CMDQC UG

COMMANDqc
User Guide
Last Updated 11/3/15

Copyright © 2012-2015 Command Alkon Incorporated and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
The contents of this document are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice.
Command Alkon Incorporated ("CAI") may, without notice, modify its products in a way that affects the
information contained in this publication.
CAI HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES EITHER EXPRESSED OR

IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. In no event will CAI be liable for any direct, indirect, or consequential damages arising out of
the use of, inability to use, or implementation of any information contained in this publication, even if CAI
has been advised of the possibility of such damages, or for any claim by any other party.
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice and may contain inaccuracies or
errors. CAI assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. This publication is
intended only for the direct benefit of authorized users of CAI products. This publication may not be used
for any purposes other than those for which it is provided, and it is subject to the terms of the applicable
software license or subscription agreement. This publication and the information disclosed herein is the
property of CAI, and, except for rights granted by written consent, may not be disclosed, disseminated, or
duplicated in whole or in part.
Command Alkon Incorporated

1800 International Park Drive, Suite 400
Birmingham, AL 35243-4232
(205)879-3282
www.commandalkon.com
COMMANDseries (and the names of its components, such as COMMANDconcrete and

COMMANDnetwork), Spectrum, Eagle, and COMMANDbatch are trademarks of Command Alkon
Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other names may be trademarks of their
respective owners.
Last Updated............................................................................................................... 4
Welcome to COMMANDqc ......................................................................................... 6

COMMANDqc is Your Concrete Quality Control Solution .................................................... 6
What does COMMANDqc do? ......................................................................................... 6
The COMMANDqc User Guide............................................................................................ 7
Included Sections............................................................................................................. 7
Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup ................................................................... 8

Before You Begin ................................................................................................................. 8
Installing COMMANDqc Using the Setup Wizard ................................................................ 9
Initial Setup of COMMANDqc ............................................................................................ 18
COMMANDqc Basics................................................................................................ 19
Navigating COMMANDqc .................................................................................................. 19
Using Module Features...................................................................................................... 22
The Files Icon............................................................................................................ 43

Global................................................................................................................................. 43
Contacts ......................................................................................................................... 43
Concrete Producer - Concrete ........................................................................................... 71
Group Maintenance ....................................................................................................... 71
Strength Curves ............................................................................................................. 73
Concrete Family ............................................................................................................. 85
Concrete Producer - Materials ........................................................................................... 95
Materials ........................................................................................................................ 95
Region Materials ........................................................................................................... 111
Plant Materials ............................................................................................................. 112
Blends .......................................................................................................................... 115
Material Suppliers ........................................................................................................ 123
Grading Specifications ................................................................................................. 124
The Concrete Producer Icon ................................................................................. 129

Concrete Test Data Entry................................................................................................. 129
Material Test Data Entry................................................................................................... 129
Material Samples ......................................................................................................... 129
Mix Management ............................................................................................................. 136
Concrete Products ....................................................................................................... 136
Mix Designs ................................................................................................................. 146
Mix Adjuster ................................................................................................................. 176
Mix Activation ............................................................................................................... 190
Mix Adjuster Logs......................................................................................................... 191
Mix Editions.................................................................................................................. 194
Mix Sets ....................................................................................................................... 197
Concrete Performance Analysis....................................................................................... 203
Combined Lab and Production Data Analysis ............................................................. 204
1
Strength Graphs........................................................................................................... 219
Strength Gain Analysis................................................................................................. 226
Strength Gain Viewer ................................................................................................... 235
Strength Performance .................................................................................................. 238
Materials Analysis ............................................................................................................ 243
Material Analysis .......................................................................................................... 243
Aggregate Sample Reports.......................................................................................... 245
Aggregate Grading Analysis ........................................................................................ 255
Production Analysis.......................................................................................................... 256
Batching Performance ................................................................................................. 256
Production Analysis...................................................................................................... 266
Batch Mix Comparison ................................................................................................. 268
Compliance Reporting ..................................................................................................... 269
Mix Submittals.............................................................................................................. 269
Test Certificates - General ........................................................................................... 295
Shrinkage Report ......................................................................................................... 296
Strength Conformity ..................................................................................................... 299
Conformity Report ........................................................................................................ 304
Frequency of Sampling ................................................................................................ 307
Incidents....................................................................................................................... 309
Concrete Reports............................................................................................................. 320
The Setup Icon........................................................................................................ 321

Concrete QC Setup.......................................................................................................... 321
Concrete Test Methods ................................................................................................ 321
Configurable Lists ........................................................................................................ 321
Test Certificate Settings ............................................................................................... 321
Products and Mixes Setup ............................................................................................... 321
Mix Submittal Configuration ......................................................................................... 321
Norms .......................................................................................................................... 329
Product Categories ...................................................................................................... 334
Concrete Requirement Classes ................................................................................... 336
Concrete Product Screen Layout ................................................................................. 340
Mix Adjustment Profiles................................................................................................ 342
Concrete Producer - Materials ......................................................................................... 342
Sieves .......................................................................................................................... 342
Cement Designations................................................................................................... 343
Material Field Definitions.............................................................................................. 345
Alkali Silica Reaction.................................................................................................... 348
Notification Alerts ............................................................................................................ 352
Batch Watcher Profiles................................................................................................. 353
Batch Profile Users ..................................................................................................... 357
Batch Watcher Configuration ...................................................................................... 358
Global Settings................................................................................................................. 362
Login Authentication Mode........................................................................................... 363
Select Language .......................................................................................................... 363
Regional Settings ......................................................................................................... 364
Regional Values ........................................................................................................... 367
2
Security Group ............................................................................................................. 370
Security Region............................................................................................................ 376
Units of Measure .......................................................................................................... 378
Counters ...................................................................................................................... 379
Graphics....................................................................................................................... 382
Documents ................................................................................................................... 384
Documents Import........................................................................................................ 390
The Tools Icon ........................................................................................................ 393

Report Design .................................................................................................................. 393
Report Designer ........................................................................................................... 393
Report Browser ............................................................................................................ 395
Interfaces ......................................................................................................................... 399
File Import .................................................................................................................... 399
System Interface Viewer .............................................................................................. 402
Mix Activation Batch Viewer ......................................................................................... 406
Integration Services Configuration ............................................................................... 407
Import Templates.......................................................................................................... 407
Application Manager ........................................................................................................ 413
Language Manager...................................................................................................... 414
Application Service Manager ....................................................................................... 415
System Licensing ......................................................................................................... 424
System Message Log .................................................................................................. 426
Data Utilities..................................................................................................................... 427
Install Default Settings ................................................................................................. 427
Additional Help and Reference Information......................................................... 429
Appendix ................................................................................................................. 430
3
Last Updated
This User Guide and Online Help documentation is updated with each release of
COMMANDqc. Below you will find a list of the recent updates.
For more information and to reach release notes for these releases, please visit the
Command Alkon User Gateway at the following URL:
http://users.commandalkon.com/users_main.asp
Version Revision Comment Date

A new section on the Configure X Value Sieves screen has 11/3/2015
been added and includes the Mix Submittals module.
A new section on PDF Reports has been added and includes 10/22/2015
the Report Browser, Mix Submittal Configuration, and Mix
Submittals modules.
A new section on Materials Analysis has been added and 10/20/2015
includes the Material Analysis, Aggregate Sample Reports,
and Aggregate Grading Analysis modules.
A new section detailing the Mix Sets module has been added 10/12/2015
to Mix Management.
Three new sections have been added detailing The Mix 10/9/2015
Analysis Report Options Screen, The Mix Design Report
Options Screen in Mix Designs, and the Mix Design Report
Options Screen for Mix Submittals.
1.07.15 The user guide and online help has been brought up to date 10/7/2015
and the various information has been added for this release:
• The Mix Adjuster module now allows you to
increase or decrease the total cementitious
content by a percentage using cement blends and
adjust the mass of each cementitious material to a
specific value according to the cement blend. In
addition, a new button has been added next to
the Constituents field.
• A new checkbox, No. 28D Strength Samples, has
been added to the filter criteria options available
on the Mix Selector of the Mix Submittals
module.
Last Updated 4
Version Revision Comment Date
1.07.14 The user guide and online help has been brought up to date 10/6/2015
to match changes made in this release:
• Data may now be directed at different interface
systems on a plant by plant basis, allowing precast
plants to maintain mix designs in
COMMANDqc without errors using the Plants
Contact Type of the Contacts module.
A section on the Strength Curves module has been added. 10/5/2015
Several updates have been made to the user guide and online 9/18/2015
help and this version now includes information about the
Mix Submittals module and the Installation, Upgrades and
Initial Setup of COMMANDqc.
1.07.13 New file generated for online help. 8/20/2015
New formatting and title pages have been added to the user 7/28/2015
guide as well as minor information in various sections.
1.07.13 The user guide has been rewritten and brought up to date to 6/19/2015
match COMMANDqc 1.07.13.
Last Updated 5
Welcome to COMMANDqc
COMMANDqc is the leading concrete and aggregate quality control system, providing
detailed analysis and reporting, advanced lab management, and mix management
capabilities. The unique features of COMMANDqc enable the construction materials
industry to produce high quality concrete and aggregate through comprehensive testing,
core resource, and material management. COMMANDqc was designed to help analysts
and managers monitor performance and test data, minimize variability, and reduce costs.
COMMANDqc is Your Concrete Quality Control Solution
What does COMMANDqc do?

• Automatic notification of batching errors that can be sent by report, email, pager, or cell
phone text message. This feature can be customized to alert necessary personnel
immediately if a batch is out of set tolerance parameters.
• Customizable reporting systems, displaying only the information you need to create
and maintain consistent and high quality concrete. Reports can be generated hourly,
daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly, allowing you the flexibility to identify trends and
locate variances.
• Laboratory management enables technicians to enter data quickly and easily. Laboratory
technicians are then able to analyze sample or specimen reports and verify results.
Individual technician performance can be closely monitored, enabling managers to
evaluate performance.
• Electronically import raw material data to ensure the highest level of accuracy. Cement
usage can be monitored to prevent overuse and proper batching. Aggregate gradings can
be reviewed through customizable reports and graphs.
Features of COMMANDqc include:

• Unlimited number of databases (region, country, or company-specific)
• Copy and/or combine databases
• Includes Material Control
• Metric or U.S. units
• Data archiving and retrieval
• Multi-language capable (all buttons and labels can be changed to reflect local language
usage)
• Metric conversion calculator
Welcome to COMMANDqc 6
The COMMANDqc User Guide
This user guide contains helpful information regarding the initial installation and
subsequent upgrades of COMMANDqc, the use of COMMANDqc for your business
operations, and the integration of COMMANDqc with other Command Alkon products.
Included Sections
• Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup - Contains general information regarding the
steps necessary to install COMMANDqc. Whether you are considering the installation
of COMMANDqc for the first time or you are upgrading your current version, you
should consult this section of the user guide for installation and upgrade instructions.
• COMMANDqc Basics - Covers general information regarding the navigation of
COMMANDqc as well as how to use the filters, grids, and charts available in most
modules.
• The Files Icon - Details the Files icon which includes modules that deal with initial file
setup and subsequent file maintenance. Contact maintenance and basic material
management is done under this icon.
• The Concrete Producer Icon - This section details the Concrete Producer icon and
includes modules that are needed for mix management, test data entry, compliance
reporting and performance analysis.
• The Setup Icon - Under the Setup icon, administrators can access modules that allow
you to configure COMMANDqc based on your company’s operations.
• The Tools Icon - Helps you manage the COMMANDqc application, as well as its
interfaces and data.
• Additional Help and Reference Information - Contains additional reference
information, such as the tutorials found on Screencast.com.
• Appendix - Stores useful information in tabular format.
Welcome to COMMANDqc 7
Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup
If you are installing COMMANDqc for the first time, COMMANDqc will allow you to
create a Microsoft SQL database as part of the installation. When prompted for the database
name you will need to enter CMDqcProd. During subsequent upgrades, COMMANDqc
will automatically update the database as part of the upgrade process.
Before You Begin
Initial Installation
Before installing COMMANDqc for the first time, there are a few requirements that must
be met. Generally, your Technical Account Manager or other Command Alkon personnel
will assist you in verifying that your system is ready to install COMMANDqc by making
sure that:
• Microsoft SQL Client Tools is installed along with Microsoft SQL Tools Utilities
• An administrative Microsoft SQL login exists for new COMMANDqc installs and
subsequent upgrades
• The Disable Visual Themes checkbox is selected in application settings if running a
Windows 2008 operating system
• The UAC is disabled or set to minimum security in order for the services to run
correctly
• Port 25 is open and not blocked by Virus Protection Application and Firewall
Subsequent Upgrades
Prior to beginning your upgrade, you should:
• Make a backup of your CMDqcProd database
• Ensure that all users are disconnected from the COMMANDqc application and stop
all CMDqc.exe processes using the Task Manager
• Disable all COMMANDseries interface jobs. You may want to take note of the ones
that you disable as you will need to re-enable them after the upgrade.
• Stop and disable the following services:
 CMDqc Broker Service
 CMDqc Batchwatcher Assurance
 CMDqc Email Notification Service
 CMDqc Integra Export Service
 CMDqc Integration Service
Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup 8

 CMDqc Mix Activation
Before upgrading, you will need to make sure that your COMMANDqc services are disabled.
• Check the COMMANDqc/COMMANDseries interface (SQL to SQL or SQL to
Oracle) to get database connection information
 If SQL get database server name, database name, user and password
 If Oracle get host string, username, password and driver (32 or 64 bit)
Installing COMMANDqc Using the Setup Wizard

Before starting your installation, whether it is an initial install or an upgrade, please refer to
the Before You Begin section above. If installing COMMANDqc for the first time, follow
the steps outlined in the Initial Installation section below. If upgrading, refer to the
Subsequent Upgrades section.
Initial Installation
1. Copy the CMDqc_Setup_1_7_xx_yyyyy.exe file and the license file to the QC
server.

2. Double click on the executable to launch the setup wizard.
The COMMANDqc Setup Wizard will guide you through the process of installing COMMANDqc.
3. To read the release notes associated with this release, select the Release Notes button;
otherwise, select Next. The License Agreement will display.
The License Agreement page contains important information that should be read carefully.

4. You will need to select I accept the agreement to acknowledge that you accept the
terms of this agreement in order to continue the installation. Once accepted, select
Next.
Here you will need to select the file location where COMMANDqc will be located if not using the default.
5. Certain circumstances may require you to install COMMANDqc to a file location
other than the default. In most cases, it is best to use the default file location when
installing COMMANDqc and simply select Next to continue the installation.
Suggested components for COMMANDqc will already be selected.

6. Make sure the Client Software Installation, Server Installation Files, and Broker
Service Application Installation Files checkboxes are selected. If you would like to
install a language other than English or Spanish, select it under the corresponding
checkbox. Select the Next button.

When the Server Installation Files checkbox is selected and the COMMANDqc database doesn’t
exist, it will be installed as part of this process.
Unless you want to change the location of the shortcut, select the Next button.
7. To place a shortcut somewhere other than the default Start Menu folder, select it using
the Browse button; otherwise select Next.
This will allow you to connect COMMANDqc to other Command Alkon products.
8. Select the Run Transport and View Installation checkbox if you will need to
connect COMMANDqc to another Command Alkon product such as
COMMANDseries.

Do not select this checkbox if performing a MAC REC install.
Be sure to review your settings before selecting the Install button.

9. Review the installation settings that you’ve select using the scrollbar. To make a
correction, use the Back button; otherwise, if satisfied with your selections, select the
Install button.
The setup wizard will display its progress as it installs COMMANDqc.

10. COMMANDqc Client files will be installed first and then the files are copied to the
COMMANDqc directory. COMMANDqc will validate the install and display any
errors.
A progress bar will display as COMMANDqc validates the install.

11. After the Client installation is complete, you will need to add information to the
COMMANDqc DB Installer for the COMMANDqc database installation.
Here, enter CMDqcProd as the Database Name for new installations.

• The Server Name should not be the local host but the actual server where
COMMANDqc is being installed.
• Using the User Name and Password, enter the system administrative credentials for
Microsoft SQL Server. This will create the database and the sa user.
You may use either the SQL Server (preferred) or Windows Authentication method, so long as the sa
user has SQL admin privileges to create and updates objects.
12. When you are asked if you would like to create the database because it does not exist,
select the Yes button.
You will want to select Yes if you need to create the COMMANDqc database.
13. When you are asked if the primary global measurement system will be metric, select
No if COMMANDqc will be used in the US market.
If you are located in the US market, you primary measurement will be customary units, not metric.

• If you select No, you will then be asked if you would like the alternative units to be
metric. Select Yes.
Though your primary units will be customary for the US market, you can still have metric units as an alternative.
14. The database installer will then install the new COMMANDqc database.
COMMANDqc will allow you to track the progress of the database installation.
15. When COMMANDqc has completed the database installation, a dialog will display
letting you know that it was successful or that the installation had errors.
COMMANDqc will alert you if there are any errors with the installation.

