| Questions |
 |
MEMBER AREA : QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
This page gives you an answer to the most frequently asked questions sent by our members using the Extranet software of Bipea to enter their results of analysis. If you do not find the answer, you can contact us by email.
You will also find other information in the help page, in the member area.
To reach the answer, click on the question.
1 - QUESTIONS ABOUT CONNEXION AND PASSWORDS
1-1. Which is the necessary configuration to reach the forms?
1-2. I am using AOL explorer and I can not connect myself to the Bipea Website!
1-3. Where can I find my codes?
1-4. Why five codes and passwords?
1-5. Why a password for inputting results and another password for transmitting the results?
1-6. Which codes to use?
1-7. After having clicked on access to the Member Area, I can not connect!
1-8. Although I typed the INPUT password, my form remains in "only reading" (blue background) - I cannot change my data!
1-9. What to do if I find a mistake in my form after I transmitted it to Bipea?
1-10. Why an edition code?
2 - QUESTIONS ABOUT FILLING IN AND PRINTING THE FORMS
2-1. How to print the empty form?
2-2. My form is not complete after printing!
2-3. I get an error message on the sample code.
2-4. I get an error message on the date format.
2-5. I get an error message on the choice of method!
2-6. The saved result is 100 times more than the one I typed.
2-7. I cannot save my form!
2-8. My form is empty after saving!
2-9. I do not find (anymore) my form in the list!
2-10. I cannot input the results!3 - QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION OF THE RESULTS
3-1. I get an error message on the name of the person who validates.
3-2. Why a certificate of transaction? Why to print and to save it?
3-3. Was my form correctly sent?
3-4. What do I do if I find a mistake after I sent my form?
4 - QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPORT OF INTERLABORATORY COMPARISONS
4-1. How will I receive the results and the report?
4-2. Lack of traceability: all my results are in bold black.
4-3. I do not find my code on the histogram or in the charts
4-4. I do not find my results on the histogram or in the charts.
4-5. I do not find the results of the previous months on the website.
4-6. I did not receive the report of interlaboratory comparisons.
4-7. Incoherence: one of my results is in red bold italic.
1 - ANSWERS ABOUT THE CONNECTION AND THE PASSWORDS
1-1: Which is the necessary configuration to reach the forms?
The Extranet software of Bipea was developed with the traditional HTM internet language. The use of Javascript was limited to increase compatibility. During the period of tests, we could determine the following points:
- Extranet is accessible on PC and Mac.
- On PC, it was tested successfully from Windows 95 to XP Pro
- On Mac, it was tested on MAC OS 9 and Mac OS X
- It works on all recent Internet explorers :
- Microsoft Internet Explorer with IE 5.5 and more.
- Netscape on 6.0 and more
- Opera, Firefox.
- For internet users of AOL explorer, it is advisable to observe the following procedure
- Connect with AOL explorer (7.0 to 9.0)
- Minimize AOL explorer & use Microsoft Internet Explorer (M.I.E)
- Enter the Bipea website with M.I.E.
- If you try a direct access with AOL explorer, you will be blocked immediately or just after Member Area.
- It is accessible with all connection speeds. Of course, the low speed involves lower display and saving. We have tried to optimize this speed by removing all useless elements (graphics)s.
1-2: I am using AOL explorer and I can not connect myself to the Bipea website !
For internet users of AOL explorer, it is advisable to observe the following procedure
- Connect to AOL explorer (7.0 to 9.0)
- Minimize AOL explorer (do not close it, it may sometimes disconnect you from internet)
- Use the " classical " Microsoft Internet Explorer (or Netscape, Firefox or Opera)
- Enter on Bipea website with one of these explorers
If you try a direct access with AOL explorer, you will be blocked immediately or just after Member Area.
1-3 : Where can I find my codes?
When you subscribed/renewed, you received a document called Member Identity Form (FiRev08), sent to you by Chronopost (for traceability). It gathers the whole information that you provided us as well as the PTS to which you subscribed. In the middle of that sheet, you can find all information and codes necessary to reach your forms.
1-4 : Why five codes and passwords?
The requirements of the standard in matter of safety and confidentiality obliged us to conceive a secured access system limiting the risks of intrusion.
- Access to a specific member area (1st level) - Step of authentification which allows our server to memorize you for the time of a session (3 hours or 40 minutes without any operation).
- Access to a specific user area (2nd level) - Step of selection of the forms :
- Selection of the laboratory: Laboratory code
- Access to input data (SAISIEXXXX password)
- Access to validate and to send the forms (ENVOIXXXX password).
These different codes allow indeed and especially to adapt the list of the forms and their status, case by case. You only see your own forms.
1-5 : Why a password for inputting results and another for transmitting them ?
