Measurement 40 (2007) 183191

www.elsevier.com/locate/measurement

Metrology on-the-job e-learning through remote services

Andre Luiz Meira de Oliveira *, Carlos Alberto Schneider
Fundacao CERTI, CMI, Caixa Postal 5053, Trindade, 88040-970 Florianopolis-SC, Brazil

Received 13 March 2006; received in revised form 3 July 2006; accepted 5 July 2006
Available online 22 August 2006

Abstract

Consumers all around the world are more aware of quality issues than ever before, informed by the mass media and
supported by organizations of consumer-right defense. Companies must invest in employees training, workpieces testing
and inspection facilities to bear the development of new products and processes, to maintain the processes operating on
target and to segregate non-conforming products before they can reach the customer [A.L.M. Oliveira, Implantacao de
um Laboratorio Associado de Servicos e Assessoramento Remotos como Ferramenta de Disseminacao e Orientacao Met-
rologica, UFSC, Post graduation dissertation, pp. 191, 2005]. In this scene, there is a complete collection of freelance pro-
fessionals, technology centers and other companies and organizations that provide consultancy and metrology services
pushed by the above-mentioned demand. But these suppliers have a limited capability to satisfy all the needs of their cus-
tomers, and to keep themselves up to date in their specic technology niches. Central LASAR appeared as a channel to
normalize these relations promoting qualied and focused support. A beta-prototype of the proposed solution has been
tested, showing that the approach is technically and economically feasible.
 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Internet; On the job; Remote assistance; E-learning

1. The worldwide scenario In this eld, the responsibility of metrology

Sustainable development rules and standards are
being aimed at the market. When considering sus-
tainable development, social responsibility can be
seen as an important source to support the triple
bottom line: environment, social and economic [1].
At the same time, the ISO Committee meetings
are xing standards (ISO 26000 project).
*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 48 3239 2129; fax: +55 48
3239 2009.
E-mail addresses: aeo@certi.org.br (A.L.M. de Oliveira),
cas@certi.org.br (C.A. Schneider).
begins with the promotion of health and safety
assurance, legal aspects and environmental impacts
and controlling the companys activities.
Added to this, the worldwide market scenario
has been changing. A successful business must
change philosophies, which are centred on supply
chain and focus on the customers needs. The con-
sumer chooses the day and time for the service
and suppliers must always be available. This is the
one-to-one philosophy [2].
Nowadays, another characteristic is the necessity
of on going training and learning and this feature is
much more important in innovative and technolog-
ical business.

0263-2241/$ - see front matter  2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.measurement.2006.07.004
184 A.L.M. de Oliveira, C.A. Schneider / Measurement 40 (2007) 183191

Universities,
Technological
Technical
Centers
Courses
Information
Flow

Organizations Measurement
(BrazilianSociety Instruments
for Metrology, ...) Suppliers

Consumers
(Industry,
commerce,)

Fig. 1. Todays information ow in metrology.