16. Once the Client and Server installations are complete, copy the COMMANDqc
license file to the COMMANDqc folder directory. If you selected the Run Transport
and View Installation checkbox, the COMMANDseries Linked Server Install dialog
will appear.
By linking COMMANDseries and COMMANDqc, the two applications can share data.
• Enter all information regarding the COMMANDqc and COMMANDseries
interfaces, such as the Server Name and Database Name. If COMMANDseries
uses an Oracle database, verify the Oracle Host String by using the tnsping command
in a command prompt (for example: tnshping csorc110).
 The interface will create the following information:
• COMMANDqc and CMDqcProd database link

• Views in the COMMANDseries database
• All Jobs in the COMMANDqc server
17. Select the OK button. A message will display letting you know that the view installation
was successfully completed; however, if an error message displays, you should check
the log file for more detail and take appropriate action to correct problem.
The log file is located inside the COMMANDqc folder which is generally found here:
C:\Program Files\COMMANDqc\COMMANDqcSQLInstaller Errors.txt. You can
also use the TransportViewInstaller.exe executable, located in the same folder, to return to

the COMMANDseries Linked Server Install dialog above and rerun the interface connection
installation.
Exit the setup wizard by selecting the Finish button once COMMANDqc has completed the installation.
18. Finally, you may select the Finish button to complete the COMMANDqc install. If you
installed the database during this installation, you will now need to add all the
information using Microsoft SQL Server.

Subsequent Upgrades
Upgrading COMMANDqc is easy. Simply follow the same steps outlined above in the
Initial Installation section. You will need to install over the same directory structure and as a
result you may get the following dialog:
This dialog will appear when performing an upgrade of COMMANDqc and installing over an existing directory.
You will still want to select the Server Installation in the setup wizard because, rather than installing
a new COMMANDqc database, COMMANDqc will update your existing database.
Initial Setup of COMMANDqc

Once COMMANDqc has been installed and linked to other products such as
COMMANDseries, your Technical Account Manager or other Command Alkon personnel
will assist in the e-mail server setup and the Application Service Manager will be used to
configure some of the settings.

COMMANDqc Basics
This section contains general information on how to use COMMANDqc. It begins with
basic login instructions and then details the navigation of the application, how to use the
toolbar buttons, and how to use the grids found in many modules.
Navigating COMMANDqc
Logging In for the First Time

To launch COMMANDqc, double click the COMMANDqc icon. If a desktop icon is not
available, go to {Start > All Programs > COMMANDqc} and select the COMMANDqc
executable.
It is recommended that you use the SQL server authentication method when logging in.
In general, the system will remember your last entry in these fields and you will only have to enter this
information once.
• Server Name - Identifies the server that contains the COMMANDqc database.
• Database Name - The name of the COMMANDqc database.
• Use Windows NT Authentication or SQL Server Authentication - You may
choose to authenticate based on settings from each user’s individual Windows profile or
authenticate based on settings from the SQL database.
• User Name and Password - Enter this information in the appropriate fields for SQL
logins. If you choose Windows NT Authentication, the User Name and Password will
be dimmed and you will not have to enter information as COMMANDqc will use
your Windows information.
COMMANDqc Basics 19
Accessing Modules and System Information
After you log in, the COMMANDqc application will appear. There are three methods of
accessing information in COMMANDqc including the toolbar menu, the Programs pane
and the Favorites pane.
COMMANDqc gives you several different ways of accessing information.
The Toolbar Menu

The standard COMMANDqc toolbar allows you to access the same menus as the Programs
pane. Unlike the other methods of accessing modules, the toolbar menu is always available,
allowing you to move from one module to the next without returning to this home page.
For example, if you are in the Contacts module and would like to navigate to the Graphics
module, you do not have to close it first; simply use the menu bar to navigate. If changes
were made, COMMANDqc will ask if you if you would like to save your changes before
opening another module.
COMMANDqc Basics 20
The toolbar also contains a Help menu that allows you to reach online help for COMMANDqc and Report Design as well as a dialog
with information about the COMMANDqc application and the operating system.
This dialog provides version and license information as well as links to documentation.
• Troubleshooting a COMMANDqc issue often begins with your Command Alkon
Service Representative asking you for specific system information. Using the System
Info button, you can reach information about your COMMANDqc license, the
computer on which you are running COMMANDqc, and key COMMANDqc
settings.
The System Information screen has information that may useful in troubleshooting.
 To make things even easier, the COMMANDqc Save As button has been added to
the System Information dialog which allows you to copy all the information and
paste it into an e-mail.
COMMANDqc Basics 21
The Programs and Favorites Panes
The Programs pane groups COMMANDqc modules by the type of information they
contain and are only accessible when all other modules and dialogs are closed. Selecting one
will display the modules, further sub-divided by function, in the center pane of
COMMANDqc.
• The Files Icon includes modules that deal with the initial file setup and subsequent file
maintenance. Contact maintenance and basic material management is done under this
icon.
• The Concrete Producer Icon includes modules that are needed for mix management,
test data entry, compliance reporting and performance analysis to name a few.
• Using the The Setup Icon, administrators can access modules that allow you to
configure COMMANDqc based on your company’s operations.
• The Tools Icon helps you manage the COMMANDqc application, as well as its
interfaces and data.
You can create your own shortcut menu of the modules you use most often by dragging the
module name to the Favorites pane.
The Status Bar

The status bar displays information such as company name, host, database location, user
and laboratory.
• Laboratory ID - On the far right side of the status bar is the laboratory you last
selected and are currently using (it is blank if you have not selected one yet). Selecting
the correct laboratory is important as this controls what information is available when
performing searches, the materials which are available, and other fields such as
comments. This should be selected by each user on their initial entry into
COMMANDqc. Once you have selected a laboratory, it is saved with your login
information and will be the default on your next session. To select a laboratory, right-
click on this section of the status bar and select a lab from the list of available labs. The
number of available labs depends on your security settings and the setup of your region.
Using Module Features

COMMANDqc grids can display data in different formats, similar to the table functions in
Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet programs. It is a simple and flexible method for
retrieving a specified data set, organizing and formatting the results for viewing and
printing, and creating various plots for analysis.
Toolbar Buttons
Modules with COMMANDqc grids have a standard set of toolbar buttons that allow you to
manipulate what data is displayed and how the grid is laid out. Screens within these grid
modules tend to have their own set of toolbar buttons. These buttons are described in the
corresponding section of this user guide and online help.
COMMANDqc Basics 22
Most Common
The following are some of the most common buttons included on the toolbar of many
modules (with or without grids). Perhaps the most important button is the Refresh button.
If you hover the mouse pointer over a button, its function is displayed along with any
available keyboard shortcut keys (such as Ctrl+F5). The Ellipsis button is also displayed
next to many fields in COMMANDqc and can be useful if you cannot remember a specific
Product Code, etc.
Refresh Load or refresh the data (Ctrl+F5).
Exit Exit and return to the previous screen / module (Ctrl+F4).
Save Save the current screen, layout, or record (F12).
Cancel Cancel all changes without saving (Ctrl+Z).
Add Record Create a new record (Ins).
Find Search for a saved record (Ctrl+F).
Edit Open the current record for editing (F2).
Delete Delete the selected or current record (Ctrl+Del).
Print Preview Print preview of the current report or grid.
Ellipsis Shortcut to a new screen for adding data to list.
Grid Layout
The following toolbar buttons are used to save or modify grid layouts (from left to right):
• Saved Grid Layout Selection - This dropdown list contains saved grid layouts or
queries. Use this feature to set up commonly used searches for entering data.
• Refresh - Refreshes the selected grid or report layout. If there are groupings or
summary data being displayed, clicking this icon brings back the original simplified
grid.
• Save - Saves your current grid layout. Note that you must make a change, such as
adjusting viewable columns, column width, etc. in order for this button to become
available for use.
• Delete - Removes the selected grid layout from the grid layout list.
• Import - Imports grid layouts.
• Export - Exports grid layouts.
COMMANDqc Basics 23
To save a layout:
After you have customized a grid layout that you want to keep for future use, click the Save
button. The Save Settings As dialog appears. Enter the following information:
The Save Settings As window for grid layouts.

• Setting Name - Enter a name that can be easily remembered in this grid or chart.
• Visibility - If this field is left blank (or set to Global), its visibility is throughout the
entire system. It is recommended to select a particular region unless you want the grid
settings available to all users. If a region is selected, only that region’s users will see this
grid layout in the dropdown list.
• Include Selection Criteria - If you would like to include the selection criteria as part
of the grid layout, select this checkbox.
To reset a layout:
To reset the grid to default conditions, select Default from the grid layout selection list and
then click on the green Refresh button. Note that using the Refresh button does not change
the data record selection - only its presentation in the grid.
To delete a layout:
Click the Delete button to the right of the Save button to remove a saved grid layout.
Summary/Statistics
The buttons located in the middle of the toolbar allow you to calculate various summaries
and statistics for numeric columns. From left to right, the following functions are included
in the toolbars of some modules in COMMANDqc:
• Sum - Calculates the sum of the values in a column.

• Min - Displays the lowest result value in a column.
• Max - Displays the highest result value in a column.
• Count - Displays the number of rows with results for each column.
• Average - Calculates the average value of the results for each column.
COMMANDqc Basics 24
• Standard Deviation (SD) - Calculates the standard deviation of all results in a
column. The standard deviation is the most recognized measure of dispersion of
individual test data from its average.
• Coefficient of Variation (CoV) - Calculates and displays the coefficient of variation
(CoV) for each column (group and total). The formula for CoV is:

CoV = 100 * Standard Deviation / Mean
The CoV is the sample standard deviation expressed as a percentage of the average
strength. It is less affected by the magnitude of the strength level. Therefore, it is
more useful than the standard deviation in comparing the degree of control for a
wide range of compressive strengths.
To use more than one summary or statistic function:

You can also select one or more summary functions at a time, depending on the values
you want to see. You can select or clear the display of any summary function by right-
clicking in the footer to bring up a context menu, as shown. It is useful to group by a
certain column to see the values generated for that column and to compare the values
with the totals for all columns at the bottom of the grid.
The results grid fro the Strength Gain Viewer module showing the footer that is displayed at the bottom and the right-click context
menu.
COMMANDqc Basics 25
Print Preview and Printed Report
• Print Preview - This button opens the Print Preview window where a number of
options for report previewing and editing are available. Here, you can view how the
data will be printed.
The toolbar buttons available on the Print Preview window.
The Print Preview window has many tabs and functions which are beyond the scope of this User
Guide and are therefore not covered.
• Printed Report Options - This button opens the Report Options window which
allows you to customize your printed reports.
The Report Options window.

 Customize Report Header and Customize Report Footer - Enter your
customized header and/or footer in these two fields, which will print on subsequent
reports.
 Show Page Number - If this checkbox is selected, page numbers will print on
your reports.
 Show Print Date & Time - If this checkbox is selected, the date and time will
print on your reports.
COMMANDqc Basics 26
Chart Functions
It is extremely important to note that all edits made to a chart are not saved; therefore, it is
not suggested that you edit charts unless absolutely necessary.
• Chart Selection - This dropdown list contains saved user-defined charts. Use this
feature to quickly open commonly used charts.
• Show Selected Chart - This icon opens the chart named in the Chart Selection
dropdown list to the left. Note that a chart has to be saved before it can appear in this
list.
• New Chart Wizard - This button opens the Chart Creation Wizard and allows you to
create and customize many different types of charts from the grid data.
• Delete Selected Chart - This will delete the selected chart after a confirmation
message appears.
To use the new chart wizard:

1. Select the New Chart Wizard button.
The Chart Creation Wizard window appears after selecting the New Chart Wizard button.
• Enter the name you want to appear on the x-axis legend in the X Series Caption field.
• Available fields for grid column labels appear in the Available Fields dropdown list.
Select the one which you want to correlate with the x-axis label.
COMMANDqc Basics 27
2. Click the Next button.
The y-axis label and field selection window of the New Chart Wizard.
• The Available Fields on the left side of the screen are the remaining available fields
from the grid column labels. Only numeric columns will be available for selection on
the y-axis. Select one or more that you want to appear on the y-axis legend. To move
them to the Selected Fields column, either double-click each one or select and click
the right arrow.
• Enter the name you want to appear on the y-axis legend in the Y Series Caption field.
3. Click Next.
The header window of the New Chart Wizard.

• Select the left, right, or center button in the Header Text Alignment section.
COMMANDqc Basics 28
• Enter the Header Text to appear at the top of the chart.
• Select the left, right, or center icon in the Filter Criteria Alignment section to
determine how the filter criteria is to be aligned, if you would like it to appear.
4. Click Next.
The footer window of the New Chart Wizard.

• Select the left, right, or center icon in the Footer Text Alignment section to
determine how the footer text is to be aligned.
• Enter the Footer Text to appear at the bottom of the chart.
COMMANDqc Basics 29
5. Click the Show Chart button. The requested chart appears. If the chart is not
displayed, click the Show Selected Chart button.
Based on everything entered in the previous steps, this is what my chart will look like.
• You can add or subtract details by clicking on the checkboxes to the left of the chart. In
this case, there are three items on the y-axis which may be clicked on or off. The
following toolbar buttons are available when viewing a chart:
Toolbar buttons for charts.

 Save - Opens the Save Settings As window.
 Chart Wizard - Opens the Chart Wizard again from the beginning. This allows
you to change labels and settings to fine-tune your chart.
 Edit - Opens the chart editing window where you can configure the details which
are displayed on the chart.
 Print - Opens the TeeChart Print Preview window where you can set up
orientation, margins, and printers.
COMMANDqc Basics 30
6. When printing a chart, the following toolbar buttons are available:
The TeeChart Print Preview window appears after selecting the Print button.
• Setup - Select this button to set up your printer.
• Print - Select this button to print the graph to the selected printer.
• Orientation
 Select either the Landscape (horizontal) or Portrait (vertical) option for
orientating the printed graph.

• Margins
 Enter your margins as a percentage value.
• View Margins - Select this checkbox to toggle the margin view on and off. This is for
viewing only (the lines do not print).
• Detail
 Move the slider to the left for a More detailed view. Keep it at the default Normal
setting for a clearer view.
Filter / Search Criteria

With the aid of filter or search criteria, you can narrow down the data that is displayed in the
results grid.
COMMANDqc Basics 31
An example of the filter criteria in the Mix Designs module with the Plant field marked in red.
Some grids in COMMANDqc have fields with red labels. These are mandatory fields,
meaning information must be entered into these fields in order to generate results in the
grid. In this example, the Plant field must be populated before you can use the Refresh
button.
All ID fields, such as Mix Code and Product Code, need to use naming conventions that are
consistent within your company. For example, COMMANDqc is not case-sensitive, but your
company policy may dictate that only uppercase letters can be used. IDs or code names must follow
certain code naming conventions, meaning that only the following characters are allowed: A-Z, a-z,
0-9, underscore (_), and dash (-).
Using Wildcard Searches

When entering search criteria in a screen field, the standard wildcards, * and?, are used. Any
field that supports these wildcards is marked accordingly.
Some fields allow you to enter a partial code or description in conjunction with wildcard
characters. Using a question mark (?) means that COMMANDqc will retrieve any code or
description similar to what you have entered plus one single character. For example,
entering 123? for a Product Code will retrieve all products whose code is 123 followed by
any single character (1234, 1235, etc.). The asterisk (*) means that COMMANDqc will
search for any number of characters after the code or description. Entering 123* will
retrieve all products whose code is 123 followed by any number of characters, such as 123,
1234, 123456, etc. The wildcard approach is very powerful if you use a standardized way of
coding and naming your products.
Viewing Grid Results

Within the results grid, you can sort, order, add, remove, and format the columns. Other
features include grouping by fields and the application of statistical functions. The
reworked dataset can then be printed to a formatted report, exported to a CSV spreadsheet,
or plotted using customized graphs.
The following is an example of the grid results based on search criteria using the Mix
Designs module. This example shows the basic data results, without groupings or summary
COMMANDqc Basics 32
data. Data results are obtained by selecting or entering search criteria and then selecting the
Refresh button.
An example of the results grid for the Mix Designs module.
Showing/Hiding Search Criteria

The horizontal bar in the middle can be used to hide the search criteria once you have
performed a search. This gives you more screen area for viewing records. When you click
the bar, the search criteria is hidden. You can also use this control as a slider bar in order to
COMMANDqc Basics 33
display only a certain amount of information. Click and drag the bar up to show more grid
information or drag the bar down to show less grid information.
To hide search criteria information, use the horizontal bar. It is highlighted here in green to show that the cursor is currently
hovering over it.
The search criteria is now hidden.
Click the bar again and the grid returns to normal, displaying the header fields.
Moving Through Records

At the bottom of the grid (just above the status bar) is a set of buttons which allow you to
perform the following record functions.
These buttons allow you to navigate the records in the results grid.
• First Record - Displays the first results record.
• Prior Page - Displays the previous page of results (if any).
• Prior Record - Selects the record just before the currently selected record.
• Next Record - Selects the record just after the currently selected record.
COMMANDqc Basics 34
• Next Page - Displays the next page of results.
• Last Record - Advances to the end of the results list.
• Save Bookmark - Flags a particular record that you may want to come back to at a
later time.
• Go to Bookmark - Advances to the last bookmarked record.
• Filter Data - Opens the Filter Builder window. This is explained in more detail in the
Advanced Filtering (Filter Builder) section.
Selecting Columns To View and Changing Their Width

On the grid header, the far left icon can be clicked to bring up a list of available fields for the
results display. The checkboxes control the visibility of each column in the grid. When a
check appears next to a column name, it will be visible in the grid. If you clear a checkbox,
that column will no longer appear.
An example of the grid header in the Mix Designs module.
Throughout COMMANDqc, column widths can be adjusted by positioning the cursor

over the heading boundary and waiting for it to change, as depicted below. Then drag the
column’s boundary to the left or right.
To change the column width, hover your cursor over the column boundary until this icon appears. Then drag to the desired width.
Grouping By Column
Grouping is done by clicking on a column header, dragging it to the colored area, and then
releasing the mouse button. The following shows the Strength 28D column being dragged
into the cyan-colored area.
COMMANDqc Basics 35
The Strength 28D column being grouped.
When the left mouse button is released, the grid is grouped by that column. For example,
the grid is now grouped by Strength 28D.
The final grouped results.
Right-Click Context Menu for Columns

When you right-click on a grid column header, the context menu appears. Note that some
fields may be inactive, depending on the type of data in the column.
The right-click context menu for the Strength 28D column.