That corresponds to a possibility given to the laboratory to manage a list of people being able to authorize the emission of the results of Bipea in accordance with chapter 5.1.2 of the standard EN ISO/CEI 17025. To allow that, we created two different passwords with two different levels of responsibility for the results of analysis.
- The fill in level.
- The validation and transmission level.
Thus, according to the organization and the structure of the laboratory, the fill in level can be given to the person in charge of the analysis and the validation/transmission level can be given to the person signing the analysis reports.
The management of these codes is as follow :
- To access to the common Member Area
- Name: User name / Member Area identifiant
- Password: Member Area Password.
- To access to the forms management
- Laboratory code: a five digits code 1XXXX, which is on the top, left side of the member identity form FiRev08
- Password :
- To fill in the form: input password (SAISIEXXXX)
- To validate and send the form to Bipea : Sending password (ENVOIXXXX)
1-7 : After having clicked on access to the Member Area, I can not connect.
This is very probably related to a problem of management of the cookies on your computer. You must modify the internet configuration of your computer, in order that it accepts the cookies.
The cookies are small messages transmitted between the servers of Bipea and your computer. In the case of Bipea, a cookie is installed at the initial identification. If your computer does not accept the cookies, the authentification is consequently impossible and you cannot enter in member area. The management of the cookies is accessible in the Tools/Option Confidentiality Internet menu. Click on the "Advanced" button at the bottom, right side of the window.
If it continues, check that you do not have an anti-popup software or a standard bar as Google / Mysearch with an option blocking the advertisement windows. Sometimes, it prevents the display of the window. It usually closes completely the internet explorer without notice.
At this step, it can also be bound to the use of AOL Internet explorer (see question 1-2)
1-8: Although I typed the INPUT password, my form remains in "only reading" (blue background) - I cannot change my data!
You have here a frequent problem in the use of internet. For this problem, you have a simple solution: you have to delete the temporary files.
Most of the time, when you visit a page on internet, your computer keeps in memory (in cache) some elements of the page (of the website), to be able to open it more quickly if you come back there a second time. It will then post what it kept in memory after having checked that there were not too many changes. They are the temporary files. In this case, your computer will start to buckle on an error. Whatever you will do, it refuses to show the right page.
To solve this, two solutions :
- Press the F5 key or the "reload" icon on the menu bar of the internet explorer. Then try again.
- If that still block (generally), follow that small procedure :
- In Internet Explorer, click on the menu Tools (beside the "?" menu)
- Select the menu Internet Option (the last one)
- In the sheet "General" (first on the left), click the button "Delete the files"
- Come back to Extranet and the problem may be solved. You can open your form in Fill In mode.
We advise you to renew as a preventive this procedure every month if you often use internet.
1-9 : What to do if I find a mistake in my form after I transmitted it to Bipea?
If you discover an error in your form after its transmission (before the deadline, of course), you can correct it without any problem. You just :
- Return in Fill In mode (password SAISIEXXXX)
- Open the form and correct the error
- Save your form
- Send again to Bipea after validation (password ENVOIXXXX).
We advise you to reprint the form after transmission to note the new certificate of transaction.
Within the framework of its accreditation (according to reference frame COFRAC LAB-CIL 02), Bipea must guarantee the confidentiality of the results published in the interlaboratory comparisons reports.
Also, since many years, Bipea added an additional key for this confidentiality, while not showing anymore the member code (single) on the charts and histograms, but a code of four figures (the edition code) which is changed every year.
Of course, this precaution was maintained in the new system. You can find your edition code with the other access codes on your identity member form (FiRev08).
2 - ANSWERS ABOUT FILLING IN AND PRINTING THE FORMS
2-1 : How to print the empty form?
After having opened it in input mode and in order to be sure to print the complete form, we advise you to use the button "print" which is at the bottom of the form. The other traditional possibilities on Internet can involve an incomplete impression.
In every case, you have to see the formula: - END OF THE FORM - at the bottom, just on top of the boxes for comments.
2-2 : My form is not complete after printing !
If you do not see the formula - END OF THE FORM -, it is because you printed the form before its complete loading.
If you note that boxes disappeared on the right or are partly hidden, change your printing mode as "landscape". It is an adjustment accessible from the button "property" of the printer.
2-3 : I get an error message on sample code.
To have a valid input, you have to type only the last 4 digits of the sample code.
For information, 14-353-0214-XXXX. 14 is the number of the PTS. 353 is the number of the ring test. 0214 is the reference of product. So the only specific part of the sample number is XXXX, which codes the sample itself.
2-4 : I get an error message on the date format
It convenes to always respect the date format as 22/12/2004 or 12/22/2004 (UK format).
All other forms (22122004, 22-12-2004 etc...) are involving errors.