However, this means that employers need to be
without these members of sta for long periods of
time and can cause problems when considering
dynamics and market speeds. It would be very
important if an employee could learn on the job
all the features that he uses each day, developing
and focusing their skills in the right direction (for
both him and the business). This causes a reduction
in the training budget but on the other hand, an
increase in the number of trained employees.
On the other hand, lots of businesses have
adapted the way they work due to Internet func-
tions, such as customer auto-attendance. Some of
these features are the central theme of Web 2.0 plat-
forms, and this new e-business concept must be
exploited.
Collaboration between suppliers and customers
is a priority area, which needs to be stimulated in
todays business, promoting the social co-responsi-
bility of both.
1.1. Metrology and the internet
Information trac has been increasing year by
year due to the Internet. Shared databases bring
search and communication facilities to scientists,
companies and society.
But, these facilities have their bad side. More and
more each day we can nd databases contaminated
by wrong, doubled or outdated information, mak-
ing indexing and searching tasks more complex.
Some examples can be found in forums and discus-
sion groups, or on outdated or abandoned websites.
There is no guarantee that the information that the
researcher nds on the Internet is reliable and this
leaves the researcher the task of trusting the infor-
mation left by the organization behind the website
or not. This trust should be based on his own
knowledge or on comparison with other websites.
A study [3] approximated the relations between
all metrology suppliers and consumers (Fig. 1),
where Technological Centers, Universities, Suppli-
ers and Organizations have been exchanging
information with metrology consumers, but in a
bi-lateral format. Problems such as doubled entries
and outdated information trac are common when
using this type of exchange.
2. Central LASAR
An IT structure is proposed to minimize these
gaps through an integration system providing con-
text platforms and solutions for all the suppliers
shown in Fig. 1. The solution is called Central
LASAR Laboratorio Associado de Servicos e
Assessoramento Remotos (Remote Assistance and
Services Associated Laboratory).
Central LASAR is an information technology
(IT) solution proposed to connect people and sys-
tems, that is to say automatic and semiautomatic
algorithms, using the Internet. It is composed of a
central platform and a shared database that can
manage customer metrological knowledge and the
integration among metrological organizations, facil-
 A.L.M. de Oliveira, C.A. Schneider / Measurement 40 (2007) 183191
Partners
LASAR
Technological
Center 1
LASAR
Central LASAR
LASAR
Technological
Center 2
Fig. 2. Central LASAR relationships.
itating the Technological Centers support and
improving its quality, according to standards as
ISO 9000:2000 [4] and ISO/IEC 17025 [5].
It means that Central LASAR has two main cus-
tomers on one side the Technological Center and
on the other, the Customers (known as Central
LASAR Final Customers). Universities and Techni-
cal Courses, Metrology Suppliers and Organizations
have a partnership relation with Central LASAR,
stimulating and generating new business opportuni-
ties (Fig. 2).
3. The central LASAR services
The intention of Central LASAR is to make the
experience of using the Internet the same as using
the Intranet for the customer, adding customized sys-
tems integrated with Technological Center facilities.
3.1. Central LASAR is web 2.0
According to OReil [6], the core competencies of
a Web 2.0 business can be listed as seven principles:
Services, not packaged software, with cost-eec-
tive scalability;
Control over unique, hard-to-recreate data
sources that get richer as more people use them;
Trusting users as co-developers;
Harnessing collective intelligence;
Leveraging the long tail through customer self-
service;
185
Customer 1
Internet
presence
Customer 2
Internet
presence
Internet
presence
Customer 3
Software above the level of a single device;
Lightweight user interfaces, development models,
and business models.
The development of Central LASAR solutions
follows the Web 2.0 principles, where applications
are increased with users information, adding value
to their own data into a communal database,
increasing its usefulness creating service modules.
3.2. Services modularization
Using the Web 2.0 concepts, Central LASAR
keeps the main characteristic of modular architec-
ture [7]. When Laboratories or Technological Cen-
ters oer remote assistance to their customers,
they can choose the modules that will be displayed
for each one, depending on the customers expecta-
tions and focus.
Another advantage of this conguration is the
simplicity and agility on updates and new develop-
ments, for example, a new version of an interna-
tional standard.
Using this point of view, Central LASAR ser-
vices can be divided into two distinct services
focused on the two kinds of customers (Technolog-
ical Centers and their customers). This services seg-
regation is complete, including the visual identity
system and the modular components. The Final
Customer is looking for a metrological company
and the Laboratory is looking for a networking
company it is a focused strategy [7].
186 A.L.M. de Oliveira, C.A. Schneider / Measurement 40 (2007) 183191
3.3. Central LASAR through industry point of view
Using an Ethernet [7] solution, LASAR can be
divided into three categories:
(a) Central LASAR automatic modules;
(b) Central LASAR relationship modules;
(c) Central LASAR on the job e-learning.
3.3.1. Central LASAR automatic modules
In the center of LASAR automatic modules is
the measurement instrument management, which
has a complete characteristic database that is used
or will be available for other automatic modules
(such as on line calibration certicate traceability
databases, statistics algorithms and advanced
metrology searches). See Fig. 3.
Other automatic modules are the educational
ones. These educational modules are related to the
operators instead of the measurement instruments,
but in the same way as shown in Fig. 3, and can
be linked to the instrument management using real
examples on the course, improving the module
absorption capability.
This kind of standard organization is interesting
for study indexes and specialist support as well.
3.3.2. Central LASAR relationship modules
A perfect, fast and continually available relation-
ship is needed for project success [7]. Central
LASAR has grouped some IT technologies to pro-
vide dierent kinds of communication, such as:
help desk for commercial proposals, metrolog-
ical database analyses, long letters or doubts;
Calibration certificate Measurement System
traceability Analysis algorithms
Measurement
instrument
management
PMAP algorithms
Fig. 3. Measurement instrument management database in the
center of automatic modules.
web chat for short consulting,
voice and video over IP for services such as
talking to a specialist;
shared relationship historical databases to
recover old chats or archives.
All the services are applicable between the Tech-
nological Center and its customer, it means, Central
LASAR does not interrupt or has access to these
results. The Central LASAR function is to optimize
the demands, and it depends on the customers net-
work and needs.
3.3.3. Central LASAR on the job e-learning
This service intends to support the customers
decisions and to create a metrological culture
inside the company. This is made up of an atten-
dance environment and a knowledge management
environment.
There are three levels of possible kinds of atten-
dance: auto-attendance, on line technological center
attendance and Metrological Help Desk. It consid-
ers the complexity of the questions and the time it
would take to solve it. It will be explained later on
chart 5.
Regarding knowledge management, there is a
developed browser using articial intelligence and
making searches on Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs), articles and general knowledge indexed.
This articial intelligence can search words and sen-
tences on a multi-language platform and use an
ontology similarity relation constructed by special-
ists [8].
More than this, Central LASAR management
can put all customers in touch, oering metrology
e-marketplaces and a horizontal relationship (cus-
tomer to other customer) [9].
3.4. Central LASAR through the technological
center point of view
The Technological Center wants to see a profes-
sional computer service team supporting their cus-
tomers relationship and integration.
All the services listed by Central LASAR for the
Final Customers have been implemented for Labo-
ratories and Technological Centers. Some of then
are listed below [3]:
On line technical support (for IT and software);
Users and customers management implement-
ing dierent permissions hierarchy;
 A.L.M. de Oliveira, C.A. Schneider / Measurement 40 (2007) 183191 187