• Sort Ascending and Sort Descending - Sorts the selected column in the order you
want.
• Clear Sorting - Clears a previously selected sorting method.
COMMANDqc Basics 36
• Group By This Field - Works the same as dragging a column header into the cyan-
colored area. If you are already grouping by a column and select another column for
grouping, you get a secondary grouping.
• Group By Box - This is a toggle which hides or shows the cyan-colored grouping box.
• Footer - This is a toggle which shows or hides the footer row which displays the
current filters or one of the summary function.
• Group Footers - This is a toggle which shows or hides the individual grouping totals
(when summary functions are used).
• Remove This Column - Removes the selected column from view. To view it again,
select the Field Chooser option.
• Field Chooser - This is a window which shows all the columns that are not currently
displayed. To add a column to the grid, simply drag it to the desired location.
The Customization window that appears when you select the Field Chooser option.
• Best Fit - Changes the column width to the width of the largest item in that column.
• Best Fit (all columns) - Changes all column widths to the width of the largest item in
each column.
• Precision - Lets you select the appropriate precision value for the selected column.
This option is not available for fields that do not display numbers.
Using Grid Filters to Narrow Your Search

Many modules and windows in COMMANDqc allow you to filter the number of records
displayed at any one time. This makes it easier to search through hundreds or thousands of
COMMANDqc Basics 37
records by narrowing your focus to a smaller result set. Each column has a filter icon that
appears to the right when you hover over the column header.
When hovering over a column header, a filter icon will appear to the right. Here, the Strength 28D column filter icon is shown for
the results grid of the Mix Designs module.
When you click on the filter icon, a list of filtering options appear. Some of them, such as
All and Custom appear for all column filters. Other filtering options are dependent on the
data contained in the column. For example, in the Strength 28D column below, the other
filtering options include 28-day strengths. You may select multiple filtering options.
When hovering over a column header, a filter icon will appear to the right. Here, the Strength 28D column filter icon is shown for
the results grid of the Mix Designs module.
• All - This is the default setting (no filter is set).
• Custom - This opens the Custom Filter window.
When the Custom filter option is selected for a column, the Custom Filter window appears.
 The first dropdown list contains operators such as equals to or is greater than.
Select an operator and enter information into the adjacent field if necessary.
COMMANDqc Basics 38
For more information on operators, refer to the section below.
 The AND and OR radio buttons allow you to specify more than one type of filter. If
AND is selected, a record must meet both filtering criteria in order to be displayed.
For example, in the Custom Filter window above, only 28-day strengths that are not
blank and that have strengths less than 6000psi will be displayed. If OR is selected,
the record can meet either of the filter criteria, not necessarily both, in order to be
displayed.
If a custom filter is in use, it appears at the bottom of the results grid.
The footer that appears when a custom footer is in use.

 If you clear the checkbox, all the records appear and no filters are set) Select the
checkbox again and the filter will be reapplied.
 Select the Customize button for more advanced filtering. Refer to the Advanced
Filtering (Filter Builder) section for more information on advanced filtering and
using the Filter Builder window.
The following contains a small list of the operators available in many of the filters.
• equals
• does not equal
• is less than
• is less than or equal to
• is greater than
• is greater than or equal to
• is blank - Filters the output so that only empty records are displayed.
• is not blank - Filters the output so that only non-empty records are displayed.
COMMANDqc Basics 39
• like / not like - This is a simple form of pattern matching that lets you use an
underscore character (_) to match any single character and a percent symbol (%) to
match one or more characters. These case-sensitive wildcards are useful when you are
not sure of the name or spelling, but you know the record has certain characters.
In this example of the Custom Filter window, all Product Codes that begin with a 9 (followed by any series of characters) AND do not
begin with 90 (followed by any single character) will be displayed.
When the Product Code column was sorted using the above filter, these are the results that displayed.
COMMANDqc Basics 40
Advanced Filtering (Filter Builder)
The Filter Builder window can be reached by using the Customize button found on the
footer of filtered grid results or by using the Filter Data button found on the bottom left.
Here, you may modify or add a new condition to the current filter.
When the Customize button is used on the above footer, this Filter Builder window appears.
• Clicking the Filter button will give you the following options:
 Add Condition - Adds a condition to the selected row.
 Add Group - Adds another group of AND conditions to the selected row.
 Clear All - Deletes all rows of conditions.
• Clicking one of the ellipsis buttons will give you the same Add Condition and Add
Group options described above. It will also include a new option, Remove Row.
• When you click on a green field name such as Product Code, other available field
names will appear for selection.
The field options that appear for this filter.

• When you click on a dark red operator (the default is like), the other operator options
appear for you to select.
COMMANDqc Basics 41
• The value to the right of the operator lets you specify more filtering criteria.
To the right of the operator, you may enter filter criteria into the field. It will appear in blue.
• The following buttons are located across the bottom of the Filter Builder window.
 Open - You can open a previously saved filter by clicking this button. A standard
Windows browsing screen will appear so that you can navigate to the saved filter file.
 Save As - You can save a filter for future use by clicking this button. A standard
Windows browsing screen will appear so that you can navigate and save the filter
with a file name.
 OK - Applies the currently displayed filter and closes the Filter Builder window.
 Cancel - Closes the Filter Builder window without applying any changes.
 Apply - When clicking the Apply button, you may immediately view your filtering
changes on the module without having to leave the Filter Builder window.
COMMANDqc Basics 42
The Files Icon
The Files icon includes modules that contain master file records such as employees,
materials and grading specifications.
Modules under the Files icon:

• Contacts - Holds records for customers, projects, employees, laboratories, plants,
suppliers and external testers. Though many of these records are imported from
dispatching systems such as COMMANDseries, you may edit the information that
appears in COMMANDqc for each of these types of records.
• Group Maintenance - Helps you maintain the groups available in selectors. By creating
groups, you can easily narrow your search without having to individually select records
for every search you perform.
• Strength Curves - Maintains the relationship between strength and water/cement ratio
for different types of cement and mixes since the calculation of cement content in a mix
depends on this relationship.
• Concrete Family - Gives you a place to create and maintain concrete families and how
frequently each family (or individual product) should be sampled.
• Materials - Holds all material records, allowing you to enter material properties,
gradings, documents and more.
• Region Materials - Displays all available materials and lets you determine which ones
should be available in each region.
• Plant Materials - Lets you determine plant-specific values on a material basis in regards
to costs, shipping, and batching.
• Blends - Displays all the blends currently available and lets you create new aggregate
and cement blends for inclusion in mix designs.
• Material Suppliers - Contains a list of all the material suppliers currently in
COMMANDqc.
• Grading Specifications - Enables the review and maintenance of aggregate
specifications for particle size distribution and coarseness-workability.
Global
The Global subsection only contains one module: Contacts.
Contacts
The Contacts module allows you to add and edit information regarding customers, projects,
employees, laboratories, plants, suppliers and external testers.
The Files Icon 43

The Contacts module replaces the Contact Maintenance module from earlier versions.
It is often useful to filter the Contacts module by Contact Type, ID, Description, Name or Contact Name.
The Add Record button allows you to add new records in this module and the Edit button
allows you to revise current records.
This module will display Customers and Projects regardless of the record status sent from
COMMANDseries; however, using the Is Active and Record Status columns in the results grid, you
may choose to view the record status. The corresponding customer and project selectors throughout
COMMANDqc will only display Active (status=0) records sent from COMMANDseries.
Customers
Customers represent the people or businesses your company engages with. Customer
details are generally used in the Mix Submittals module as well as reports. Though many of
these records are imported from dispatching systems, you may edit the information that
appears in COMMANDqc for this type of record; however, if this information is updated
in COMMANDqc, it will not be updated in the interfaced system.
The Contacts module will display customers regardless of the record status sent from
The Files Icon 44

may choose to view the record status. The corresponding customer selectors throughout
COMMANDqc will only display Active (status=0) records sent from COMMANDseries.
A customer record contains basic information about a particular customer, such as an address and associated projects.
To add a new customer:

1. The New Contact dialog box will appear after selecting the Add Record button of the
Contacts module.
The New Contact dialog box requires you to enter a Contact Type, ID and Description.
• The Contact Type determines what kind of record will be added. If you have already
filtered the Contacts module by a Contact Type, this Contact Type will be automatically
added to the New Contact dialog box, making it easier to add a record that is similar to
the ones that you are currently viewing.
• The ID is the Contact ID that will be associated with that customer. You should check
your companies policies as to what naming or numbering convention you should be
following when adding a new ID. When importing customers, this will generally be the
customer number or customer code.
The ID is not editable once entered and saved. You may, however, edit the Description.
• The Description allows you describe the information in this record and is usually the
customer name. For example, if you use a numbering convention in the ID field, it may
The Files Icon 45

be difficult to remember what customer that number refers to. Use this field to help
you identify a customer.
2. After entering the required information, select the OK button. You will be taken to the
Edit Customer Information screen where you can enter more information.
Here, you can add or edit the current information for a customer.
• The Projects tab allows you to associate projects with this customer. To add a project,
select the green plus sign (+) button in the lower left-hand corner. The Contact Selector
screen will appear.
Here, you can search the available projects that you would like to associate with this customer.
The Files Icon 46

 The Contact Selector screen displays projects that are not currently associated with any
customers. You can search projects using the Code or description fields. Double-
click a project to select it. Once you select a project (it should appear in the Selected
field at the bottom of the screen), select the OK button.
3. Select the Save button to save information for the new customer.
After using the Save button, the Add Record and Delete buttons become active.
Projects
Projects represent specific or long-term jobs associated with a certain customer. As with
customers, much of this information is generally brought across from your company's
dispatching system.
The Contacts module will display projects regardless of the record status sent from
The Files Icon 47

may choose to view the record status. The corresponding project selectors throughout COMMANDqc
will only display Active (status=0) records sent from COMMANDseries
A project record contains basic information about a particular customer, such as an address and associated projects.
To add a new project:

1. The New Contact dialog box will appear after selecting the Add Record button.
added to the New Contact dialog box.
• The ID is the Contact ID that will be associated with that project. You should check
following when adding a new ID. If importing projects, the project ID will be the
project number or code.
• The Description allows you describe the information in this record. For example, if
you use a numbering convention in the ID field, it may be difficult to remember what
project that number refers to. Use this field to help you identify a project.
The Files Icon 48

Edit Project Information screen where you can enter more information.
Here, you can add or edit the current information for a project.
• The Customer field is used to associated this particular project with a customer. Using
the Ellipsis button, you can reach the Contact Selector screen.
The Files Icon 49

• The Technical Address section allows you to specify an address that can be selected to
print on the Accredited US Test Certificate when printed using the Samples module.
Here, you can search the available projects that you would like to associate with this customer.
 The Contact Selector screen displays all available customers. You can search using the
Code or description fields. Once a customer is selected, use the OK button to insert
it into the project record.
The Files Icon 50

3. Select the Save button to save information for the new project.
Employees
Employees are all directly employed by you, the producer. This includes managers, testers,
QA staff, etc.
This information is NOT pushed over from COMMANDseries. You will need to add all your
employees, and therefore users, manually.
To add a new employee:

The Files Icon 51

• The ID is the Contact ID that will be associated with that employee. You should check
following when adding a new ID.
The ID is not editable once entered and saved. You may, however, edit the Description. It is
important that the ID and User Name match in order to use the Email Signature feature. Keep this
in mind when selecting an ID.
• The Description allows you describe the information in this record and is generally
the employee’s full name.
Edit Employee Information screen where you can enter more information.
• The General Information tab is used to assign various privileges and accesses in
COMMANDqc.
Here, you can add information such as Region, User Name and Signature ID.
 The Employee Title field is used to note the employee’s title. This will be
appended to the User Name when the name is listed on certain reports.
 Employees are assigned to a Region to allow or limit the access to certain privileges.
 The User Name field is used associate this employee with a particular user.
It is important that the ID and User Name match in order to use the Email Signature feature.
Simply selecting the User Name here is not sufficient.
 The Signature ID field allows you to associate a signature with this employee and
will appear as an electronic signature on reports and submittals. The list is limited to
The Files Icon 52

the signatures that have been added using the Graphics module.
 The Is Active checkbox is used to determine if the employee is available to sign
reports and other documents. For example, this box should be cleared or not marked
when the employee goes on vacation, ensuring that a certificate cannot be signed
when the employee is not present.
 The Concrete and Aggregate checkboxes are used to identify the employee as
either a concrete tester, aggregate tester or both. This is to ensure that only concrete
testers are visible on the concrete side of COMMANDqc and vice versa since the
aggregate side of COMMANDqc has limited availability.
 The Test Certificate Signatory and Mix Submittal Signatory checkboxes are
used to determine whether or not the employee can have access to the electronic
signature feature for test certificates and submittals.
 The Plant field allows you to specify a plant for this employee. If you select the
Ellipsis button, the Plant Code screen will display. The Plant Code screen displays all
available plants. You can search using the Region, Selection Type, Code or
description fields. Once a plant is selected, use the OK button to insert it into the
employee record.
 The contents of the Disclaimer field will print under the signatory name on some
reports. It may be used to put a qualifier of tests signed by the employee or to simply
record the accrediting body (such as NATA) registration number.
• It is common for lab personnel to have multiple certifications across a variety of
agencies. The Certifications tab allows multiple certification numbers to be provided
for each employee.
Here, you can make note of the certifications held by each of your employees.
 To add a certification, select the green plus sign (+) button in the lower left-hand
corner. A new row will appear in the grid. Here, you can select an Agency and enter
the certification Number.
The selections available in the Agency field are maintained in the Configurable Lists module.
The Files Icon 53

• The Email Signature tab allows you to create an email signature that will be attached to
all emails sent through the Mix Submittals module. You may choose to enter text using
the textbox or import a signature from a .TXT or .HTM file. A.TXT file contains plain
text while an .HTM file contains HTML code from a generator. To include colors, fonts
and hyperlinks in your signature, use the file with HTML. At the moment, you may
not use images in your submittal email signature. If you would like to add images, you
must attach it as a document to the submittal.
Here, you can add a text or HTML signature for use in the Mix Submittals module.
When sending an email from the Mix Submittals module, COMMANDqc needs to know what
email signature to attach. This is based on whatever user is currently logged in; therefore, in order to
associate a signature with a user, it is crucial that the employee ID and User Name (on the General
Information tab) match exactly. Simply assigning the employee a User Name is not sufficient.
The Files Icon 54

 The Import email signature from file field is used to import a signature from
a.TXT or.HTM file. To import a signature, select the Ellipsis button. A standard
Windows browsing screen will appear.
The standard Windows browsing screen that appears when using the Ellipsis button.
Navigate to where you have your signature saved, select the file that you would like
to use, and select the Open button.
The Files Icon 55

3. Select the Save button to save information for the new employee. If you save while
under the Email signature tab after importing an.HTM file, you will notice that the
HTML source code is converted to an actual preview of the signature.
After using the Save button, the email signature HTML code is converted.
Laboratories
Use a Contact Type of Laboratories to set up your labs. Note that labs are only available to
users that have access to the Region selected in the lab.
To add a new laboratory:

The Files Icon 56

• The ID is the Contact ID that will be associated with that lab. You should check your
companies policies as to what naming or numbering convention you should be
• The Description allows you describe the information in this record and is usually the
laboratory name.
Edit Laboratory Information screen where you can enter more information.
Here, you can add or edit the current information for a laboratory.
• Above the tabs of the Edit Laboratory Information screen, you can enter information such
as the laboratory address.
 The Lab Level may be Primary or Secondary. Primary labs have all existing
laboratory functions and features. Secondary labs will be made available only in
selected lists. For example, Secondary labs will not appear in the list at the bottom
right of the COMMANDqc application. Often, it is useful to assign temporary or
external labs as Secondary labs.
 The Region is used to specify a region for the laboratory. Because viewable
information in COMMANDqc depends on the lab you have selected, the Region
you select will also determine what materials and mixes are viewable. Leaving this
dropdown blank will result in no regional limitations based on lab.
The Files Icon 57

 The Template Record for New Laboratories checkbox is used to mark the lab as
the template record or default lab. In other words, all new laboratories will be
created with the current settings of this lab. You may also use the Reinitialize
Settings button to remove the current lab settings and replace them with the default
laboratory settings.
 The Defer Billing Days field allows you to enter a number of days in the case that
you wish to defer billing by a certain time period. This is only used if you have the
QC Billing option installed.
• The Test Options tab is used to maintain testing defaults on a per lab basis.
Here, you can add information relevant to the testing of concrete.

