NABL Launches Dedicated Software for Lab QR & ULR Adoption

Key Takeaways:

• NABL recommends software to help labs generate QR-coded, tamper-proof reports.
• Smartphone-based verification and blockchain enhance report authenticity.
• Simplified version supports labs with limited digital infrastructure.

Anticipating the implementation issues of some Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs), the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) has proposed a pragmatic digital solution to make their transition to authenticated, tamper-free reporting smoother. As part of its continued digitization mandate, NABL is now suggesting a special software application through which accredited test laboratories, calibration labs, and Reference Material Producers (RMPs) in India can create and embed Unique Laboratory Report (ULR) numbers and QR codes in their certificates and test reports.

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Following NABL's previous mandate for such functionality for enhanced transparency, this action is taken specifically to help laboratories, especially those with modest IT infrastructure, implement secure digital methods. The software makes each report unambiguously identifiable, blockchain-protected, and verifiable in real-time through smartphones, resolving fears of tampered or falsified documents on a large scale. The solution is designed to be compliant with a lab's existing NABL-accredited scope and seamlessly integrates into existing workflows without impacting normal operations.

To make the system inclusive, NABL is also encouraging a non-technical version of the software to be installed without the intervention of IT experts for the benefit of small or rural laboratories.

Besides, NABL intends to facilitate adoption via workshops and webinars, providing hands-on advice to laboratory staff during the process. The move is likely to enhance trustworthiness and efficiency in key industries such as pharmaceuticals, food safety, environmental monitoring, and diagnostics, where genuine lab reports take a central regulatory and commercial function.