automatic technical modules management
including the restrictions for each customer;
customer monitoring;
customer database access in a secure way;
e-learning support through voice and video,
wizards (automatic modules), examples, and
web chat.
3.5. Security and data owners
Almost all metrology information generated by
the system has customers rights. Due to this, nei-
ther Central LASAR nor the Technological Center
(as the associated laboratory) can support these dat-
abases. The conguration proposed is demonstrated
in Fig. 4.
Central LASAR only keeps general database
information, for example the measurement units
and the relationship among them (as a converter),
and technical modules database. All other data
must be constructed on the nal customers own
database.
The whole system runs on an SSL (Secure Sock-
ets Layer) platform, through https protocol, using a
1024 bits RSA algorithm. Moreover, to guarantee
the condentiality of information trac, all data is
pre-coded through MIME base 64 algorithm, trans-
forming the data into an illegible chars sequence
[10].
The users management is one of the most impor-
tant sectors, selecting some access levels as manager
or only reader, dierentiated by laboratories or nal
customers.

Customer dos
Servidores
Server

Internet
Pontos Access
de Presena
Desktops
LapLap
- tops
-tops Router
Signal
Sistemas de
Aquisition Laboratory
Systems Technological Center

Internet

Router

CENTRAL LASAR

Fig. 4. Central LASAR quality restrictions.