 The Standard curing tank temperature field is used to record the temperature of
the curing tank in case an issue with curing arises and you need to verify the curing
temperature. A value entered here will be used by default for the Std Curing
Temperature found on the Specimen Test Defaults of Concrete Product Entry. For
more information on the Early Age Strength, Q Value, and Std Curing Temperature
fields, refer toThe Concrete Products Entry Screen.
 The Create QC Specimens Option dropdown sets the creation time for
specimen records. You may choose to create specimens When QC Sample is
Saved, When Specimen Window is Displayed, or Do Not Create
Automatically.
 The Testing Location dropdown allows you to select the location that specimen
testing took place for this laboratory (Plant, Lab or Site).
 If the Automatically Set Default Specimen Dimensions checkbox is selected,
COMMANDqc will use the default to auto populate specimen dimensions in the
Samples and Specimens module. Default dimensions are the standard dimensions
The Files Icon 58

for specimens entered in using the Specimen Sizes module. These dimensions are
used in specimen volume calculations.
Actual specimen sizes vary slightly from the default values. If you use the actual size of the specimen
when recording data, it is best to leave this box unchecked.
 The Received Date = Batch Date + field is the date that specimens are taken to
the curing lab (i.e. received by the lab). Generally this is a day or several hours after
the specimens were created at the construction site or plant. The default date can be
configured as the ticket date + some number of hours.
 The Grading Entry Mode dropdown allows you to select that method used to
grade aggregates (% Passing, Mass on Sieve, or Cumulative Mass).

 The Trial Batch Size field and dropdown are used to specify the typical batch sized
used when creating trial mixes at this lab. This value will be defaulted into the Batch
Size field of the Trial Batches and Tests module.
 The Graphic ID dropdown is used to select a logo for the laboratory. This image
will appear on mix submittals and other reports.

• The Certifications tab allows multiple certification numbers to be provided for each
laboratory.
Here, you can make note of the certifications held by your laboratory.
 To add a certification, select the green plus sign (+) button in the lower left-hand
corner. A new row will appear in the grid. Here, you can select an Agency and enter
the certification Number.
The selections available in the Agency field are maintained in the Configurable Lists module.
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• The Counters tab allows you to assign various counters for this particular lab. You can
assign a 4-digit Laboratory Segment, which will be included in the numbers
generated, for each counter to make the origination of the record more obvious. The
Next Number that appears here is for reference purposes only and the value can only
be edited in the Counters module.
Here, you can add counters for this particular lab that will be used in other modules throughout COMMANDqc.
 The Submittal Counter dropdown allows you to select the counter to be used in
the Mix Submittal module.
 The Mix Adjuster Batch Counter dropdown allows you to select the counter to
be used in the Mix Adjuster Logs module.
 The Incidents Counter dropdown allows you to select the counter to be used in
the Incidents module.
 The Approvals Counter dropdown allows you to select the counter to be used in
the Mix Approvals module.
The Mix Approvals module is used by select, licensed users; therefore, this counter will generally not
be used.
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3. Select the Save button to save information for the new lab.
Plants
As with previous contact types, much of this information may be brought across from your
company's accounting system; however, you may need to add or edit the values in some
fields.
To add a new plant:

• The ID is the Contact ID that will be associated with that plant. You should check your
companies policies as to what naming or numbering convention you should be
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customer that number refers to. Use this field to help you identify a plant.
Edit Plant Information screen where you can enter more information.
Here, you can add or edit the current information for a plant.
• Above the tabs of the Edit Plant Information screen, you can enter information such as
the plant address.
 The Region dropdown is used to assign a plant region and must be selected.
Selecting a region allows or denies certain securities for plants. It also controls which
records you are able to view in many modules.
 The Template Record for New Plant checkbox is used to mark the plant as the
template record or default plant. In other words, all new plants will be created with
the current settings of this plant.
 The Location Code and Primary Plant for this Location checkbox are used to
indicate a relationship between the location in and plant in COMMANDseries.

Because several plants may be assigned to a location in COMMANDseries and
delivery tickets are created for a plant whose materials/mixes are assigned to a
location, COMMANDqc has an option to use the COMMANDseries location or
plant. If the location is used then one plant is selected as the primary. Only mixes/
materials from the primary plant are imported to COMMANDqc.
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• The Test Options tab is used to record information about how mixes are used.
Here, you can add information related to the testing performed at this plant.
 The Default Yield and Default Yield (Alt. Units) fields allow you to define the
target yield for new mixes created at this plant. This is generally set to 27 for US
customary units or 1 for metric units.
 The Strength Standard Deviation field is the average standard deviation for
actual strength test results from a plant. It is one of the parameters used to calculate
the mix plant Target Strength.
 The Aggregate Air Correction field is the aggregate porosity correction factor
applied to the air content measured for a mix using the following formula: Actual
Air = measured air - aggregate porosity correction (%).
 The Manual Batch Data Entry Mode dropdown allows you to set the data entry
method for the Manual Entry of Batch Data module. Non Cumulative allows
entry of batch weights on each material individually. The Cumulative Aggregate
and Cumulative Cement options will have COMMANDqc calculate and store
individual material weights where batch weights are accumulated on a scale from
one aggregate (or cementitious material) to the next. Cumulative Aggregate +
Cement will combine the aggregate and cement materials together. The 1/Cubic
Unit option allows you to enter values in unit masses. COMMANDqc will then
multiply them out to the actual load size and save the data that way.
 Marking the plant as a Low Volume Plant will affect calculations in the Frequency
of Sampling reporting module which provides information on the number of
samples determined for strength, consistence, and other user-defined tests for where
sampling frequencies have been established.
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 The Default Setting for ‘Include in Mix Yield and Mass Calculations’ in
Admixture Records checkbox is used when a material is first associated with a
plant in the Batching tab of Plant Material Entry. Marking it will default the
corresponding setting.
 The Water Demand field is used in integrations with TMS CL.
• The Interface Settings tab gives you a place to edit plant settings in regards to how it
interacts with other systems.
Here, you can edit how a plant interfaces with other systems.
 The Permit Update of Actual Batch dropdown allows you to determine whether
or not you want to update the actual batch weights with the target batch weights.
Generally, No is the option that should be selected, as the Yes option has only been
made available to assist updates for non-interfaced plants.
 The Default Batching Sequence dropdown allows you to select a batching
sequence from a list generated using the Configurable Lists module. This may be
overridden on the Production tab of Mix Design Entry. The Default Batching
Sequence, recognized by batching systems like COMMANDbatch, is exported to
COMMANDseries Version 3 with mix data that will get sent to the batching panel
with the mix.
 The Batch Sync Status dropdown and TCP/IP Address field are part of the
COMMANDbatch interface setup. The sync status indicates if the record was
successfully transferred to COMMANDbatch and the TCP/IP address refers to the
IP address for the COMMANDbatch plant. Selecting Not Synchronized from the
dropdown indicates that COMMANDqc is not interfaced to a plant batch system,
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or off-line, while the Synchronized option means COMMANDqc is directly
interfaced to a plant batch system.
 The Interface Export Destination dropdown is used so that you can direct data at
different interface systems on a plant by plant basis. This allows precast plants to
maintain mix designs in COMMANDqc without errors and must be set up after the
install in order to enable exports to the interfaced systems. Use this dropdown to
specify the interface that is to receive data updates.
 The Enable Ticket Import checkbox will enable ticket imports from interfaced
systems like COMMANDbatch or COMMANDseries. This needs to be enabled in

order for Batch Watcher to work appropriately.
 The Enable Mix Transfer to Batch System checkbox enables the delivery of mix
changes to batch systems immediately after that are uploaded to COMMANDseries

(CS08 2.14 or higher).
 The Enable Material Import checkbox will enable the association of materials at
this plant to the corresponding plant of the COMMANDseries interface.

 The Default Setting for ‘Allow Download to Batch System’ in Mix Records
checkbox is used when a mix is first associated with a plant in the Production tab of
Mix Design Entry. Marking it will default the corresponding setting.
• The Counters tab allows you to assign various counters for this particular plant. You
can assign a 4-digit Plant Segment, which will be included in the numbers generated,
for the Product Counter to make the origination of the record more obvious. To create
a new counter, you will need to refer to the Counters section. The Next Number that
appears here is for reference purposes only; it cannot be edited.
Here, you can add counters for this particular lab that will be used in other modules throughout COMMANDqc.
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 The Sample Counter dropdown allows you to select the counter to be used in the
Samples and Specimens module. Care needs to be taken when setting up the
counter’s number range for samples, as the Sample Number field is only able to
accept 8 characters. This is also the reason that no Plant Segment is available for this
counter.
 The Trial Batch Counter dropdown allows you to select the counter to be used
for trial batches. Similar to the Sample Counter, the data field can accept a
maximum of 8 characters.
 The Product Counter dropdown allows you to select the counter to be used for
concrete product codes.
This is recommended for limited use only. The best practice that most producers should utilize is to
code products in such a way that they are easily identified or following a particular naming
convention. It is extremely important to keep your Product Codes and Mix IDs organized in
COMMANDqc and following uniform naming protocol will help you do that.
3. Select the Save button to save information for the new plant.
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Suppliers
Suppliers are used to document where materials are coming from. A supplier may have
several supplier sources.
Suppliers are used in COMMANDqc to determine the source of a particular material.
To add a new supplier:

• The ID is the Contact ID that will be associated with that supplier. You should check
customer that number refers to. Use this field to help you identify a supplier.
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Edit Supplier Information screen where you can enter more information. The grid allows
you to see all the sources associated with this supplier.
Supplier sources are required for a Supplier to be used.
Here, you can add or edit the current information for a supplier
• To add a new supplier source, use the Add Record button. The Supplier Source Entry
screen will appear.
To view a list of current suppliers and supplier sources, use the Material Suppliers module.
The Supplier Source Entry screen will appear after using the Add Record button.
 The Supplier ID and description will default from the current supplier file and is
not editable.
 The Source Code and Source Description are required. As always, it is best if
you following a naming convention. The Supplier Source Description field is
not editable.
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3. Select the Save button to save information for the new supplier.
External Testers
External testers are typically contractors brought in on an as-needed basis or part time
employees. External testers have fewer privileges throughout COMMANDqc.
To add a new external tester:

• The ID is the Contact ID that will be associated with that external tester. You should
check your companies policies as to what naming or numbering convention you should
be following when adding a new ID.
customer that number refers to. Use this field to help you identify a tester.
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Edit External Tester Information screen where you can enter more information.
Here, you may add information about an external tester including Tester Type.
• The contents of the Disclaimer field will print under the signatory name on some
reports. It may be used to put a qualifier of tests signed by the tester or to simply record
the accrediting body registration number.
• Select a Tester Type (Concrete or Aggregate) to identify the external tester as a
concrete tester, aggregate tester or both. This ensures that the external tester will only
have access to those particular aspects of COMMANDqc.
• If marked, the Is Active checkbox will make the external tester eligible to sign reports
or other documents.
3. Select the Save button to save information for the new external tester.
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Concrete Producer - Concrete
Modules under this subsection include: Group Maintenance, Strength Curves, and
Concrete Family.
Group Maintenance
{Files > Concrete Producer-Concrete > Group Maintenance}
The grouping capabilities within COMMANDqc let you define groupings of various types
of data to simplify searching and the maintenance of data. A group can be defined for
product codes, plants, customers, projects and testers.
The Grouping Maintenance module allows you to edit groups used throughout COMMANDqc.
• You must select a Group Type from the dropdown in order to generate data and add a
new group.
To add a new group:

1. Select the Group Type that you would like to add a new group for followed by the
Refresh button. Now, select the Add Record button. The Create New Group screen will
appear.
2. Enter a Group ID and Group Description. Only the Group Description is editable
after saving.
3. Select a Region.
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4. The Group Defined By radio buttons give you two different ways if assigning items
to a group.
 Using Explicit Selection, you can filter the Available Items list on the left, using
character strings and wildcards in the Available Items Selection Criteria section, and
then use the arrow buttons to move items to the Selected Items list. This provides a
distinct list of hand chosen items which will be unchanged until you or someone
else explicitly edits the group.
Here, the Explicit Selection radio button is used and a wildcard is used in the Available Items Selection Criteria.
 The alternative method is to use a Wildcard Filter that will define the filter criteria.
This lets you take advantage of coding schemes that you may have created and any
new codes added will automatically be included into the group. For example, if all
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fiber products have a code beginning with 9 and are followed by one character, a
filter on ID for 9? will list all fiber products.
Here, the Wildcard Filter is used and a Filter Expression has been added to the ID.
5. Select the Refresh button for either radio button to view information.
6. Once your group is defined, select the OK button.
To edit an existing group:

1. If you select the Edit button, the Editing: <GroupID> screen will appear.
2. Make any necessary changes, such as updating the Group Defined By or adding
another item to the list.
3. After adding or editing information, select the OK button.
Strength Curves
{Files > Concrete Producer-Concrete > Strength Curves}
Since the calculation of cement content in a mix depends on the relationship between
strength and the water/cement ratio, COMMANDqc allows you to maintain this
relationship for different types of cement and mixes and analyze existing mixes to verify mix
performance using historical strength-w/c data allowing you to justify concrete mix
proportions in the absence of adequate field test results. The Strength Curves module is
used to generate and store strength vs. water/cement curves. This data is available for use in
other areas of COMMANDqc, such as Mix Submittals, and can be used to generate Mix
Sets, which are sets of mixes for a range of strengths based on a strength-water/cement
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curve. To access this module, you must be licensed for Advanced Mix Designer, Concrete
Performance Analysis or Mix Submittals.
The Strength Curves module lets you maintain and manage strength testing curves.
Filter Criteria
• The Region dropdown allows you to filter available curves by region. If you are
assigned to a single region, it will already be selected. If you are assigned to multiple
regions, this field is blank and the grid results will be populated with all the curves for
the various regions. Only a Plant or Laboratory within the selected Region (or all of
your assigned regions) can be selected.
• The Status dropdown allows you to filter available curves by their status: Active,
Inactive, or Pending.
 An Active curve contains all necessary information making it available for use in
mix designs and mix analysis.

 An Inactive curve is an old or discarded curve.
 A Pending curve is usually a newly created or curve or a curve that you are in the
process of creating.
• The Curve Search and curve description fields allow you to enter a specific Curve ID
if known or a partial Curve ID using a wildcard search that contains using an asterisk
and the question mark. For more information on wildcard searches, review the Using
Wildcard Searches section.
• The Last Modified fields define a date range within which curves must have been
modified in order for them to be retrieved and included in the list of results.
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• The Curve Type dropdown lets you select from three different options:
 Strength vs. Cement - This is a curve that is based on strength and cement
content.
 Strength vs. w/c - This is a curve based on strength and water/cement ratios
 Strength vs. Control Strength - This is a curve that is based on early test age
strength results (usually 28 days) versus control strength results (usually 7 days).
Once you are finished entering the necessary information, select the Refresh button to
populate the results grid. Double clicking an entry will display the Strength Curve Entry
screen described below.
To add a new strength curve:

1. Select the Add Record button on the Strength Curves module. The Add Strength Curve
dialog will appear.
All fields in this dialog are required.
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2. Enter all necessary information and select the OK button. The Strength Curve Entry
screen will appear.
The Strength Curve Entry screen allows you to enter and review strength curves.
3. Using the Properties and Data tabs, update any necessary information. Be sure to use
the Fit Curve (available when Calculate Coefficients is selected) or Draw Curve
(available when Enter Coefficients is selected) button to update the curve.
4. When you have finished entering all of the data for the curve and using the
corresponding button to update the curve, set the Status to Active so that the curve can
be used in other areas of COMMANDqc. If you plan to return later to finish data entry,
set the Status to Pending prior to saving.
5. Select the Save button.
Upon save, COMMANDqc will save the identifying information, the new curve coefficients and the
set of Specimen data points used to generate the curve. If you have updated the data points since
clicking the Fit Curve button, COMMANDqc will warn you that a w/c curve has not been
generated from the entered strength data and ask if you would like to discard the curve data. Selecting
Yes will not save any changes to the Curve Properties section or data points grid but will save all other
information.
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Strength Curve Entry
The Strength Curve Entry screen allows you to maintain the identifying mathematical
information related to the curve. There are three different ways to go about generating a
relationship (curve) between strength and the water/cement ratio using this module
including: manual entry of curve coefficients with an automatic curve drawing; manual
entry of test data with automatic curve generation; and finally, selection of strength and w/c
ratio from selected specimens with automatic curve generation
The Strength Curve Entry screen allows you to enter and review strength curves.
• Using the Report Options toolbar button, you may generate a report that displays the
curve and details about the data points. For more information, refer to the Strength vs.
Water/Cement Report Options section.
• The header of the Strength Curve Entry screen contains fields that allow you to specify
where this curve may be used.
The header contains information about how this curve is generated and what locations it may be used at.
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 Similar to the Strength Curve module homepage, only a Plant or Laboratory
within the selected Region (or all of your assigned regions) can be selected.
 Use the Status dropdown to assign a status of Active, Inactive, or Pending. A new
curve will be Pending by default.

