause a delay in being able to resolve issues.

Pros

The system is straight forward to use with some excellent features.

Cons

It might be better to have more trending in terms of graphs and charts for presenting to senior management.

Pros

The documentation module cause you can always go back to the documentation using the document reference number and you can even put a URL or hyperlink instead of attaching the actual documents.

Cons

The people module and it’s a bit complicated especially when giving permission, access etc but still it’s manageable.

Pros

How it creates your own workload and sends email reminders for outdated items

Cons

I would like if during document control if a revision was updated that it could adjust the footer of the document

Pros

The customer service. Any issues or queries I have, they are quick to respond and very knowledgeable.

Cons

I occasionally encounter "bugs" where a link doesn't work, or an error message appears.

Pros

Easy to Use by beginners, great communication teams

Cons

prices are high relatively, it has some slowness sometimes

Pros

The training was easy to follow and customize for our comfort and availability.

Cons

Getting the workflows the way we wanted was a little challenging but Ideagen offered additional professional hours that we used to cover those key areas.

Pros

Q-Pulse is a fully featured, off the shelf Management system that does what it says it will and does so well. OEM support has been good from the start and this has been critical with ensuring a successful implementation of the system.

Cons

The UI of the desktop application looks a little dated, which takes a little getting used to, although this is mitigated somewhat by the constantly improving web based portal.

Pros

All the modules are used to there full extent and it manages the system well

Cons

storing external documents within records etc could be improved

Pros

Good to have all info in one place - easy to retrieve.

Cons

Sometimes can be a bit slow which can be frustrating.

Pros

Provides solid document control functionality

Cons

Training and people modules do not function as I would expect, they don't seem thought through

Pros

The representation of visual data (complaints) and ability to drill down/filter to see more in depth information. I like that this can be exported into an excel sheet.

Cons

Functions within complaints management can be difficult to navigate, pathways could be made more simple. Dashboard data e.g., complaint number seem to experience random changes..

Pros

The account managers make everything seamless and easy to use. Any problems are quickly resolved.

Cons

Occasional crashes and system hangs which force a refresh.

Pros

Great system and client customer service.

Cons

Option for searching probably needs to be looked at as sometimes it is not very easy to find information.

Pros

It is very useful tool management in all aspect. Very interactive and easy to use. A little training, you are there to go.

Cons

I personally find it useful and haven't identify any set back yet.

Pros

The document control capabilities are brilliant but we are not using it to it's full potential due to lack of training

Cons

Lack of networking events and training.

Pros

Workload statistics for departments and personnel. Customisable noncompliance wizards and templates. Customisable reports.

Cons

Not having batch commands for more tasks such as removing archived users from all documents or acknowledging all documents on their behalf

Pros

The level of customer service is high and we feel very look after in the implementation of QADEX.

Cons

Some capabilities and functionalities are limited.

Pros

This system has the option to attach Compliance Standards to documents and within workflows. It also has the capability to filter reports by Standards. Analyst competency is a big part of compliance. This system allows you to create trainings and tests schedules to maintain analyst's competency. Proficiencies (blind samples) can be tracked by workflows.
Also Collaboration is critical in quality control. This system allows multiple analysts to participate in a workflow instance. This means that if one analyst initiated a workflow then another analyst can finish. It documents which analyst completed each step in that instance. One can also create groups that will have specific permission within Qualtrax.
Consequently, Risk assessment is critical for Compliance. This workflow can be initiated for multiple reasons and can trigger corrective action workflow if necessary.
It is also very helpful that several accrediting bodies are also using Qualtrax.

Cons

I think that it would be helpful to have list custom field alphabetized. It would also be helpful to create a workflow instance URL links to allow the auditor see a particular workflow.

Pros

I love the flexibility that workflows offer. We initially purchased the platform for document management and audit preparedness, which it does exceptionally well. We have expanded its use far beyond our quality department thanks to the workflows functionality.

Nearly any process that your organization currently does on paper can be automated as a workflow. This reduces paper, eliminates the possibility of something getting lost or buried under a stack of other documents, and makes reporting a breeze.

Cons

They recently released a dashboard, but unfortunately, the dashboard does not offer click-through functionality. For example, I can see how many open items I am responsible for, as well as their status (new, approaching, late, expedited), but if I click on expedited tasks in the dashboard, I'm taken to my general inbox, which includes ALL tasks, documents, and workflows.

It's a small thing, really, but it does leave something to be desired from the user perspective.

Pros

Impact - the document control database is easily the most impactful feature of the software allowing all employees to easily access procedure they require to perform their jobs.
Ease of use - the system is easy to use and intuitive after some training. As with any computerised system, it helps when the databases are used routinely.
Integration - when all the metadata had been collected, the integration with existing business processes was easy as the organisation was operating a paper based document management system.

Cons

One of the missing elements is a link from the training database to doc control so that when a new revision of a document is released, an automatic training record should be send to all relevant employees. I have used several other EQMS systems and this functionality is standard. It may be released with version 7 of the database?
I feel the training database is not nearly as well developed as the document control db but it is part of the system that is extremely important to our organisation working in a Medical Devices.

Pros

For a laboratory this system provides full functionality for a Quality Management System. It ensures smooth compliance with ISO and MHRA requirements.
all of the modules can be tweaked to suit you needs and there is significant flexibility to allow different levels of usage based on the size of the service.

Cons

Permission levels are rigid and requires primary licenses for high level tasks.

Pros

Good product. Reliable. Easily accessible. Desktop client most user friendly.

