Support Services
Alpha offers a variety of environmental project planning and sample collection services to support our clients. First, we strive to first understand our client’s needs and then expand our services accordingly. To that end, we have developed tools that help them be more efficient in everyday tasks associated with project planning, sample collection, logistics, data management, data usability and report preparation. Complementing our quality analytical testing, we currently offer technical and project management support as value-added services. Alpha strives to help bring time and cost efficiencies to your environmental testing programs.
Project Management
Alpha’s project managers are uniquely qualified and experienced in environmental testing, as well as current compliance standards. Each of our experts follows the latest federal and state guidance/regulations, and creates a compliance plan. Our goal is to meet regulatory requirements and clients’ expectations in their practice areas.
Our project managers act as a single point of contact for their assigned customers in order to efficiently oversee the following:
- quickly responding to work requests
- reviewing requirements for projects
- submitting sample receipt confirmations to their clients daily
- scheduling couriers and samplers
- maintaining lab schedules
- ensuring technical requirements are met
- providing technical guidance and ensure data is reported timely and accurately.
Account Management
In addition to highly qualified project managers, Alpha also retains skilled account managers located in the Northeast and Midwest. Each account manager also has extensive experience in the environmental testing industry and is knowledgeable about
federal and state testing guidance and regulations. Their routine responsibilities include, but are not limited to; account management, account maintenance, technical training, providing regulatory updates, sharing on-line data access tutorials, reviewing contracts, setting up and evaluating projects and following up on accounts receivable.
Logistics
Courier Support
Alpha's courier service is provided as a courtesy to all clients within the region for the delivery of sample containers and/or pick-up of samples at your office or project site. We require a minimum 24-hour notification, but we will try to accommodate customers in an emergency. Also, our laboratories and service centers are ready to serve our customers in the event that it is more convenient to pick-up sample containers or drop-off samples at one of our facilities. For sample delivery outside of our normal business hours, please call a project manager, service center manager or account manager to make special arrangements. To get directions to our facilities, click here.
Electronic Chain of Custodies
Alpha provides environmental testing Chain of Custody (COC) templates to our clients so they can efficiently document and track all aspects of their project, from routine air analysis, to sample submission and sample container requests. These COC templates can be downloaded, filled out with specific company and contact information and stored on the clients’ computer, or other devices, for ease in setting up future Alpha Analytics sample container order(s) or client projects. The completed COC can be used to place your container order or advanced preparation for your next field sampling event.
Alpha’s COC templates save our clients time and money by eliminating unnecessary steps. To download a COC template, visit our Chain of Custody page. Use the MS Excel or MS Word version to create your own documents.
Pre-labeled Sample Containers
Pre-labeled sample containers are provided by Alpha Analytical with the client and project name/ID/analysis and other details. Our pre-labeled sample containers, with glassware segregated by sample location, reduces our clients’ field operations time preparing bottle ware for sample collection. To see how this feature can help streamline your project, contact us with a listing of your project specifications (e.g., name/sample ID’s, analysis/sample date).
Other Value-Added Services
Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) Table Support
Our technical sales and dedicated client service representatives can assist with project scope requirements including choosing the right methods and reporting limits, identifying specific project requirements, and communicating them to the Alpha operations staff. Your Alpha project manager can generate Excel tables with typical quality control information for inclusion in your project's Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP). This information includes, but is not limited to tables summarizing methods, bottle types, preservatives, holding times, compound lists with reporting and method detection limits, as well as precision and accuracy limits for various quality control indicators.
Data Management
Alpha’s key to the seamless transmission of data is our Laboratory Information Management System, or LIMS. Alpha is currently using a third-generation LIMS that, takes advantage of a client/server technology and an Oracle database. The new LIMS brings data entry and reporting to new levels of accuracy and productivity and is compliant with the EPA’s Good Automated Laboratory Procedures (GALP). The LIMS eliminates the manual data entry issue by downloading the data, including QC results, directly from the instrument for over 95% of the lab. This automated data acquisition capability eliminates transcription errors and allows for electronic generation of data packages and electronic data deliverables that can all be uploaded to our online data portal.
Data Packages
Capturing the data electronically enables Alpha to easily produce a variety of deliverables packages that meet the most stringent state and federal validation criteria. Regulatory packages routinely generated include Level 1- Level 4 type deliverables. These, and other data packages, are bookmarked and available on the Alpha Data Exchange (ADEx) portal in PDF format.
Electronic Deliverables
Alpha’s convenient Electronic Data Deliverable (EDD) formats can be generated automatically by the LIMS with no manual intervention. This method enables the preparation of data files with no additional special handling. This system also greatly reduces the potential for transcription errors and discrepancies between electronic and hardcopy reporting.
For standard reporting options, Alpha offers a wide array of standard EDD formats including Excel, ASCII, GIS-Key, EQUiS, NJ Hazsite EDD and Envirodata. Alpha has extensive experience in generating and checking EQUIS and other types of EDDs not offered by Alpha.
Online Data Access
Alpha also has sophisticated online reporting capabilities. Using ADEx allows you to check project status and download your data and a summary report directly from our website in several formats, all delivered as a PDF. These electronic data formats are automatically generated with no manual data entry or manipulation. Using ADEx can dramatically minimize your office’s data reduction and reporting level of effort with a zero tolerance for transcription errors.
Alpha clients have access to their data 24/7 via their individual, password-protected ADEx account. Laboratory reports, chain of custodies, invoices and electronic deliverable files are available to our clients via our website as soon as they are finalized and remain online for a minimum of 10 years after they are generated.
In addition, Alpha has developed a new Excel “Data Merger” system that compares and contrasts data to a multitude of federal and state action limits. Data Merger automatically highlights and summarizes results that exceed the applicable criteria and can be queried for a multitude of orders.
Please contact your client services or account representative to find out how we can support your environmental testing project.