• The left pane contains fields that allow you to enter material information, a Properties
tab that can be used to further identify and select this curve when it used elsewhere in
COMMANDqc, and a Data tab that allows you to generate a curve from stored
specimen data.
 Using the Cement, Cement Blend and Aggregate Blend fields, you may specify
material information that corresponds to this curve for a particular cement or blend.
These fields are for reference only.
Using the headers at the top of the left pane, you can add material information that corresponds to this curve.
 Under the Properties tab, you may specify any identifying technical properties of
this curve.
The Properties tab allows you to define technical properties for this curve related to materials.
• Using the dropdown, you may select an Addition Type from the three
supplementary cementitious material categories (Flyash, Silica Fume and Slag).
The SCM Nominal % field is used to enter the declared percent of additions.
Note that the curve may be generated from mixes with varying values. Similarly,
the Nominal Air % field is the nominal total air content of the mixes used to
create the curve but the curve may be generated from mixes with various values.
You may specify this curve as a trial or production curve using the Trial/
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Production dropdown. The User Defined 1 field is a non-defined field for any
special parameter that you may need to enter.
• The Strength Correction Curve and Strength Prediction Curve radio
buttons allow you to assign correction or prediction curves to mixes for
conformity reporting. The Assign Mixes button opens the Product Mix Selector
where you can assign mixes to this particular curve based on material information
and/or design properties.
• The text box at the bottom of the pane allows you to enter extra notes for this
curve.
 Using the Strength W/C Points section under the Data tab, you can choose to enter
data points for the curve manually (Manual) or select from existing specimen data
(Specimens).
The Data tab allows you to manually enter specimen data or select from existing specimen data.
• If using Manual, you need to enter three or more mixes (with different w/c
ratios) and the measured strengths for each. The Mix Code and Test Date are
optional but the three results must represent three significantly different w/c
values.
• To generate the curve from stored Specimen data, select the Select Specimens
button to fill the grid using exiting test data. The Strength Tests Selector will be
displayed where you can select data to return to the Strength Curve Entry screen.
• The Average Air and Average Slump located below the grid are calculated
based on the included data points located in the grid.
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• The right pane contains a section on Curve Properties and the resulting graph. To move
the curve to the left or right, select new mixes or manually enter the coefficients of the
desired mathematical curve formula.
The Curve Properties section allows you to define curve parameters while the graph is generated using the related data.
 Select a Model for this curve using the dropdown. Currently, only Exponential or
Quadratic curves are available.
 The Min w/c and Max w/c fields (displayed when the Curve Type is Strength vs. w/
c) allow you to define the left most x-value and the right most x-value of the
horizontal axis, respectively. If the Curve Type is Strength vs. Cement, these fields
will display as Min Cement and Max Cement, while if the Curve Type is Strength
vs. Control Strength, these fields will display as Min Control and Max Control.
 The Min Strength and Max Strength fields, which display for all curve types,
allows you to define the lowest y-value and the highest y-value on the y-axis,
respectively.
 Selecting the Enter Coefficients radio button allows you to enter the coefficients
(A, B and C) manually. After you have entered the coefficients that you obtained
from an external source, select the Draw Curve button to plot the calculated curve
for the entered coefficients without supporting data points.
 In contrast, the Calculate Coefficients radio button will calculate the coefficients
based on manually entered or existing specimen data. Selecting the Fit Curve button
will perform a regression analysis for the entered data points, display the coefficients
for the resulting curve and plot the calculated curve and entered data points on the
graph.
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• If the data points are being pulled from specimens, you have the option to Use
All available data points from the entered specimens, use a Sample Average
based on the number of samples available, or use a Mix Average based on the
number of mixes represented in the samples. Using the Mix Average may be
useful if some of the mixes have an unusually large number of Specimens but
you want data from those mixes to be given the same weighting as all other mixes.
 The R2 field displays the calculated R-squared value for the curve and is never
editable.
The Strength Tests Selector

The Strength Tests Selector is used query strength tests based on water/cement ratios allowing
you to located and select a set of strength tests for a strength-w/c relationship that needs to
be developed and this information will be returned to the Strength Curve Entry screen so the
formula can be determined. This screen is reached by selecting the Select Specimens button
on the Data tab of Strength Curve Entry.
This screen allows you to select strength data that should be added to the Strength Curve Entry screen.
• Using this screen, you can narrow your search for strength tests results using the filter
criteria fields.
 Plant - The default value is the Plant from the Strength Curve Entry screen and only
plants in your assigned regions can be selected. This is a required field.
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 Mix(es) - Select the mixes whose test specimens you want to view. Selecting the
Ellipsis opens the Mix Selector screen.
 Laboratory - May be used to limit specimens to those tested at a specific
Laboratory. The default value is the one entered on the Strength Curve Entry screen,
but it is possible that the testing lab is not the same. The lab on the Strength Curve
Entry screen is the laboratory where the w/c curve analysis is being done.
 Test Age - This is the specimen test age group of interest. If left blank,
COMMANDqc will display specimens with no regard to test age, which might
compromise the validity of the generated w/c curve. Default value is 28 days.
Specimens within the test date range of the test age group are retrieved.
 Test Type - May be used to limit specimens to a specific type and size, for example
150mm concrete cubes or 50mm mortar cubes.

 Specimen Type - Test Type as defined in the Sample Comments module. The
default is Compressive.
 Source - Used to determine if the curve is one currently in production or a trial.
 Test Date - Click on the radio button and select the desired range of Test Dates.
The default values are 2 months ago and today.

 Sample Date - Click on the radio button and select the desired range of Sample
Dates. Sample date is likely also the date the concrete was batched in the plant or lab.
Default values are two months ago and today.
 Using radio buttons, you can select which w/c value will be used to generate the
curve. The Design w/c value may be more useful for production batches if the final
water content is unknown or uncontrolled while the Batched w/c value is based on
the recorded cementitious and water quantities for the batch. This value may be
more useful and accurate for laboratory trial batches.
• Refresh the screen to display a list of strength test records that match your criteria.
Select the specimens that you wish to include in the curve. When finished, select the
Update Curve button. You will be taken back to the Strength Curve Entry screen
where the regression analysis is performed and the curve is automatically generated.
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Mix Selector
The Mix Selector screen allows you to select from a group of mixes that are likely to share a
comment strength to water/cement relationship.
The Mix Selector Screen allows you to search for particular mixes based on cementitious constituents.
• Using this screen, you can narrow your search for strength tests results using the filter
criteria fields.
 Mixes must be available at the selected Plant. The distinct list that includes each
Consistence Class is defined in Concrete Requirement Classes.

 Under the Constituents section, you can limit mixes to those containing the entered
Cement material code or Supplier. Similar to the Consistence Class, a distinct list
of each Cement Type and Cement Class is defined in Concrete Requirement
Classes.
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Strength vs. Water/Cement Report Options
Using the Report Options button at the top of the Strength Curve Entry screen, you may
generate a report that displays the curve and details about the data points.
The Strength vs. Water/Cement Report Options screen allows you to generate a report.
• The Include Chart checkbox will include the plotted curve and a table of information
about each data point.
• The Include Batch Weights checkbox will include a table on a separate page that
details batched weights for tickets associated with the specimen tests.
If you manually entered your data points, the entered strength and w/c values cannot be linked to
actual ticket or sample data.
• Using the Lab Logo, Approved By and Report Title fields, you can customize the
information that is displayed on this report.
• Select a Report Template using the dropdown. These templates are generally created
by an administrator but you should be able to select from two by default based on
orientation (portrait and landscape).
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• Select the Print Preview button to generate the report.
An example of the generated report.
Concrete Family
To ensure concrete quality and strength performance, European standards have strict
guidelines for sampling and testing of concrete. The EN 206 standard allows grouping of
concrete products with similar composition and properties into conformity families. Test
evaluation is applied to the volume produced across all members of the family, thus,
reducing the amount of sampling, especially for concrete products with a smaller output.
Filter Criteria
The Mode section allows you to select whether you want to enter testing frequencies for
concrete families or individual products. While in Family mode, the selector allows you to
use the Norm, Plant and Concrete Family filters to retrieve a list of current concrete
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families. You may choose to select one of these to edit or add a new family using the add
record button.
To add a new family:

1. While on the Concrete Family module homepage, select the Family radio button in the
Mode section of filter criteria.
2. After selecting the Add Record button, the Add Family dialog box will appear. Enter all
necessary information.
The Add Family dialog box appears after selecting the Add Record button.
• If a Norm was previously selected while in the Concrete Family module, it will be
automatically added to the Add Family dialog box.
• Select a Plant where the family will reside using the Ellipsis button.
• Enter an easily identifiable Family Code and description. The Family Code must be
unique for the plant and may not contain dashes (however, you may use underscores).
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3. Select the OK button. Assuming that you do not receive an error message about the
format of your Family Code, the Concrete Family Entry screen will appear. Above the
Mixes and Sampling Frequency tabs, you may enter information about the family.
The Concrete Family Entry screen allows you to enter important information such as Std Deviation for a family of mixes.
• In addition to displaying the Norm, Family Code, Family Description, and Plant, the
Concrete Family Entry screen allows you to enter other relevant details describing the
family that may not be apparent from standard properties using the Notes field.
• The Standard Deviation is used in calculations. It should be manually updated for
use in the next assessment period when the value calculated for the current period is
significantly different from the stored value, according to EN 206 guidelines.
• Select the Initial Production checkbox if the family is in the initial production status.
• The Cement Type, Cement Type2, Addition Type, and Aggregate Type fields
allow you to enter information about the properties of the family and generate lists
from the product class entries for the family norm.
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4. On the Mixes tab, mixes are added to the family by clicking on the green plus sing (+)
in the lower bar of the grid. This will open the Product Mix Selector screen.
The Product Mix Selector screen helps you sort through products at a certain plant and add them to this family.
• Filters are provided across the top, including Plant, Mix Code, and Product Search,
for use in data retrieval.
 The Display Options section contains options to determine the groups of columns
to display. Product Specifications will display class information for each product
such as Strength, Exposure, Cement Type, and Admixture Type. Mix Design
Properties will display mix design calculated properties such as Density, Total
Mass, and Total Fines. Constituents will display materials, supplier sources and
quantities for each mix design. Material Type Totals will display mix totals
summed for each material group. Material Properties will display properties of
the mix materials such as k-factor and absorption.
• You may highlight multiple mixes to add to the family. For a given norm, mixes may
only belong to one family. For example, if a mix already belongs to a family for a
particular plant and norm, you may not add it to the current family.
5. Once you have added mixes to the family, select a mix from the product grid followed
by the Update button to add (or change) the Reference Mix for the family. The
Reference Mix serves as the basis for the transformations of strength test results when
verifying family conformity to the standard thus allowing mixes of varying strengths to
be compared across the family.
6. To add a new test method to the family on the Sampling Frequency tab, select the green
plus sign (+) in the grid toolbar and select the Test Method you would like to add
using the Concrete Test Methods Selector screen.
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• The Concrete Test Methods Selector screen contains the list of system provided and user-
defined concrete tests that require sampling rates. For strength and density, sample
frequencies may be entered for each class code. If product classes or user-defined tests
are modified after the family has been created and saved, test methods for the for family
must be manually updated to reflect the changes.
The Concrete Test Methods Selector screen contains system provided and user defined test methods.
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7. After adding your Test Method to the Sampling Frequency tab, enter the values for
sampling frequencies that apply to your situation.
The Sampling Frequency tab allows you to determine the number of samples required per test method.
• A production day is defined as a calendar working day in which some minimum
volume of concrete is produced (configurable in Regional Values). A production week
is defined as a calendar week (Monday to Saturday) in which the minimum daily
volume requirement has been met for 5 weekdays (also configurable in Regional
Values).
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8. After adding information for the new family, select the Save button.
After selecting the Save button, only the Add Record button is active.
To enter new sampling frequencies for a product:

1. While on the Concrete Family module homepage, select the Product radio button in
the Mode section of filter criteria.
2. After selecting the Add Record button, the Add Product dialog box will appear. Enter all
necessary information.
The Add Product dialog box appears after selecting the Add Record button.
• Then Norm will automatically default to the Norm of the selected product once it has
been added to the dialog box.
• Select a Plant where the product resides using the Ellipsis button.
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• Select the Product using the Ellipsis button.
3. Select the OK button. The Concrete Family Entry screen will appear. In Product mode,
the Concrete Family Entry screen has a slightly different appearance.
• The Norm, Product, Product Description, and Plant are obtained directly from
the product values and are read only.
• Select the Initial Production checkbox if the product is in the initial production
status.
• The Standard Deviation is used in calculations. It should be manually updated for
use in the next assessment period when the value calculated for the current period is
significantly different from the stored value, according to EN 206 guidelines.
• The Cement Type, Addition Type, and Aggregate Type fields are not editable for
products.
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4. To add a new test method, select the green plus sign (+) in the grid toolbar and select
the Test Method you would like to add using the Concrete Test Methods Selector screen.
• The Concrete Test Methods Selector screen contains the list of system provided and user-
defined concrete tests that require sampling rates. For strength and density, sample
frequencies may be entered for each class code. If product classes or user-defined tests
are modified after the family has been created and saved, test methods for the for family
must be manually updated to reflect the changes.
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5. After adding your Test Method, enter the values for sampling frequencies that apply to
your situation.
The Sampling Frequency tab allows you to determine the number of samples required per test method.
• A production day is defined as a calendar working day in which some minimum
volume of concrete is produced (configurable in Regional Values). A production week
is defined as a calendar week (Monday to Saturday) in which the minimum daily
volume requirement has been met for 5 weekdays (also configurable in Regional
Values).
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6. After adding information for the product, select the Save button.
After selecting the Save button, only the Add Record button is active.
Concrete Producer - Materials

Modules under this subsection include: Materials, Region Materials, Plant Materials,
Blends, Material Suppliers, Grading Specifications.
Materials
{Files > Concrete Producer-Materials > Materials}
The Materials module is used to record the mechanical properties, standards, suppliers,
plants and documents associated with a material on a global level.
COMMANDqc will NOT recalculate mix costs until you take actions to do so, for example using
the Mix Adjuster module. Each time a COMMANDseries update is made, costs are updated
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based on the plant records for materials, but only after using Mix Adjuster to update the calculations
for the materials.
The Materials module lets you maintain and manage your materials by region and the type of material.
Toolbar Buttons
The following toolbar buttons are used specifically with the Concrete Products module.
These toolbar buttons are found on the Concrete Products module grid.
• The Obsolete Record is used to mark a concrete product as obsolete. Marking a
product obsolete is serious and should be done carefully. You will need to select a
Reason for making a product as obsolete. Also, the mixes associated with this product
will need to be marked Unavailable on the Plants tab.
When marking a product obsolete, you will be forced to accept a reason before continuing.
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• The Recover button is used to recover obsolete records; however, you will still need to
be careful when obsoleting records, regardless of the fact that you can recover them
using this button.
• If the Show obsolete items checkbox is marked, you may use the Recover button to
reactivate the material for use in mixes.
Filter Criteria
• The Region dropdown allows you to filter available materials by region.
• The Material Type dropdown lets you sort materials based on their type and the
Material Code and description fields allow you to further narrow your search by
supplier. The Material Code and Description allow you to perform wildcard searches
using the asterisk and the question mark. For more information on wildcard searches,
review the Using Wildcard Searches section.
The Material Entry Screen

• Once saved, the only editable fields located above the tabs for COMMANDseries users
are Material Type, Alternative Description and the Priority for Mix Adjuster Yield
Correction checkbox. If interfaced with a system such as Integra or
COMMANDbatch, the Description field remains editable after saving.
 The Alternative Description is used in the Mix Submittal module and will
override the description in the submittal’s mix design document.