Cons

Poor customer support. Occurrence module has a known defect for creating forms - yet to be fixed so currently unusable. Dashboards only available in Web version. Rejected drafts do not display on workload page. Documents due for review do not display on user workload page. Training / events module is difficult to use. Web version 7 is not user friendly at all. Analysis data not always accurate.

Pros

Great support from the ideagen team, willing to help build your software install and spend hours troubleshooting issues. support is often quick and concise.

Cons

Sometimes a very convoluted product, the UI has been added to for a number of years and could do with some refactoring/streamlining.

Pros

Customer Service
Training Programme
Customization
Dependability

Cons

Clunky in use
Forest of permissions which are not always easy to understand.

Pros

The software has various modules and is configurable to your liking. You can customise the workflow to your preferences and have the ability to build forms and templates yourself. It also has an easy access management module.

You can also set up workflows for stages with different actions depending on the workflow you need.

Cons

The software lacks a proper reporting application for operational staff. In addition, there is no suitable place for administering safety impact risk assessments in line with aviation regulations.

Pros

QPulse - Ideagen Quality Management product is a great tool for managing all aspects of quality and documents management. The software is interactive and user friendly, packed with useful features.

Cons

Lack of Dashboard in the desktop version.

Creating new forms in occurances module in desktop version not usable - Yet to be fixed.

Support team needs to be trained better to answer and troubleshoot end user queries.

Pros

Ideagen Q-Pulse QMS is user friendly software. Q-Pulse support is very responsive and efficient in sorting any issues we might have. Recently, we successfully migrated to the new version of software and the team behind upgrade made the transition very easy.

Cons

It would be great for academy training modules (all including advanced) are available without additional cost to the oragnisations.

Pros

The customer support is great! A very personalised service with a dedicated account manager for our account. This keeps us organised and means that requests are actioned quickly. The system is logical and relatively easy to use from a supplier approval point of view.

Cons

The templates can be restrictive to adjust if you want to amend the SAQ and spec template. You cannot view the portal from the customer perspective so can be difficult to assist with enquires, although our dedicated QADEX support manager is always on hand to help.

Pros

As an administrator, you can do a lot and set it up the way you like it. Notifications work great as well.

Cons

No logic while building reports. Dashboards are poor.

Pros

Relatively easy to use and get non-Quality professionals set up on the system. Most of the modules and forms follow a logical format.

Cons

Not enough customisation available, system looks outdated and can be slow.

Pros

Easy to use, modules interact, has revolutionised our QMS overnight!

Cons

Non to date. We are in the implementation stage but things have been smooth so far.

Pros

I really like how intuitive and user-friendly the platform is. It made managing quality processes and compliance tasks much simpler. The customizable features also stood out to me – I could tailor the system to match the specific needs of my organization. Overall, it helped us streamline our quality control efforts effectively.

Cons

One thing I didn't particularly enjoy about Ideagen Quality Management was the learning curve when first getting started. While the platform is user-friendly, there was still some initial adjustment needed to fully grasp all the features and customization options. However, once I got the hang of it, the benefits definitely outweighed this minor inconvenience.

Pros

I like having all of our quality documents and policies in one place. I don’t have to search different places on the network to find what I am looking for, and I like the search feature.

Cons

It has a steep learning curve and takes a bit to get used to and figure out how to use.

Pros

Documentation Control and CAPA/Workflow modules work well and allow my organization to maintain compliance and improve our internal processes. Supplier Control and Audit module also perform well.

Cons

User interface is dated and sometimes software is not the most intuitive to use.

Pros

Availability of different quality modules.

Cons

Would like to see the ability to create webforms and to view document along with Q-Pulse metadata record.

Pros

Its simple and easy to use. All documentation can be found.

Cons

It can be slow at times, and you are unable to attach images.

Pros

Easy to use and easy for everyone to have the same documents. No confusion on newest version and easy to update.

Cons

Sometimes uploads take a while to upload.

Pros

Found it really easy to use and the features are very useful.

Cons

Some of the steps are tedious when filling out audits or non-conformities as the names/dates do not auto-populate.

Pros

The layout is good. The administrator functions are easy to use.The document module is great and functions exactly how we need it to.

Cons

To make changes, build reports etc - this can seem really complicated and takes alot of time to do. Much more training would be required to become competent at this which comes at s big cost. The modules are really expensive - we would like to have more but cost completely restricts this.

Pros

Better functionality from previous QMS system. Ability to work across sites and still have access to system.

Cons

Unable to upload multiple documents at the same time with set template/duplicates. Have to do one at a time which meant transfer from previous quality management system was difficult.

Pros

Use of target dates and automated reminders, ability to control documents and manage assets

Cons

Audit trail for changes to records such as assets would be helpful. Some limitation on fields available

Pros

Intuitive User Interface: easy to navigateComprehensive Suite of Tools: The platform offers a wide range of tools for managing quality, including modules for document control, audit management, supplier quality, CAPA

Cons

Customization LimitationsHigh learning curveAbsence of full functionality of the mobile app

Alternatives Considered

Pros

Easy to keep track of actions, allocate actors and ensure actions.

Cons

Can take time to get users up to speed on occasions.

Pros

Being able to raise NCRs and have a system where suppliers have access, update and can close out CAPAs.Great not having to chase suppliers as the system automatically does that for you

Cons

The set up for audit/SAQ is tedious, it would be great if that could be simplified.

Pros

Q-Pulse is user friendly, intuitive and easy to navigate. It provides the functionality required to manage documents, audits and assets easily.

Cons

I think the training module could be improved. I find it is a little more difficult to use. It would be good it competency matrices could be exported in a more useful format.