From Paper Records to 99% Calibration Completion: How a Global Pulp and Paper Manufacturer Modernized Calibration Management

A global pulp and paper manufacturer with complex operations depends on accurate instrumentation, reliable equipment performance, and safe, compliant processes.

By implementing ProCal by TMA Systems, our client digitized calibration management, increased calibration completion from 73% to 99%, and reduced reporting time from months to minutes.

This initiative was about more than eliminating paperwork. Accurate calibration is essential to maintaining equipment reliability, supporting compliance, audit readiness, and ensuring critical instrumentation is operating safely and correctly.

Breaking point, when processes stop scaling

During every scheduled annual outage, our client relied on hundreds of printed calibration sheets that had to be manually completed, collected, and entered into their tracking system. The process turned reporting into a two-month administrative effort and made it difficult to quickly verify calibration status, provide leadership updates, or prepare records for audits.

The process created several challenges:

• Hundreds of paper calibration sheets had to be printed, distributed, collected, and manually entered, creating a significant administrative burden.

• Report completion could take up to two months, delaying visibility into completed work and leaving leadership waiting weeks for status updates and progress insights.  

• Calibration records were stored in binders for audits, making documentation difficult to access, and time-consuming to assemble.

• The team could not immediately verify calibration status, making it difficult to confirm whether critical instrumentation was ready for operation.

• Only 73% of scheduled calibrations were completed during the annual outage, limiting visibility into instrument status and increasing compliance risk.

For a team focused on reliability, compliance, and safe operations, the process was no longer sustainable. Our client needed a faster, more reliable way to manage calibration activities, retain complete records, and provide leadership with timely reporting.

Building a scalable calibration process

Our client implemented ProCal software to move calibration management from paper-based documentation to a streamlined digital process. By integrating ProCal with Fluke documenting process calibrators, technicians can perform calibrations in the field and upload results directly into the system without manual transcription.

Instead of printing hundreds of calibration sheets, technicians now complete calibrations directly on Fluke field calibrators. Results are uploaded into ProCal in minutes, automatically generating reports, maintaining calibration history, and making records immediately available to leadership and auditors.

The new process allows the team to:

• Download calibration tags directly to Fluke field calibrators

• Complete calibrations digitally in the field

• Upload results and generate reports in minutes

• Maintain complete digital calibration history that can be accessed, filtered, and reported on at any time

• Provide auditors with direct access to records and documentation

"The report is ready right after I upload it.” “It's almost an immediate ROI. I saw the value immediately.” — Reliability Engineer, Global Pulp and Paper Manufacturer

Better visibility, faster outcomes

With ProCal, our client significantly improved calibration completion, reporting speed, and operational visibility.

• 99% of calibrations are completed on time

• 53% increase in number of instruments calibrated

• 26% increase in schedule completion

• Reporting reduced from two months to minutes

The impact was immediately visible when a superintendent requested calibration reports, expecting the process to take days or even weeks. Instead, the team delivered the reports within the hour.

Beyond faster reporting, ProCal provides immediate access to the data required for compliance and audits. The seamless integration between ProCal and Fluke field calibrators created a connected workflow that reduced administrative effort and improved data accuracy. Rather than searching through binders or manually assembling documentation, the team can now access calibration history, maintenance records, technical documentation, technician information, and complete audit trails directly in the system.

"ProCal gives us that peace of mind; it lets us know that we're doing what we're supposed to do." — Reliability Engineer, Global Pulp and Paper Manufacturer

The impact

By digitizing calibration management with ProCal, our client improved the speed, visibility, and reliability of its calibration program.

Operational efficiency: Reduced reporting from two months to minutes, eliminated manual data entry, and made calibration results immediately available after uploading.

Reliability and compliance: Created a complete digital calibration history, improved audit readiness, and increased visibility into critical instrumentation.

Organizational impact: Enabled more calibration work to be completed in-house, reducing reliance on contractors and creating a flagship program now being used as a model for additional manufacturing sites.

What began as an effort to eliminate manual paperwork evolved into a more reliable, compliant, and scalable calibration program. Today, our client has immediate visibility into calibration activities, simplified audits, and greater confidence that critical instrumentation is operating safely and accurately.