2-5 : I get an error message on the choice of method!
One of the principal requests of our members was to visualize on the histograms the different methods used by the participants. In order that it can be set up effectively, we decided to make as obligatory the choice of the method when this one is offered. In most of the cases, a choice Z-other method is offered for those who use not referred methods.
If you do not tick one of the boxes of this choice, the saving fails and the application shows you a red vertical feature on the left of the missing method.
2-6 : The saved result is 100 times ore than the one I typed.
A confusion is sometimes made by our members when they enter their results. They think indeed that the red square of the grid replaces the point (or the comma). That is wrong.
- If you type 7(space)96, the form will make an error
- If you type 796, you will save 796 even if the framework indicates a comma..
If your result includes a comma, you must imperatively type it (or the point).
2-7 : I can not save my form !
After having entered your results, you clicked on "save" and it does not work. That is usually linked to an error made during the inputting of your results.
In theory, the program must show you, by a message on red background, the cause of the error and its location. If it is not the case, you will know that the fatal errors are :
- A bad sample code (see point 2-3)
- A bad date format (see point 2-4)
- You forgot a choice of method (see point 2-5)
- You made a mistake when you typed a number. For example: 7(space)96 instead of 7,96 (see point 6)
That concern could be also related to a loss of connection. Internet connections (especially low flow) can be prone to cuts. In high flow, it is not always seen but that results in a modification of the IP address. So in a loss of your authentification. Consequently you will not have anymore access to the base to save your data and they will be lost.
We advise you to save your document from time to time (as it is recommended to do it for any file) and especially if your form is long. In case of incident, you will only lose the last information input.
Moreover, we remind you that you can input your results progressively, throughout month, to avoid the possible problems of connections at the end of the month. During the last three days, we receive 80 to 90 % of the results. If you need to connect yourself during this period, you will thus limit your time of connection to the entry of the last results and the sending of the forms.
2-8 : My form is empty after saving !
There are two possible origins with this event.
1 - You lost connection at the moment of the saving. Internet connections (especially low flow) can be prone to cuts. In high flow, it is not always seen but that results in a modification of the IP address. So in a loss of your authentification. Consequently you will not have anymore access to the base to save your data and they will be lost.
2 - Your form was blocked by an error and the saving was not really carried out (see point 2-7). You must imperatively obtain a message: "saving carried out successfully" to be certain to have correctly saved your data.
2-9 : I do not find (anymore) my form in the list !
The forms are withdrawn as of the following day of the deadline of transmission. They are more accessible for inputting as well as for sending.
If the form misses or disappears before the deadline, that can be due to a change being made to this document. In that exact case, you will be immediately warned by mail about the nature of the modification, to be able to take it into account.
2-10 : I cannot input the results !
If your form is in pale blue background, it is logical that you cannot fill in your results or modify them. You are in mode of validation/transmission of the results. To modify your results, you must at first go back in input mode.
If you are in this configuration whereas you entered correctly your password "SAISIE", it means that you are confronted with a problem related to the management of the temporary files of internet. You need to remove these temporary files and then to restart the loading of the form.
If you do not know how to do it, consult the item 1-10 to find the procedure.
3 - ANSWERS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION OF THE RESULTS
3-1 : I get an error message on the name of the name of the person who validates !
On the electronic forms, the name of the person who validates the document is obligatory. If you do not enter it, the form will make an error and you will not be able to send it.
Without being as official as an electronic signature, this name informs us and informs you on the people who validated the results. In fact, it replaces the signature of the paper documents.
You should not confuse this name and the name entered during the filling in of the form. In the inputting case, the name is optional. In the transmission case, the name is obligatory.
3-2 : Why a certificate of transaction? Why to print and to save it?
The transaction certificate of is a proof of the good transmission of your results to Bipea. In the event of litigation, this number will be the first element that we will ask you. Just after the transmission, this certificate appears in top of the form in white letters on dark blue background.
It convenes to print it and to preserve it for yourselves. Moreover, if you print your form at this moment, you will have at the same time the number of transaction and the results that you validated.
3-3 : Was my form correctly sent ?
If you did not obtain a certificate of transaction, you can fear that the transmission did not succeed.
While clicking on "Return" button, you will go back to the list of the forms and two cases will be then possible.
- Your form has the "In Progress" statute: the transmission have failed
- Your form has the " Send " statute: the transmission was successful but a difficulty on connection appeared. The feedback of the information failed. In case of doubt, you can retransmit. The certificate of transaction changes with each sending.
3-4 : What do I do if I find a mistake after I sent my form !
If you discover an error in your form after its transmission (before the deadline, of course), you can correct it without any problem. You just :
- Return in Fill In mode (password SAISIEXXXX)
- Open the form and correct the error
- Save your form
- Send again to Bipea after validation (password ENVOIXXXX).
