Yes. Electronic signatures were adopted during the Clinton administration. They are as valid as their analog equivalent.Information about this can be found on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_signatures_and_law

No. You can still print a CoC and sign it manually, just like you do with paper forms. To print, simply click on the 'Preview CoC' button on the Submit tab. A new window will appear, and the CoC will open in PDF format. You will need to have Adobe Acrobat to view the CoC.

No. All that is needed in the coolers during transport of the samples is a piece of paper with the CoC ID # on it. Similar to the FedEx airbill #, this ID #, which needs to be present inside the cooler(s), identifies the samples within the cooler(s) and matches them with the record number within ezCoC. However, if you are not comfortable with this process, you can print the CoC and stick a copy in the cooler.

Yes. An email will be sent to the email address on file for the lab chosen by you. This email will contain details of the shipment/samples, and it will also include a copy of the CoC in PDF format attached to the email. In addition, this record will appear on the lab's ezCoC dashboard. All of this takes place the moment that you click on the 'Submit' button on the Submit tab.

Currently we provide EDDs in 3 formats: (1) EQuIS EFWEDD; (2) Promium Element ECOC; and (3) Promium Element AutoLogExcel. More are being developed, including Chemware.

Yes. While chances are high that the analytical method you are looking for is already in ezCoC, if it's not, you can add your own methods. You can do this from the 'My Data' section or right from the 'Pick a Method' screen during sample entry.

We are working on it. Enterprise-level login account will allow the corporate admin to manage users and view all the activity of individual users of the system that work for that company.

We can conduct a WebEx session to show your boss how the system works. To schedule one, send an email to info@ezcoc.com. Eventually, the Twitter and Facebook generation will graduate from college and start working in firms, and they will wonder why people in this industry still use paper.

The ezCoC Marketplace is not currently available. The concept is to include coupons and discounts from sampling equipment providers.

Not yet. We will be adding an import button on the Samples tab that will allow you to import previous sample information using a .csv/Excel file.

Because we are currently in beta testing, ezCoC is completely free of charge. Once the product has fully launched, we will most likely have different pricing levels available (eg, Free, Basic, Enterprise) based on the number of tools available to the user.

Yes. All traffic is protected using standards based 256-bit SSL encryption. ezCoC operates in a load-balanced application server environment, with a clustered SQL Server database behind a firewall and not exposed to the public Internet. Our servers are hosted in a SAS70 certified data center operated by Peak10 (www.peak10.com). Database backups are fully encrypted and pushed nightly to a secure off-site location, and database transaction logs are stored every 15 minutes. We also store login session information, including login date/time, remote IP address, and logout/session expiration date/time.

No. The only data sharing that is conducted is the sharing of the sample information on a specific CoC with the receiving lab designated on the CoC.

This occurs because your browser is missing a chain/intermediate certificate. To fix this, simply add an exception to your browser when prompted. More information about this, and how to resolve for your browser, can be found here and here.

No. ezCoC is a web application, with no software installation required.

Our system will run on any modern browser, including FireFox 4+, Internet Explorer 7+, Safari 5+, and Chrome 12+.  ezCoC has been tested on Windows XP/Vista/7, Macintosh OS X, iOS 4/5, and Android 2.2/2.3.  Smartphone browsers (iPhone, Android phone, Blackberry phone) will redirect to our mobile-optimized web app. 

Yes! Our mobile-optimized web app renders well on iPhone 3GS and greater, Android 2.2 and greater, and most modern Blackberry devices running BBOS 5 and greater.  Nothing different is needed to use the mobile-optimized site.  Just log onto ezcoc.com using your smartphone, and you will be redirected to the mobile-optimized site.  Our standard web app is used on iPads and also works well.

Yes. A connection is necessary. We currently do not have offline capability with this product.

Over 800 US-based labs are present inside ezCoC. This includes commercial and non-commercial labs. If the lab you use is not listed, you can add the lab yourself, and it will be present only to you until we verify the lab address and make it available to others.

Yes. Anyone can use this system, including those that use non-commercial labs.

Yes. We are not obligating any lab to participate. If the lab chooses not to participate, you will still be able to ship samples to that lab.

We are currently developing APIs that will enable you to connect into existing LIMS systems.

That should be possible through our API when that becomes available.

Yes. You can search for labs by name or city. We are also working on a Browse Labs feature where you can find labs based on more specific criteria.

We are considering this, depending on interest. If interested in private-labeling ezcoC for your lab, contact us.

Yes. From the 'Shipping' tab, you can select the shipment method, which includes FedEx and UPS. When you select the shipment method as FedEx or UPS, the system will first look in the lab record for the shipper account number and populate the account number field with that number. However, if you wish to use a different account number, simply over-write the account number with the account number you wish to use.

Yes. In the "Shipping" tab, select courier from the shipment method listbox, and then enter the location of the samples/coolers and the date/time that the shipment will be ready for pickup. When you click on the "Notify Courier" button, an email will be sent to the lab manager, who will schedule a courier. Please note that the location of the sample shipment must be within the zip code or area where the courier offers courier service.

Yes. If the lab you use participates in this system, once the samples are logged in and the cooler receipt is completed, an email notification will be sent to you notifying you of sample login and any nonconformances (if any). In a future release, you will be able to simply reply to the email to let the lab know how you want to handle any non-conformances.

Once a user completes a chain of custody online, he / she is given a unique COC ID number. This can be written on a piece of paper and put into the cooler, or it can be written on the shipping label outside of the cooler. Both FedEx and UPS labels should have a space for notes or special instructions.