188 A.L.M. de Oliveira, C.A. Schneider / Measurement 40 (2007) 183191

4. Central LASAR prototype (5) On line chat about a new technical module
and about the e-learning modules that are
A beta-prototype of the proposed IT solution has linked with them.
been tested, showing that the approach is techni- (6) The industry receives non-conformity about a
cally and economically feasible for the service sup- work piece from its customer. Treat the prob-
pliers (Technological Centers) as well as for their lem through LASAR.
customers [11]. (7) About xing work pieces in place and inu-
Scenarios have been created using companys ences on measurement during the production.
interview methods and resulting in accelerated tests How they can improve the quality on the
results [3]. results.
Some of them: (8) There are new measurement units they do not
know about. What is the correct and cheapest
(1) The customer bought a new measurement position on this task?
instrument and wants to know how he can
enter the related characteristics. Related to this, some punctual doubts can be
(2) Who can dene some attributes as uncertainty inserted as vocabulary, quality systems, actions
and instrument ranges in the industry? inuences, calibrations intervals, work piece clean-
(3) The director ordered the calibration intervals ing, metrology optimization and cost reduction.
increased due to cost reduction. What is the Some results are expressed through the three
procedure? And what about the consequences? graphics bellow (Fig. 5ac). The graph in Fig. 5(a)
(4) Questions about the possibility of changing a and (b) expressed the dierence between the Final
measurement instrument to be used on a cer- Customer using only Central LASAR Automatic
tain task and the consequences of doing this? Modules (as Self-Service) and using these Modules

100% 100%

80% 80%
Capability

Capability

60% 60%

40% 40%
20% 20%
0% 0%
Easy Intermediate Hard Easy Intermediate Hard
Metrological Question Complexity Metrological Question Complexity

High capability Intermediate capability Low capability High capability Intermediate capability Low capability

100%

80%
Results

60%

40%

20%

0%
Easy Intermediate Hard
Metrological Question Complexity
Over US$ 100 US$ 10 -U S$100 Quality improvement