 The Priority for Mix Adjuster Yield Correction field is used to set a priority for
the material when it comes to the Mix Adjuster module. If multiple materials are
available correct a mix yield, Mix Adjuster will use the material with the lowest
value.
• The Properties tab allows you to record various properties, based on Material Type,
which are used in mix calculated properties and as part of mix compliance checking.
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Some properties, such as the Fineness Modulus for aggregates, are calculated at the
time a nominal grading is added or changed.
The Properties tab is used to record minimum, nominal, and maximum values per Material Code.
 The Specific Gravity field is used in multiple calculations and must be added for
each material. This will become the default value for each supplier.
 The Batch Watcher Profile Group dropdown lets you select a predefined profile
group, set up using the Configurable Lists module, and allows the material to be
evaluated by the Batch Watcher using this group’s settings
 The Nominal Value, Min Spec and Max Spec columns are used to enter material
specification limits by property. Records are only saved for a property if a new value
is entered in this field.
 The Test Freq (Days) column is informational only and is not functional within
COMMANDqc.
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• The Gradings tab is available for aggregate materials only and allows you to determine
what grading specification should be used and how frequently grading values should be
entered.
The Grading tab is used to record nominal and ideal grading values per Material Code.
 The Sieve Size displayed are included in the set used by the grading specification.
The Min Spec and Max Spec values are automatically populated with values from
the grading specification. If the Ellipsis button next to the Grading Specification
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field is selected, the Grading Specification Selector will appear allowing you to change
the grading specification and associate a Norm and Dmax with this material.
Here, you can select a grading specification and its associated Norm and Dmax.
 The Test Frequency (Days) allows you to specify the number of days before
aggregate gradings must be re-tested.
 You can update the nominal grading with actual test results using the Select Tests
button, which lets you browse the Aggregate Sample Reports module for recent tests
associated with this aggregate. Retrieve recent gradation tests and highlight records
in the grid to be included in the nominal grading calculation. Click on the Update
button to return to the Grading tab and update the average sieve values to the
proposed grading column. Finally, click Apply to accept the proposed values as the
new nominal grading.
 The graph displays the minimum and maximum allowable values based on the
selected Grading Specification. Min and Max graphing can be turned off with the
checkboxes below the graph. The nominal values will be automatically added to the
graph as they are added/updated in the grading grid.
• The Standards tab allows you to associate this material with concrete and material
standards. To add a standard, select the green plus sign (+) button in the lower left-
hand corner.
 The Aggregate Type and Maximum Nominal Size dropdowns only appear for
aggregates. The Aggregate Type dropdown is used to further specify the type of
aggregate (coarse or fine). The Maximum Nominal Size dropdown is used to
define the nominal size for this aggregate material. For example, in US customary
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units, the nominal size may be 3/4”, 1/2”, or No. 8, while in metric it may be 20mm,
10mm, 2mm or .63mm.
The Standards tab allows you to associate standards with this particular material.
 For admixtures, the Admixture Type dropdown displays allowing you to further
specify the type of admixture, whether it is an accelerator, retarder, plasticizer, etc.
It is crucial that you use the Admixture Type field for admixtures.
The Standards tab for admixture materials includes an Admixture Type dropdown.
 The Concrete Standard and Material Standard columns display for all material
types, whereas Cement Designation, Cement Type and Cement Strength
columns display only for cementitious materials (or materials that affect
cementitious calculations), including cement, flyash, slag, silica fume and some
additives. Using the Agency Standard # field, you may enter a number associated
with this standard.
The Standards tab for cement materials included the Cement Designation, Cement Type and Cement Strength columns.
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• The Suppliers tab is used to add suppliers and their sources. It is important to note that
material properties use the supplier value first then, if not available, the Material Entry
value.
The Suppliers tab allows you to add supplier sources for that material.
 The Is Active column is used mark the supplier and its source as active.
 To add or edit a plant, use the corresponding Add Record and Edit buttons. The
Material Supplier Entry screen will display. For more information, refer to The
Material Supplier Entry Screen section below.
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• The Plants tab is used to edit batching properties on a per plant basis. You may also
enter dosing information for admixtures.
The Plants tab allows you to edit batching properties based on plant.
 To add or edit a supplier, use the corresponding Add Record and Edit buttons. The
Plant Material Entry screen will display. For more information, refer to The Plant
Material Entry Screen section below.
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• The Documents tab is used to attach material documents that can then be used or
attached to mixes in the Mix Submittals module.
The Documents tab is used to attach documents to a particular material.

 To add a document, select the green plus sign (+) button in the lower left-hand
corner. From here, you will be able to select from all the material documents
available. If you do not see your document in the list, you may use the Ellipsis
button to the right of the grid to add it (from a file available on your network) to
your database.
The Material Supplier Entry Screen

COMMANDqc provides the means to distinguish between materials from different
suppliers (organizations) or sources (production sites, geological deposits, etc). The source
of a material is not necessarily the same as the supplier as it is possible that a supplier can
provide similar materials from multiple sources or that multiple suppliers can furnish
material from the same source. Because both the supplier and the source have an impact on
material characteristics, COMMANDqc maintains the ability to organize and enter data
according to the material supplier source.
Information on the Material Supplier Entry screen, such as material properties and grading
data, is linked to material test results, is required for mix design calculations, and is used in
selected reports. It is important to note that most calculations use the supplier property
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value found here, on Material Supplier Entry, first; then, if not available, the Material Entry
value is used.
The Material Supplier Entry screen gives you control at the supplier, and more specifically the supplier source, level over material
properties, gradings, documents and standards.
• Above the properties tab, is an Is Active checkbox. Select this checkbox to activate the
material at the supplier. When a material supplier is inactive, it does not restrict
selection, as it is feasible to be testing or designing mixes for these materials before they
are available for use.
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• On the Properties tab is a list of material properties similar to the ones on the Properties
tab of Material Entry.
The Properties tab allows you to define material properties on a per material, per supplier basis.
 The Specific Gravity defaults from the value entered in Material Entry but may be
overridden on a supplier level here.
 The Nominal Value column is used to enter material specification limits by
property. You must fill this information in wherever possible as it is used in the Mix
Designs and Blends modules. For a list of properties and where they are used
throughout COMMANDqc, refer to the section.
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• The Grading tab is used for coarse and fine aggregates only and contains the same
information as the Material Entry screen but on a supplier level.
The Grading tab is used for aggregates only and corresponds to the gradings found per supplier.
 For more information on how to use this tab, refer to the Grading tab for Material
Entry.
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• The Documents tab is used to store documents per supplier that may be included in
mix submittals.
The Documents tab is used to attach documents to a particular supplier.

 To add a document, select the green plus sign (+) button in the lower left-hand
corner. From here, you will be able to select from all the material documents
available. If you do not see your document in the list, you may use the Ellipsis
button to the right of the grid to add it.
• The Standards tab gives you an area to add information on concrete and material
standards associated with that particular material.
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The Standards tab attaches concrete and material standards to each material supplier.
 The Is Certified checkbox allows you to specify if the material should be certified
for use. For materials other than fly ash and cement, this checkbox is use for
informational purposes only.
• If the material is fly ash, the Limit, Material Unit and Load Size Unit
columns also appear letting you limit the amount of fly ash allowed in a mix. If
the Is Certified checkbox is not marked, mix designs can include only up to the
minimum limit value.
The Standards tab attaches concrete and material standards to each material supplier.
• For cement, the Is Certified checkbox should be marked to ensure that it is
properly calculated in the W/C (Eq) and Cement (Eq) fields of Mix Design Entry.
• The Admix tab appears for admixtures only, as the material supplier determines the
dosage rate for dosed admixes.
 If admixtures do not need to be dosed, select none as the Dose Unit.
It is highly suggested that you use the plant dose rate rather than the supplier dose rate if you use
Integra as your dispatching system or COMMANDbatch. For all other systems, the supplier should
be used to dose admixtures. For more information, refer to the Batching tab of The Plant Material
Entry Screen.
When none is selected on the Admix tab, the only other fields that appear are Maximum Quantity and Minimum Quantity.
 Use the Maximum Quantity and Minimum Quantity fields to determine the
largest and smallest amount, respectively, that can be added per cubic yard of
concrete. Using the dropdown, you can determine the units for the quantities.
These fields are used by interfaced systems, more specifically Integra, to display a
range of acceptable admixture doses on mix reports. The mix reports will first pull
these values from the plant level, which is only available when the Integra license is
present, and then the values stored here on the supplier level.
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 If an admixture is to be dosed on a supplier level, use the dose option in the Dose
Unit dropdown. When selected, the Dose Rate and One Dose Equals sections will
appear. Here, you will need to enter a Dose Rate Qty, Dose Divisor, Divisor Units
and the Divisor Material Type Group.
The Admix tab allows you to set up dose rates to be used on the supplier level rather than the plant level.
• Dose Rate Qty - How much of this material to include.
• Batching Units - The measurement unit used for dispensing the admixture
when the concrete batch is created (a selection of volumetric and mass units).
• Dose Divisor - The mass of cement of cementitious material on which the dose
is based.
• Divisor Units - The scale unit for batching cement or cementitious materials.
• Divisor Material Type Group - Allows a selection of Cement and
Cementitious. Indicates if the dose divisor mass should consider only the
cement quantity or all cementitious materials. The latter option includes cement,
slag, silica fume, and fly ash materials; the former includes only cement materials.
• Maximum Quantity and - When in a dose setting, this field describes the upper
limit according to the dose definition.
• Minimum Quantity - When in a dose setting, this field describes the upper
limit according to the dose definition.
• The values in the percentage fields (% Strength Reduction, % Air Entrainment, %
Water Reduction) let you enter a water correction polynomial and are for
informational purposes only unless you are licensed for CL.
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Region Materials
{Files > Concrete Producer - Materials > Region Materials}
This module lets you manage the materials available at a particular region. You can add or
remove a material from the list of materials currently available for the region. When you add
a material, it is automatically added to your default region.
The Region Materials module allows you to assign particular materials to a specific region.
• The Region code and description dropdowns are populated based on your user
settings.
• Using the Material Type dropdown, you can sort the list of materials. For more
grouping and less filtering, select from the choices of All Materials, All
Cementitious (Cement, Fly Ash, Slag, Silica Fume), or Supplementary
Cementitious (Fly Ash, Slag, Silica Fume). Selecting the blank space is the same as
selecting All Materials.
To add or remove a material to/from a region:

1. To add a material, select the Region that you would like to add it to and the Material
Type.
2. Select the Edit button.
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3. Double-click or use the arrow buttons between the columns to move a material from
one column to the other. For example, you can move an item from the Materials
currently NOT available in this region column to the Materials currently available in
this region column and vice-versa.
4. Click the Save button to save any changes.
Plant Materials
{Files > Concrete Producer - Materials > Plant Materials}
The Plant Materials module is used to review and edit materials assigned to specific plants
and regions. You may also enter dosing information for admixtures.
The Plant Materials module helps you manage materials at the plant level.
You may sort through materials using the Region, Plant, Material Type and Material
Code filter criteria located at the top of the module.
The Plant Material Entry Screen

The Plant Material Entry screen allows you to enter plant specific characteristics, such as
batching information.
To edit an existing plant material:

1. If you select the Edit button, the Plant Material Entry screen will appear. Make any of the
necessary changes, whether you need to change the Shipping Status or update the
dosing information.
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• The General tab contains information about the material associated with the plant.
The General tab of the Plant Material Entry screen allows you to select the default supplier and enter accounting information
associated with this plant material.
 The Shipping Status dropdown defaults from the Item file in COMMANDseries.
f you use Integra or COMMANDbatch, you will need to enter the information
manually.
 The Is Saleable checkbox defaults from the Item file in COMMANDseries. If you
use Integra or COMMANDbatch, this is how you determine if the material is
saleable at the plant. You will need to enter the information manually.
 The Accounting Code field is used to map codes in systems such as SAP.
 The Moisture Percent field only appears for Coarse Aggregate and Fine Aggregate
materials and allows you to create a default moisture for aggregates per plant. It is
your responsibility to change this as needed.
 The Cost 1 field defaults from the Item file in COMMANDseries. If you use
Integra or COMMANDbatch, this is how you determine the costs of the material at
the plant. You will need to enter the information manually.
 The Cost Units dropdown defaults from the Item file in COMMANDseries. If
you use Integra or COMMANDbatch, this is how you determine the units used for
cost measurements at the plant. You will need to enter the information manually.
 The supplier grid displays all the suppliers associated with this material. The
Default checkbox indicates which supplier will be used as the default supplier for
this material. If the green plus sign is selected, the Material Supplier Selector screen will
appear.
Only one supplier can be selected as the Default supplier.

• The Batching tab is used to define the batch units for the material at each plant.
Admixtures have the added ability to override the dosing set up at the supplier level.
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It is highly suggested that you use the plant dose rate rather than the supplier dose rate if you use
Integra as your dispatching system or COMMANDbatch. For all other systems, the supplier should
be used to dose admixtures.
The Batching tab of Plant Material Entry is important for admixtures as it contains dosing information.
 The Batching Units and Alternative Batching Units dropdowns appear for all
materials. If you attempt to change the Batching Unit (or the dosing status for an
admixture), a warning will display to indicate that this is not recommended as
changing batching units may result in the design quantity and the design unit being
out of sync for mixes in COMMANDqc, the dispatch system and the batching
system.
 The Use Plant Dose Rate checkbox only appears for Admixture indicates that
plant level dosage information should be made available for mix designs instead of
the supplier level dosage. When selected, the Dose Rate and One Dose Equals
sections will appear. Here, you will need to enter a Dose Rate Qty, Dose Divisor,
Divisor Units and the Divisor Material Type Group.
• Dose Rate Qty - How much of this material to include.
• Dose Divisor - The mass of cement of cementitious material on which the dose
is based.
• Divisor Units - The scale unit for batching cement or cementitious materials.
• Divisor Material Type Group - Allows a selection of Cement and
Cementitious. Indicates if the dose divisor mass should consider only the
cement quantity or all cementitious materials. The latter option includes cement,
slag, silica fume, and fly ash materials; the former includes only cement materials.
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When selected, dosing information does not default from the supplier material and must be manually
entered. It is your responsibility to update plant level dose information if the supplier changes. It is
highly suggested that you use the plant dose rate rather than the supplier dose rate.
 The Include in Mix Yield and Mass Calculation checkbox only appears for
Admixture materials.
 For COMMANDbatch or Integra users, a Maximum Quantity and Minimum
Quantity field may appear. Here, you can specify a min. and max. amount of this
particular admixture allowed during batching so that a range is displayed on mix
reports. COMMANDqc will use the values entered here first and then the supplier
level values.
2. After adding or editing information, select the Save button.
Blends
COMMANDqc’s blends module allows you to optimize the use of aggregate and
cementitious blends. Using the Mix Adjuster module, you can update the blends you create
or you can even replace the current aggregates or cementitious materials in a mix with a
blend.
The Blends module helps you to easily create and maintain aggregate and cementitious blends.
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Toolbar Buttons
The following toolbar buttons are used specifically with the Blends module.
These toolbar buttons are found on the Blends module grid.

• The Obsolete Record button is used to mark a blend as obsolete, rather than deleting
it, so that it will be hidden from selectors. The blend must not be in use by an active
mix design.
• If the Show obsolete items checkbox is marked, you may use the Recover button to
reactivate the blend for use in mixes.
• The Copy Blend to Plants button is active when one or more blends are selected, a
Blend Type is selected and only one plant is selected.
These toolbar buttons are found on the Blends module grid.

 Using the Copy to Plants dialog, you can choose Destination Plants and enter a
Comment. Using the Use Default Plant Material Supplier and View Errors
Before Committing checkboxes allow you to further specify the conditions of
copying this blend.
Filter Criteria
• The Blend Type may be Aggregate or Cementitious.
• Using the Ellipsis button next to the Plant field will display the Plant Selector screen so
that you can easily view and select plants.
• The Blend code and description fields allow you to search using wild card characters,
making it easier to find a particular blend.
• The Contains Material field allows you to filter your results to only display blends
that contain a specified material with a particular supplier.
As is typical functionality in COMMANDqc, refresh the grid to update the results with
your specified preferences. Then double-click a blend record to select it and view the
Aggregate Blend Editor or Cement Blend Editor screen.
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The Aggregate Blend Editor
The Blends module automatically proportions aggregates so they adhere to a specified set of
conditions for your mix. This module provides you with the means to generate aggregate
proportions to achieve a combined grading that closely matches the target grading. It
provides options for optimizing the aggregate proportions based on achieving a desired
workability factor (WF) or coarseness factor (CF).
The Aggregate Blend Editor is used to edit and optimize aggregate blends.
• Several options used in aggregate blends exist above the tabs.
 Once initially saved, the Blend Code and Plant cannot be changed.
 The Optimization Method dropdown will determine how COMMANDqc will
calculate aggregate proportions.

• Ideal Grading - COMMANDqc will minimize the sum of the square of
deviations of the actual combined grading from the target grading curve for each
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sieve. You may choose to enter the percentage volume for one aggregate and
request that this value be held constant during the optimization process.
• Mix Cost - COMMANDqc will optimize the aggregate blend based on material
costs.
• Workability Factor - Coarseness Factor- The combined grading is
constrained within the minimum and maximum limits of the selected grading
specification, while at the same time COMMANDqc attempts to meet the target
and/or coarseness factor.
• Manual Entry - All aggregate proportions are manually entered and saved as a
blend. The sum of the proportions must equal 100% or you will receive an error
message when attempting to save the blend.
 The Grading Specification dropdowns are mandatory as they establish the
concrete sieve set for the optimization analysis parameters. The grading type will
also be used to prepare the material grading analysis for the optimizer. The Grading
Specifications module can be opened by using the Edit button to the right of the
Grading Specification dropdowns.
 When an aggregate blend is optimized, COMMANDqc sends back a log of the
original data sent to the optimizer solver and the results computed by the solver. The
View Log button will display the log of the most recent optimization completed for
the current session.
 Selecting the Optimize button will optimize the aggregate blend and update
material proportions.
 The Coarseness Factor and Workability Factor checkboxes and fields allow you
to define what percentage of the blend should be workable versus the coarseness.
They will be used in the CF-WF Chart and the Workability-Coarseness Factor
optimization method
 Selecting the Add Specification Limit Constraint checkbox will force a grading
specification constraint as part of calculations.

