SAWLA, the South African Wine Laboratory Association, is a subdivision of SASEV, the SA Society for Enology & Viticulture, which has 1200 international members. SAWLA itself has 50 members who are made up of wine testing laboratories attached to wine estates and co-ops, bottling plants, research institutes and independent commercial labs. Several of these labs are ISO 17025 accredited

SAWLA's mission is to improve the quality of wine laboratories in South Africa, standardise methodology and provide a forum for communication and access to information. This they aim to achieve through three functions:

• Running an effective and efficient proficiency testing scheme (PTS)

• Increasing the knowledge of wine lab staff through meaningful workshops

• Maintaining a manual on standardised analysis, practice and methods

Through their PTS, SAWLA also strives to assist member-laboratories through improvement initiatives and provide support and training where the scheme reveals shortcomings

The scheme runs on a monthly basis, two different wine samples per month: The scheme co-ordinator validates bulk samples as homogeneous in an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory, bottles and distributes the samples. Member labs then have a week to analyse the samples, on 15 different parameters, and submit their results

The results are accumulated per parameter and individual lab performance and comparative statistics calculated before reporting back to members

The statistical method used entails standard deviation calculations and rejecting outlying data before final statistics and performance values are calculated. Lab performance is expressed as a Z value, the number of standard deviations a point on a distribution is away from the mean

Up to December 2006, a paper and spreadsheet based system was in use. Members were notified by e-mail when samples were ready and instructed where to fetch it. After analysis of the samples, results used to be e-mailed or faxed back and centrally processed in spreadsheets before being returned as tabled data without any graphics or interpretation

The system successfully generated and collected testing round data but achieved little else towards the scheme's goals. There was an element of human error, 3 week turnaround, confidentiality breaches and no quality management or support. Innovative members started importing the data into their own spreadsheet systems to hunt for trends and problems in their methods

To address its shortcomings, SAWLA then embarked on what an industry magazine described as an 'ambitious' project - moving the scheme to the web. This web based system was taken into production in January 2007 and can be found at http://sasev.org/sawla/interlab

It works like this: The PTS co-ordinator prepares the samples and creates a testing round on-line at the SAWLA portal. The system automatically informs members per e-mail and provides relevant information about the sample type, distribution and closing date. Member labs fetch their samples, analyse them and enter their results on-line. A senior analyst or manager verifies the data

After their results were verified, and enough verified results are available to make statistical sense, members may immediately see their comparative stats and performance indicators. They are warned though that these remain dynamic as more labs submit their data. When the testing round closes, members receive their final performances per e-mail and no more data can be added, the statistics are now static and final

Analysis results are archived and presented to members graphically via distribution curves, method comparisons and chronological Z-value plots. The system delivers immediate turnaround and takes the first steps towards data interpretation

Since the SAWLA system is built on a Content Management System (CMS) platform, it offers benefits in a fully fledged SAWLA web portal to improve communication, as members log onto the PTS from SAWLA's web site. The SAWLA portal offers a Help centre with manuals and training videos, member list and statistics explanations

The system's CMS capabilities will now be exploited to the fullest in SAWLA's drive to have the system certified ISO compliant. It will serve as document repository for SAWLA's quality control manual, year plan, complaints register, corrective and preventative action forms and register, internal audits, management reviews and skills development packages, using role based security and version control

Change notifications will automatically be e-mailed to members and will improve communication further. Additional reports will help management identify laboratories struggling with certain analyses and allow them to assist where necessary

The end result will be an effective and well documented system that can be used to grow and improve local wine labs as spelled out in SAWLA's objectives

Attention will then be directed at SAWLA's long term PTS objectives, obtaining international credibility and participation, and making the analysed wine available as certified reference material

Presented by
Lemoene Smit, Bika Lab Systems project manager
Joris Goudriaan, Bika Lab Systems marketing and sales manager