Fig. 5. LASAR results [2]. (a) Industry capability on solving metrological questions using only LASAR automatic modules. (b) Industry
capability on solving metrological questions using LASAR automatic modules with an on line technical consulting. (c) Industry nancial
results on LASAR using compared to questions complexity.
 A.L.M. de Oliveira, C.A. Schneider / Measurement 40 (2007) 183191
and an On Line Technical Support. The increase in
the high capability to answer questions demon-
strated by LASAR has came from the real time sup-
port provided for LASAR through the industry
database sharing and multi-media interfaces (web
chats, voice and video over IP).
In regards to the nancial point of view, Fig. 5(c)
demonstrates the relation between question com-
plexity and nancial results, and the real importance
on using the complete LASAR solution. Other
interesting result such as some questions on low
level of complexity (easy questions) can get high
nancial result, and a hard (high complexity) ques-
tion do not guarantee a good nancial return result.
This risk is one of the On Line Technical Support
analysis task.
5. Central LASAR as an on the job e-learning
platform
One of the main advantages of Central LASAR
assistance is that the Final Customers can learn
metrology specically for their own cases. Labora-
tories can apply and understand Final Customers
needs and can do in-depth studies on some metro-
logical mathematics tools, and moreover, the labo-
ratory can do on line attendance consulting the
customer metrological situation.
When considering knowledge management, some
tools have been implemented on the Central LASAR:
The ontology system when a user can do
searches in dierent languages or using synonyms.
Restricted searches when the user chooses
between search on the full Internet or only in
some websites.
Central
LASAR
Customer
Customer
attendance
1st
2nd
Database
3rd
Fig. 6. Central LASAR on-the-job training.
189
On line courses using the customer database
the Final Customers can easily improve the
knowledge absorption capability based on
possibilities of their measurement instrument
databases usage. This on the job training keeps
all the conceptions for a good training pro-
gram.
Added to this, the sequence of a Final Customer
attendance (Fig. 6) optimize metrology learning
using all the dierent modes of contacts during an
employee work [8], as listed:
Auto-attendance:
Web links all over the metrological expres-
sions To get the user used to metrological
terms.
Wizards to help the modules solve guiding
the user on nding solutions and quality
reports using their own problems and mea-
surement instruments.
On line courses that can be shared on
demand by the Technological Center or
through Central LASAR, either using their
own databases or not.
Historical problems and their answers as
Frequently Asked Questions applied speci-
cally for the customer logged on.
Using integration among the suppliers, uni-
versities and other metrology companies,
updated and standards management on
dierent areas and with this real application
the Central LASAR modules quality and
security will improve day by day, becoming
a strong metrological database supporting
innovation.
Technological
Center
on line attendance
help desk
auto
t
rne
Inte
190 A.L.M. de Oliveira, C.A. Schneider / Measurement 40 (2007) 183191
On line help to be accessed after the auto-atten-
dance try, the Laboratory leaves some technicians
on line through Central LASAR answering basic
questions, such as metrology concepts or commer-
cial demands.
Help Desk for high level or long questions,
when a Final Customer can send doubts that
need to be solved by one or more specialists.
The specialists (and also the on line technicians)
can access the nal customer database as only
reader to support their answers.
Metrological education is essential for Central
LASAR success and it is a progressive implemen-
tation.
6. The central LASAR evaluation
In 2005, CERTI Foundation received govern-
ment support to implement Central LASAR in a
Laboratory and connect it to 10 companies. After
this, Central LASAR was evaluated and in the mid-
dle of 2006 it was implemented, connecting CERTI
Laboratories to 12 companies of varying sizes: 2
micro, 5 small, 4 medium and 1 large. The goal is,
that by the end of 2006, Central LASAR will have
connected at least 20 companies to the Technologi-
cal Center. The medium/long prevision is that 80%
of the Technological Center best customers will be
using LASAR by 2010. The CRM (customer rela-
tionship management sector) see LASAR as an
excellent delity and control tool.
To best understand the application results, we
must divided Central LASAR into its two customer
proles.
6.1. Technological center evaluation
Initial expectations in benets for the Technolog-
ical Center were proved to be correct, principally
when considering customer delity. The reason is
that these customers begin to create a dependence
on LASAR services, and become used to the inno-
vative model. When a customer internally creates
a metrological demand, the rst reaction is clarify-
ing these doubts through LASAR instead of search-
ing on the Internet. It creates new demands on the
Technological Center. Some other factors can be
listed as observed benets, such as:
Technological Center human and hardware
resources share (reducing customer manager
costs);
Previsions for calibration services are more accu-
rate due to the results of Central LASAR reports;
Customer Assistance cost reduction due to IP
telephony implementation.
More than this, because of the new support
model, a new business has been created the cus-
tomer metrology control, i.e., all measurement
instrument calibrations can be under the remote
observation and assistance of Technological Center.
It brings new opportunities in engineering assistance
because of the customers perception of the metrol-
ogy value in quality assurance.
6.2. Final customer evaluation
When considering the results, it was observed
that the initial concern regarding latent needs was
well founded, but in dierent ways depending on
the size of the customer and the maturity degree
of the metrological control in its business.
Micro and small companies usually search for
standards and procedures to satisfy their own
customer or to keep quality certications. Their
questions usually involve calibration criteria, cali-
bration intervals and standards fulllment.
On the other hand, medium and large companies
are searching for more complex solutions using the
consultants at the Technological Center. The big-
gest barrier is the trust in Internet infra-structure,
and because of this, these companies are using the
system in a restrictive way, i.e., only as a monitor
of high complexity systems, using the advantage of
on line support. The most frequent questions are
doubts about MSA third edition and improvement
techniques in the metrology control. This is caused
by the focused market on metal-mechanic and auto-
motive industry supply companies.
Other advantages pointed by the customers are
listed below:
All metrology management follows international
standards, making this task easier (calibration
intervals, traceability and descriptions);
Possible use and managing of statistical algo-
rithms for measurement instruments control
and qualication;
Increase of metrological culture inside the
company;
 A.L.M. de Oliveira, C.A. Schneider / Measurement 40 (2007) 183191
Low Cost and high quality Metrology assistance;
Metrological quality costs easily identied.
In addiction to customers benets, Central
LASAR also impacts on society in the improvement
of products metrological quality, exploring basic
aspects as users security and health towards social
responsibility.
Acknowledgements
Fundacao CERTI Centros de Referencia em
Tecnologias Inovadoras;
PosMCI Post Graduation Industrial and Scien-
tic Metrology of Santa Catarina Federal Uni-
versity (UFSC);
Metrological Laboratories Net of Santa Catarina
RMSC;
Brazilian government Science and Technologi-
cal Sector MCT TIB Program FNDCT/
FINEP.
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