• The Materials tab allows you to select and edit supplier sources for the blend. Each
aggregate material must be unique and have nominal grading entered for the supplier
or global material. To add a material, select the green plus sign (+) button in the lower
left-hand corner.
The Materials tab allows you to select unique Material Codes in order to create the ideal blend.
 Select a Material Type. The same Material Type may be added more than once.
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 The Ellipsis button in the Material Code column opens the Material Supplier
Selector screen where you can select a material and a supplier in one step.
The Material Supplier Selector screen allows you to select a material and supplier in one step.
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 Selecting the Edit button next to the Supplier Source field will display the Material
Entry screen where you can edit the properties of that particular material.
The Material Supplier Selector screen allows you to select a material and supplier in one step.
For more information on all the tabs of the Material Entry screen, refer to the The
Material Entry Screen section above.
 The % Agg Volume field will be updated to reflect the Optimization Method,
unless Manual Entry is selected, once the Optimize button is used.

• The Grading tab contains the individual gradings for each material, the selected grading
specification and the calculated combined grading when proportions are known.
The Grading tab is used to display individual and combined gradings for each aggregate material.
 This tab contains Type, Grading Specification and Fines Sieve fields. For the Type
dropdown, select % Passing if the gradings for the materials display the percent of
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aggregates that passed through the different sieves or % Retained if the value for
each sieve is the percent of aggregate that is retained on each sieve.
 Select the Grading Specification to be used for the calculations. When a Grading
Specification is selected, minimum and maximum specifications are displayed on

the grid and depend on the selected Type. Note that the sieves are listed from the
largest size to the smallest size.
 The Fines Sieve field is the sieve size that defines the range of particles considered
as fines for the relevant calculated properties.

• The Properties tab contains calculated values for describing blend characteristics. This
grid is updated each time the blend is recalculated.
The Properties tab is used to display the total properties of the aggregate blend.
 The Water Demand field will update water requirements for mix designs based on
aggregate blend water requirements.
• At the bottom of the Aggregate Blend Editor there are two charts that give you a visual
representation of your grading properties. Two separate charts are provided so you can
analyze the grading data two different ways without having to change back and forth on
a single graph.
The Properties tab is used to display the total properties of the aggregate blend.
 Using the Edit button will display the Editing screen where you may edit how this
chart will display.
 Using the Print button will display the Print Grading Chart screen where you may
select printing options.
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 The blend can be displayed on the graph in the following ways using the Type
dropdown: % Passing, % Retained, 0.45 Power, or the CF-WF Chart.
• The 0.45 Power chart is the power chart for determining the best combined
gradation of aggregates. The ideal mixture of aggregates will show the combined
passing line as close to the red dotted line as possible, without crossing over it.
• The CF-WF Chart plots the Coarseness factor versus Adjusted Workability
Factor as a point on the same graph as the trend line and a parallelogram
representing the specified range of CF/WF.
 The specified range is set in the Grading Specifications dropdown. Instead of the
Grading Specifications dropdown, the Max Sieve Size dropdown displays when
the Type is set to 0.45 Power. The red line is determined by the maximum aggregate
size for the sieve specifications. To move the line, select a different sieve size from
this list.
 For the Scale dropdown, select either a standard or logarithmic scale (or one of the
reverse scales). Standard displays the sieves from smallest to the largest. Standard
Reversed is the reverse of the Standard graph. The sieves are displayed from the
largest to the smallest. Logarithmic displays in a logarithmic form from the
smallest sieve to the largest. Logarithmic Reversed is the reverse of the
Logarithmic graph and the sieves are displayed from the largest to the smallest. The
red line represents the Combined % Passing or the Combined % Retained. The
blend can be adjusted to fall within the specifications by adjusting the amount of
each aggregate.
 The Show Target checkbox allows you to display a line that represents the ideal
grading, or target, for graph Type % Passing and % Retained.
Cement Blend Editor

The Cement Blend Editor is used to create cementitious blends. When used with the Mix
Editions and Mix Adjuster modules, the Blends module for cementitious materials is a
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powerful tool that saves you time and allows you to make large changes on a daily basis with
ease.
The Cement Blend Editor allows you to create and edit cementitious blends.
• The Certified to Full Replacement checkbox allows you to indicate that the blend is
approved for full cement equivalence (or K=1.0 for all blend materials). This is a
requirement for European users where cement equivalence is calculated for use in the
water/binder ratio. This checkbox will automatically be marked for new blends.
• Similar to the Aggregate Blend Editor, you may only us a Material Code once and each
additional material will need to have a unique Material Code.
• The checkboxes in the Manual Entry column will always be selected as cementitious
blends are currently not optimized by COMMANDqc.
Material Suppliers
{Files > Concrete Producer - Materials > Material Suppliers}
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You can use the Material Suppliers module to view all materials and their suppliers. Use this
grid to quickly assess if material setup is complete.
The Material Suppliers module makes it easy to see a list of suppliers for a certain material.
Using the search criteria at the top, you can filter your search by Plant, Material Type,
Material and Standard Norm. The grid results are meant to show you all of the material
supplier properties. This is particularly important for producers who use the Mix Designs
module as it enables a quick visual check that required properties have been entered
properly.
The checkboxes in the MD Properties Complete, Supplier Has Grading, Material
Has Grading, and K Values Defined columns are an easy way for you to determine if a
material supplier has missing information.
Grading Specifications
{Files > Concrete Producer - Materials > Grading Specifications}
The Grading Specifications module enables the review and maintenance of aggregate
specifications for particle size distribution (also known in various regions as grading,
gradation, or sieve analysis) and coarseness-workability. Particle size distribution
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specifications can be made available for use in material and mix design functions
throughout COMMANDqc.
The Grading Specification module allows you to setup the specifications used in other modules such as Concrete Products and Blends.
To display a list of all existing grading specifications, use the Refresh button. If you wish to
be more specific, select a Norm from the dropdown or enter all or part of a specification
name in the Specification Search field.
To add a new grading specification:

Grading specifications may be added for a set of sieves, used for raw material analysis
purposes such as combined grading, or Coarseness-Workability, which is used to create the
coarseness-workability plot point and parallelogram seen on mix analysis graphs.
1. Select the Add Record button. The Add Grading Specification dialog box will appear.
The Add Grading Specification dialog box has two radio buttons that determine how and where this grading specification will
appear.
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• Specification Name - Use a specification name that is easily identifiable. When
creating names for products, mix designs and grading specifications, it is always
suggested to use some kind of naming convention to avoid duplicating information and
to keep COMMANDqc organized.
• Sieve - To create a grading specification that can be used for raw material analysis
purposes, such as combined grading, or mix design purposes, select this radio button.
• Coarseness-Workability - To create the coarseness-workability plot point and
parallelogram seen on mix analysis graphs (for example, on the Grading tab of The Mix
Design Entry Screen or the The Aggregate Blend Editor), select this radio button. To
add a new Coarseness-Workability grading specification, skip to step number 5.
2. If the Sieve radio button is selected, the Select Sieves dialog box will appear.
The Select Sieves dialog box lets you determine what sieves will be included as part of this grading specification for raw materials and
mix designs.
• The list of sieves in the Available Sieves section are initially set up using the Sieves
module. Using the arrow button, decide which sieves should be included as part of this
grading specification. You may also double-click a sieve or place a checkmark next to
the sieve to move it to the Included Sieves column.
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3. Once you have selected sieves, select the OK button. The Sieve Specification Entry screen
will appear.
The Grading Specification Entry screen allows you to define a grading specification for a selected set of sieves.
• Under the Visibility section, select whether or not the sieve is to be selectable in the
aggregate materials area of COMMANDqc (Aggregate checkbox) and/or the concrete
combined grading areas of COMMANDqc (Concrete checkbox).
• Select % Passing or % Retained for the Type depending on whether you need to
compare what is retained on each sieve or what passes through them.
• Under the Technical Properties section, you may use the dropdowns to further define
this grading specification as belonging to a Norm, as well as a Dmax or Agg Type
which are defined using the Concrete Requirement Classes module.
• Select the Select Sieves button to return to the Select Sieves dialog box.
• Select Includes Cementitious if this specification is a concrete combined grading
specification that includes the grading of cementitious materials. When selected, the
total cementitious mass will be assumed to pass the smallest sieve and will be included
in the total weight for combined grading calculations.
• If you wish to edit any information in the grid, place your cursor in the field you wish
to edit and click once to make that field editable.
The Tolerance (+/-) column allows you to enter the tolerance limit for the CalTrans sieves. You
should enter the tolerance limit that will be applied to the X factor to determine the acceptable range for
this sieve. When configuring the grading, you should also select CalTrans as the norm, and the
appropriate Dmax for the grading; entering this information will help link the grading specification to
the maximum coarse aggregate for the mix.
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• The Copy Specification button located at the top of this screen (only available after
using the Save button) makes it easy to copy this specification and save it as a new
grading specification.
4. Select the Save button to save the new grading specification.
5. If the Coarseness-Workability radio button is selected, the Coarseness-Workability
Specification screen box will appear.
The Coarseness-Workability Specification screen allows you to adjust the CF-WF point and parallelogram that appears in other
modules of COMMANDqc.
• Similar to the Grading Specification Entry screen above, you may use the dropdowns to
further define this grading specification as belonging to a Norm, as well as a Dmax or
Agg Type which are defined using the Concrete Requirement Classes module.
• The column that contains the Minimum Coarseness Factor and Maximum
Coarseness Factor fields are referring the point that gets created. The two Workability
Factor Minimum fields along with the two Workability Factor Maximum fields are
used to plot the four points of the parallelogram. Adjusting these values affects the
parallelogram that is displayed on the CF-WF charts in mix management and various
reports.
6. Select the Save button to save the new grading specification.
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The Concrete Producer Icon
The Concrete Producer icon is composed of modules that allow you to manage your
products and mixes, and their samples and specimens, on a daily or seasonal basis as well as
generate reports for compliance purposes.
Sections under the Concrete Producer icon:

• Concrete Test Data Entry - Accommodates the entry of sample and specimen data. This
section is currently being redeveloped and will be documented closer to the end of the
development cycle.
• Material Test Data Entry - Provides you with the ability to record and maintain test
results for all raw materials used in concrete production.
• Mix Management - Gives you total control over the properties and recipes of your
concrete mixes using modules such as Concrete Products, Mix Designs and Mix
Adjuster.
• Concrete Performance Analysis - Holds modules that focus on generating strength
graphs and ensuring that strength through gain analysis and strength performance
reports.
• Materials Analysis - Captures sample data for raw materials, specifically aggregates, and
generates reports, such as an aggregate sample report.
• Production Analysis -Provides you with tools to quickly analyze huge amounts of
production and delivery data with the goal of identifying inconsistencies, problems, or
trends that might otherwise get lost in the day-to-day running of your business.
• Compliance Reporting - Allows you to generate the reports generally used for
compliance and conformity purposes including mix submittals, test certificates and
sampling frequency reports.
• Concrete Reports - Contains statistical reports for easy reference.
Concrete Test Data Entry

This subsection is currently being redeveloped and will be documented closer to the end of
the development cycle.
Material Test Data Entry

The only module in this subsection is Material Samples.
Material Samples
{Concrete Producer > Material Test Data Entry > Material Samples}
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This module is used to enter test results for all raw materials (cements, aggregates, and
admixtures) used in concrete.
The Material Code is the only required field on the Material Samples form.
Toolbar Buttons
The following toolbar buttons are used specifically with the Material Samples module.
These toolbar buttons are found in the Material Samples module.

• Print Preview - Print preview of the current report or grid.
• Material Analysis Report - Opens the Aggregate Sample Reports module where you
can review the materials that were tested and how many samples were taken at one or
more laboratories within a specified date range.
• Delete Record - Delete the selected or current record.
• File Import - QC Aggregate Results Import - Opens the File Import screen,
allowing you to import external data files to COMMANDqc.
Filter Criteria
• Material Code - (Required) This is the code you assigned to the product in Materials
Entry.

• The Supplier and Plant fields allow you to narrow the sample search to a select
supplier or plant. you may also use the Ellipsis button next to Material Code to specify
a particular supplier.
• Sample Date From / To - Define a date range within which samples must have been
taken in order for them to be retrieved and included in the list of results.
To add a new sample:

1. First, you need to enter the Material Code, followed by the Refresh button, for the type
of sample you would like to add.
2. Select the Add Record button. The Material Sample Entry screen will appear. Here you
will enter test results (and grading results for aggregates).
The Material Sample Entry form above opens when you select the Add Record button.
• Above the tabs are the following data entry fields:

 Supplier - Select from the list of suppliers which are set up using the Contacts
module.
The Material Supplier Selector is launched for you to select a material and its supplier from those currently existing in
COMMANDqc.
 Supplier Ref No- This is a free-form field used by COMMANDqc as a further
means of filtering results, (for example, filtering by delivery ticket, consignment
note, etc,).
 Source Reference - You may use this field to make any notes regarding the
Supplier.
 Sample ID - (Required) This is the unique Sample ID, if one exists.
 Sample Date - (Required) This is the date the sample was taken.
 Sample Time - This is the time the sample was taken.
 Sampled By - The User ID of the person performing the sample.
 Laboratory - This is the laboratory that performed the test or was the source of
most of the test information. This section of the program will not track the source of
all tests that are contracted out for the sample, or come from other labs. To do this,
you will need the COMMANDqc Aggregate Producer Module.
 Plant - This is the batch plant that the sample was taken from; if the sample was
taken at the quarry, this is the batch plant represented by the sample.
 Customer - This is the customer the sample was performed for.
 Project - This is the project associated with this sample.
 Comment - You may use this field to enter any comments associated with this
sample.
 Exclude Sample - Selecting this checkbox excludes the sample from analysis.
 Sample Failed - Selecting this checkbox indicates that the sample failed the
analysis.

• The Material Sample Entry form opens to the Grading Results tab by default. If you are
entering the test results for an aggregate, you will this tab.
Selecting the Ellipsis button in the Grading Specification field launches the Grading Specification Selector; select an appropriate
Grading Specification and select the OK button to return to the Material Sample Entry form.

 It's important to know that the Grading Specification you choose will determine
what sieves are available for entering results. Use the Ellipsis button to open the
Grading Specification Selector screen.
Selecting the Ellipsis button in the Grading Specification field launches the Grading Specification Selector; select an appropriate
Grading Specification and select the OK button to return to the Material Sample Entry form.
 Using the Entry Mode section, you can choose between three different methods of
entering data. The Mass on Sieve entry mode allows you to weigh each sieve one at
a time using the tare function of your scale. The Cumulative Masses mode lets
you weigh your sieves by adding each sieve to the current weight until you receive a
cumulative weight for all of your sieves.
 Use the Calculate and Plot button to generate the graph on the right.