We advise you to reprint the form after transmission to note the new certificate of transaction.
4-ANSWERS ABOUT THE REPORT OF INTERLABORATORY COMPARISONS
4-1 : How will I receive the results and the report of interlaboratory comparisons?
After validation by the chairman of the committee, the report of interlaboratory comparisons is moved under a format considered inviolable (.pdf) and transmitted by mail to the laboratory manager. The name and the email of this person were provided to us by your services at the subscription. It is possible to change this email address. Send us a mail with the new name and new email address. Please note that only one pdf report will be sent to you.
4-2 : Lack of traceability: all my results are in italic bold red.
The lack of traceability is related to an error on the number of sample. At the time of the validation of the results by Bipea, the application compares your sample numbers with those which were provided to you. Any difference is announced by the software to the person who analyzes these results. The errors on the sample numbers involve an incoherence of the results. Indeed, there is a doubt about the source of these results of analyses and Bipea cannot integrate them in statistical calculations in order to avoid any risk introducing a bias.
The guarantee of the traceability of the results is a requirement of the standard and this procedure is applied in Bipea since many years.
4-3 : I do not find my code on the histogram or in the charts!
We remind you at first that your laboratory is referred in the reports of interlaboratory comparisons with the code edition. It is a code of 4 digits which you will find on the member identity form (FiRev08). So you will not find there your laboratory code (see point 1-12 about the Edition code).
This code is renewed each year with all codes and passwords, except the laboratory code which is permanent.
4.4 : I do not find my results on the histogram or in the charts.
The interlaboratory comparisons report now shows all participating laboratories, including those which do not send their results. If your results do not appear, it means that they did not reach us.
Sometimes, some members forget the transmission step (the form stay in the "In progress" statute or more rarely, the members encounter difficulties during the transmission.
It is the reason why we created the certificate of transaction which confirms the sending. It is the first element which we will ask you to study your case. If you do not obtain your certificate of transaction just after the transmission, you can be sure of an error and you should send the form again.
4-5 : I do not find the results of the previous months on the website ?
There is no historical recording online.
For every P.T. Scheme, the results of the interlaboratory comparisons are gathered for each test on a report which is addressed to you by email under the format considered inviolable pdf. This report is sent to the person in charge for the laboratory.
4-6 : I did not receive the interlaboratory comparisons report.
This problem is generally related on the configuration or the state of your mail service. It is impossible for us to transmit the report to you as long as your services (or your supplier) did not change the configuration of your mail to make it possible our message to reach you.
The reports are sent to the laboratory by email. They are in .pdf format and their width is between 500 KB and 2Mo. They can be affected by the usual problems related to this system.
- It happens sometimes that the mailbox is full. In this case, our message is rejected and we are not informed of the failure. It is then essential that you make some free place in your mailbox by archiving old mails or by deleting those which are no more necessary for you.
- Some mailboxes (especially if you do not have ADSL connexion) reject the mails of more than 1 Mo. It is generally a parameter decided by your provider. Ask him to change this limit of refusal and put it at more than 2 Mo.
- Some mailboxes (ADSL generally) are protected by antispam (a Spam is a non desired email). So they reject the mass mailings and, as you know it, some of our circuits have more than 200 participants.
- Some softwares need a positive list. They reject any unauthorized sender. So, you should configure your antispam so that it recognizes Bipea as an authorized sender.
- Some mailboxes are configured to reject some file extensions. For example, they will only accept .doc or .xls files, but not the ones with other extensions. It is necessary to ask to your concerned department or to your supplier to change this adjustment, for that the mailing accepts .pdf files
- And so on...
As you can see, there are many particular cases. So it is impossible for us to find which reason of the rejection is the right one. It is materially and technically impossible for us to manage different formats to answer individually to these blockings. So, it is necessary that your data processing department or your provider helps you to solve this problem
For more than 95 % of our members, the new system works well.
4-7 : Incoherence: one of my results is in red bold italic.
If one of your results is in red bold italic (incoherent as explained on the last page of each report), it acts an analytical incoherence. At the time the examination of the results, some tests of coherence defined by the committee, are applied. They make it possible to highlight a bad mode of expression of the results (example: 10 times more or 10 times less than the reference value...), a transcription error (value out of range, text instead of number...), an incoherence between the values of different analytical criteria which do not correspond to a formula of mathematics and so on. ...
Our new application enables us to manage these incoherences and to highlight them. The incoherent results are in red bold italic in the tables and are shown on the histograms in a separate box with the non quantifiable results.
Home
page / About Bipea
/Proficiency Testing Schemes/ Others
Activities / News from Bipea / Quality
Step
Contact-us
/ Access Map / Legal
informations