• The Test Results tab gives you somewhere to enter the results for material tests (per
supplier). As a reference, it also displays the minimum and maximum specifications for
that material.
Under the Test Results tab, you will enter all the relative information for your sample’s test results using the grid.
• At the bottom of the Material Sample Entry screen, you will notice additional fields,
including Mass of Tray, Tray + Initial Sample, Tray + Washed Sample, Initial
Sample, Dried Sample after Washing, and Fines. These fields allow you to
calculate the percentage of fines you have in your aggregate, or the silt percentage.
• You will enter the mass of your tray and the initial weight of the tray plus the
weight of the sample. After washing the sample, enter the weight of the tray and
the washed sample in the relevant field.
As you enter values in the Mass of Tray, Tray + Initial Sample, and Tray + Washed Sample fields, calculated values populate the
corresponding fields.
• The silt percentage that is calculated here will also be updated on the Test Results
tab. Note that you can also override this value. Also, the Fineness Modulus is

calculated based on the grading information provided under the Grading Results
tab.
3. Select the OK button to close the Material Sample Entry screen and return to the
Material Samples module.
Mix Management
All of the following modules are covered as part of a Mix Management tutorial series. For
more information, refer to Additional Help and Reference Information. Modules include:
• Concrete Products - Helps you define the properties of your concrete products to meet
the specifications of engineers. A concrete product is a saleable, line-item good based
on certain design criteria and may be sold from many plants.
• Mix Designs - Holds the individual mixes assigned to concrete products. These are the
proportions of raw materials and are specific to a single batch plant.
• Mix Adjuster - Permits bulk modification of multiple mixes at once allowing you to
make changes quickly.
• Mix Activation - Enables you to activate multiple mixes at once.
• Mix Adjuster Logs - Stores all activity that occurs in Mix Adjuster for easy reference.
• Mix Editions - Restores mixes to a predetermined point in time. This allows you to
create groups of mixes that may be used seasonally.
• Mix Sets - Lets you construct products by applying strength to water/cement attributes
to a common set of constituents.
Concrete Products
COMMANDqc separates Concrete Products from Mix Designs to distinguish between
system-wide product characteristics and plant specific production requirements. A
Concrete Product is a set of identifying, descriptive, and specifying information that relates
to the concrete's performance when it is delivered, finished, and put to use. Products are
identified by a Product Code and Description. In simpler terms, the product describes what
the concrete will do. Mix Designs are specific to a single plant. You can create a slightly
different Mix Design for each plant, each with the same Mix ID as the Concrete Product
that defines the characteristics of the concrete. If you create a separate Mix ID for each

plant, separate Concrete Products must be created for each Mix ID making it more difficult
to identify and organize mixes.
The Concrete Products module makes it easy to view a product’s specifications.
Toolbar Buttons
The following toolbar buttons are specific with the Concrete Products module:
These toolbar buttons are found on the Concrete Products module grid.
• The Obsolete Record is used to mark a concrete product as obsolete. Marking a
product obsolete is serious and should be done carefully. You will need to select a

Reason for making a product as obsolete. Also, the mixes associated with this product
will need to be marked Unavailable on the Plants tab.
When marking a product obsolete, you will be forced to accept a reason before continuing.
• The Recover button is used to recover obsolete records; however, you will still need to
be careful when obsoleting records, regardless of the fact that you can recover them
using this button.
• The Show obsolete items checkbox toggles the grid display between active and
obsolete records. After changing the checkbox you will need to refresh the display.
Filter Criteria
Use the Refresh button to list all products or limit your search using the filter criteria.
• You may choose to limit your search to a single product or a defined group of products
by entering the appropriate Product Code(s). Multiple codes must be separated by
commas. Select on the Ellipsis button to display a list of products and product groups
from which you can quickly select the codes instead of entering them by hand.
• The Product Search field allows you to enter a partial code or description using the
wildcard characters. For more information on wildcard searches, refer to the Using
Wildcard Searches section.
• For the Process Level field, select from Standard, Restricted, or Custom. Leaving this
field blank means no limitation. Commercial mixes which may belong to a design
family fall under the Standard option and normal practices and workflow policies are
applied. The Custom option contains derivatives of commercial mixes which belong
to their parent’s design family; however, these products can be operated on outside of
the design family. Restricted products are customer specific or contract mixes with
stricter rules on editing and approval processing. Restricted products cannot be in a
family.
• Using the Product Category field, select from a list of categories that have been pre-
defined for your company's use. These are maintained in the Product Categories
module. For more information, refer to the Product Categories section.
Common Procedures
To create a new product:

4. To create a new product, select the Add Record button.

If the Users must create new mix products on COMMANDseries setting is set to Yes in the Regional
Settings module, the Add Record button will not appear on the Concrete Products grid or Concrete
Product Entry screen.
5. The New Product dialog box will display.
The New Product dialog box requires you to enter a unique Product Code.
• Only new Product Codes can be entered in the Product Code field. If a Product already
exists with that code, you will receive an error message. If your system is configured for
plant specific product numbering, the Product Code field is not editable;
COMMANDqc will create a unique code based on the plant entered. In this case, the
Plant Selector screen will be displayed and you must enter or select a plant in order to
create the new product.
It is important to note that, in order to keep your mixes organized, your company should have a
naming convention for products and their descriptions.
6. Enter all required information and select the OK button. The Concrete Products Entry
screen will display.
7. Using the Specification, Plants, Specimen Test Defaults and Other tabs, enter product
properties.
8. Select the Save button when you have finished entering information.

To copy an existing product:
1. When a product is open, selecting the Save As button displays the Save as New Product
dialog box. Here, you can save a copy of the current product as a new product with a
New Product Code.
The Save As New Product dialog box displays when copying a a product.
• Only a non-existing product code may be entered when using the New Product
Code field. If a product already exists with that code, you will receive an error message.
If your COMMANDqc is configured for plant specific product numbering, this field is
not editable; rather, COMMANDqc will create a unique code based on the plant.
• The Description, Process Level, Product Category and Norm fields are required.
• The Retain Mix Design Family checkbox allows you to add this new product to the
same concrete family as the original product.
• The Select Mix Designs to be Copied area shows active plants to which the mix can be
copied. They must be highlighted for the mix to be copied over to that plant. Select a
line to highlight it. You may use the Ctrl key to select more than one plant or Ctrl +
A to select all of the displayed plants.
2. Using the Save As New Product dialog box, enter all required information. Select the
Save button. The standard Concrete Products Entry screen will display. The Product
Category and Norm fields default from the original product allowing you to use the
same product specification setup as the original product.
3. Make any necessary changes to the copied product and select the Save button for the
Concrete Products Entry screen.
When you use the Save As function to copy a mix, COMMANDqc will include the blend (if it
exists) in the new copy of the mix.

To edit an existing product:
1. If you select the Edit button, the Concrete Products Entry screen will appear.
2. Make any of the necessary changes, whether you need to change the alternate
description or make adjustments to a product’s performance properties.
The Concrete Products Entry Screen
The Concrete Products Entry screen is used to enter class and requirement information for a concrete product.
• Above the tabs of the Concrete Products Entry screen is a Save As button as well as general
information about the product.
 When a product is open, selecting the Save As button displays the initial Save as
New Product screen so you can save a copy of the current product as a new product
with a different Product Code. Mixes attached to the product will also be renamed
and copied to the plants chosen.
This toolbar button is found on the Concrete Products Entry screen.

 The Product Code field and Delivery Unit dropdown are only editable when
creating a new product.
 The Description, Alt. Description, and Short fields allow you to describe the
product for easy identification.

 The Created and By fields are for historical purposes and allow you to determine
where the product came from and when.

• The layout of the Specification tab is user configured. For more information, refer to
the Concrete Product Screen Layout section which covers the Concrete Product
Screen Layout module. Here, you can create a separate layout for each configured
Norm.
The Specification tab is used to record mechanical property limits associated with this product.
 As you enter Product Specification settings on the left, corresponding Mix Limits
and Targets are brought in on the right. These form the basis of mix compliance
checking.
 When first creating a product, you will need to select information for the Product
Categories, Norm and Process Level fields. Once created, you cannot edit or
change these fields.

• The Plants tab is used to determine where the product should be made available for
production and what the mix design should be at each plant.
The Plants tab is used to determine what plants the product should be made available for.
 The grid contains a list of all plants within your region. The Status column shows
whether a mix is Active, Inactive, or Unavailable at a plant. Where a plant is listed
and the Status is blank, a mix record has not been made for that plant yet.
• For integrations with COMMANDseries, the product is available for orders and
batching whether the Status is set to Active, Inactive, or Unavailable.
• For integrations with Integra or COMMANDbatch, the product is available for
orders and batching when set to Active. When set to Inactive, orders and batching
is still permitted; however, when set to Unavailable, orders cannot be taken for
this product and the mix is invisible.
 If you select a row followed by the Edit button (or simply double click a row), the
Mix Design Entry screen will open. Note that the Status must be Active or Inactive in
order to reach this screen. For more information on this screen, refer to The Mix
Design Entry Screen.
• Use the Specimen Test Defaults tab to enter settings specific to how concrete sample
and test data should be entered for this product. COMMANDqc will use the
laboratory settings established from the Setup icon, therefore these settings may be left
blank; however, special situations may require special Specimen Types or Test Ages and

you may use this tab to enter that information. For example, paving products may
require flexural tests instead of, or in addition to, standard compressive tests.
The Specimen Defaults tab is used to make note of any special defaults for this product.
 Use the plus sign (+) in the bottom left-hand corner of the grid to add a row.
 The Std Curing Temperature and Q Value fields will default to the value located
under your configured Laboratories. The Q Value, often an early strength predictor,
is generally used in calculations for the European market.

• The Other tab is used to add additional information related to this product.
The Other tab allows you to capture extra information about the product such as Customer and Project.
 The Saleable checkbox allows you to mark the product as saleable in
COMMANDseries.
 You can also enter an Expiration Date for the product. Note that
COMMANDseries will not allow orders to be taken for a product past its expiration
date.
 Use the Customer or Project fields for this product, if applicable. This option
typically only applies to Restricted products, but can be entered for any Process
Level setting.
This information (customer and product) is not pushed over to the dispatch system.
 You may record any additional Comment of up to 255 characters related to this
product.
 Select a lab for this product using the Laboratory dropdown if you need a historical
review of where the product was created.
 The Grade Pool and Grade Name fields let you categorize mixes according to
their specified strength. These fields are available in analysis reports to aid in sorting.
 The documents grid allows you to save documents to products for use in Mix
Submittals. Use the plus sign (+) or Ellipsis button to add new documents.

Mix Designs
A Mix Design is prescriptive information that describes the concrete's constituent materials,
their quantities, and other production information such as the batching sequence and plant
mixing time. In simpler terms, the Mix Design describes how the concrete is made, as well
as how it satisfies the characteristics of its associated Concrete Product. The Mix Designs
module and associated reports provide you with a means to easily retrieve, organize, and
compare your mixes.
COMMANDqc will NOT recalculate mix costs until you take actions to do so, for example using
the Mix Adjuster module. Each time a COMMANDseries update is made, costs are updated
based on the plant records for materials.
The Mix Designs module is a powerful tool for comparing mixes.

Toolbar Buttons
The following toolbar buttons are used specifically with the Mix Designs module.
These toolbar buttons are found on the Mix Designs module grid.
• The Mix Design Analysis Reports button opens the Mix Analysis Report Options
screen where you can create a report for a particular mix design. Note that you can only
use this button when one single mix is selected, not multiple mixes. Refer to The Mix
Analysis Report Options Screen for more information on using this screen.
• The Mix Sample Grading Reports button is used to generate report for aggregate
gradings within a mix. Similar to the Mix Design Analysis Reports button, you may
only have one mix selected to use this button. Refer to The Mix Design Report
Options Screen in Mix Designs for more information on using this screen.
• The Copy Mix To Plants button is used to copy multiple mixes to other plants. For
more information, refer the following procedure: To copy a mix to one or more plants:
• The File Import - Mix Design Import button is used to open the File Import
module. For information on how to use File Import, refer to the corresponding section.
Filter Criteria
• You may use the search criteria to filter your mixes. The only required field to populate
the results grid is the Plant field; however, you may wish to enter a Mix Code, a
specific product code or description using the Product Search, and/or the Delivery
Unit to narrow your results.
• You may also choose to Display All Mix Revisions or All Mix Statuses using the
checkboxes. This can be useful for tracking the changes to a mix over a period of time
especially if the Mix Design Properties and Constituents options are selected in the
Display Options.
• Use the Display Options checkboxes to determine what additional columns you would
like to view.
 If you select the Product Specifications checkbox, current mechanical property
values (such as Specified Strength) will appear as additional columns.

 The Mix Design Properties checkbox will display the stored Calculated Property
values that were calculated whenever the mix was last saved.
 The Mix Cost checkbox will add a column (titled Stored Mix Cost) to the results
grid so that you can review the cost currently associated with that mix.
 The Material Type Totals checkbox will display the total combined mass of each
type of material in the mix.

 The No. 28D Strength Samples checkbox will add a column (titled # Samples) to
the results grid allowing you to view the number of samples associated with that mix
corresponding to a date range. Using the From field, you can specify how far back to
look at the number of samples available. The total number of samples is the from
this date, specified in the From field, to today’s date for that mix.

 The Constituents checkbox will display all constituents and their quantities. If
selected, the Use Material Descriptions checkbox will also appear. If Use Material
Descriptions is also selected, rather than showing the constituents by supplier
source in the column headers, they will display using the descriptions.
COMMANDqc can show you admixture dosage information. Simply select the Constituents
checkbox. At least one mix in the selection criteria will need a dosed admixture in order for you to see
this column.
 The Material Properties checkbox display the Mix Dmax, Mix Cement Type and
Mix Cement Class columns.
• Use the Refresh button once you have entered all the filter criteria that you would like
use, including the required Plant field.
The Mix Design Entry Screen

You may double click a mix or select a mix followed by the Edit button to reach the Mix
Design Entry screen, which usually opens on the Constituents tab.
Rather than accessing the Mix Design Entry screen through the Mix Designs module, it is highly
recommended you use the Plants tab in the Concrete Products module.

The Mix Design Entry screen allows you to view constituent, grading and production information.
• Above the tabs of the Mix Design Entry screen, there are several toolbar buttons as well
as general information about the mix design.
These toolbar buttons are found on the Mix Design Entry screen.
 The Copy Mix to Plant button is used to copy multiple mixes to other plants. For
more information, refer the following procedure: To copy a mix to one or more
plants:
 The Print Mix Design Report button is used to generate a report for this
particular mix. Refer to The Mix Analysis Report Options Screen for more
information on using this screen.
 The Mix Sample Grading Reports button is used to generate a combined grading
report. Refer to The Mix Design Report Options Screen in Mix Designs for more
information on using this screen.
 The Set to Trial Mix button is used to make the mix non-batchable and designates
a trial batch used in a laboratory.
 The Set to Production Pending Status button is only available if the mix is
currently a trial mix. Use this button to make the mix available for mix activation
and to reset it as a non-trial mix.
 For a mix to be batchable, it must first be activated. Using the Activate Mix At
Plant button, you will need to activate the mix.

• The Specifications tab lets you review the design properties and specifications
previously configured on The Concrete Products Entry Screen for the associated
product.
The Specifications tab is made up of the specifications related to this mix’s product.
 The Mix Limits and Targets area displays mix requirements imposed by the most
restrictive Requirement/Class. For Strength, it is the Nominal, or specified,
strength and minimum strength from the Strength Class. COMMANDqc will
calculate a Target strength based on the K factor, Grade Factor, and plant standard
deviation. The Max Water-Cement ratio is taken from the product's Exposure Class,
if used, or the Max Water-Cement ratio requirement for the product, whichever is
smaller or more restrictive. The same is true for the Minimum Cement. Density is
taken from the Density Class. The Air Content value is taken from the Minimum
Air Class. The Yield value is taken from the plant default. Concrete Requirement
Classes are configured using the Concrete Requirement Classes module.
 You can enter a Design Target as a mix level override or other design constraints as
needed, but only for these Design Targets: Strength Class, Density Class, Air
Content and Yield.

• The Constituents tab lets you add or delete constituents in a mix. On this tab, you can
alter materials and their quantities, as well as view the associated Calculated Properties
section.
The Constituents tab displays materials and their quantities as well as the Calculated Properties associated with them.
 The material grid allows for a simplified view of important information related to a
material, its supplier and its quantity.
The material grid allows you to add, replace or remove constituents and their suppliers easily, as well as update quantities.
 The Calculated Properties section summarizes some of the important properties of
your mix. It describes the characteristics of the concrete. As constituents are added
or deleted, the list to the left summarizes the mix by its material types and calculates
the Quantity and Volume for each. The list to the right displays the properties of

the mix, based on the current material properties and their proportions. Since the list
is longer than the default screen size allows, you can move the properties up and
down using the drag-and-drop method to achieve your favorite layout.
COMMANDqc will remember this layout. Values highlighted in yellow are those
that have changed since the last time the mix was saved. The Mix Design Entry screen
will display the calculated values based on the most recent materials settings with the
changes highlighted for warning purposes.
The Calculated Properties section contains calculated values based on the chosen materials.
 The Design Options section allows you to easily manage any aggregate or cement
blends associated with this mix and lets you to attach a mix to a strength curve.
The Design Options section allows you to easily view aggregate or cement blend information.
• Selecting the Aggregates button will display the Aggregate Determination screen.
Refer to the Aggregate Determination section below for more information on
using this screen.
• Selecting the Cement button will display the Cement screen. Refer to the
Cement section below for more information on using this screen.
 The Production section allows you to adjust the Mixing Time (in seconds) for the
plant where this mix resides.
The Production section allows you to easily view production information.

• The Grading tab displays the aggregates and associated gradings from the materials in
the selected mix. You may select a Grading Specification used to calculate the combined
gradings of the aggregates in the mix. The information in the grid is used to plot data

points on a graph so it can be determined if the mix falls within the proper
specifications.
The Grading tab is used to view aggregate grading properties.

 This tab contains Type, Grading Specification and Fines Sieve fields.
• For the Type dropdown, select % Passing if the gradings for the materials
display the percent of aggregates that passed through the different sieves or %
Retained if the value for each sieve is the percent of aggregate that is retained on
each sieve.
• Select the Grading Specification to be used for the calculations. When a
Grading Specification is selected, minimum and maximum specifications are
displayed on the grid and depend on the selected Type. Note that the sieves are
listed from the largest size to the smallest size.
• The Fines Sieve field is the sieve size that defines the range of particles
considered as fines for the relevant calculated properties.
 At the bottom of the Grading tab there are two charts that give you a visual
representation of your grading properties. The two independent charts are provided
so you can analyze the grading data two different ways without having to change
back and forth on a single graph.
• Using the Edit button will display the Editing screen where you may edit how this
chart will display and using the Print button will display the Print Grading Chart

screen where you may select printing options. For more information on chart
functions, refer to COMMANDqc Basics.
• The mix can be displayed on the graph in the following ways using the Type
dropdown: % Passing, % Retained, 0.45 Power, or the CF-WF Chart. The 0.45
Power chart is the power chart for determining the best combined gradation of
aggregates. The ideal mixture of aggregates will show the combined passing line
as close to the red dotted line as possible, without crossing over it. The CF-WF
Chart plots the Coarseness factor versus Adjusted Workability Factor as a point
on the same graph as the trend line and a parallelogram representing the specified
range of CF/WF.
• The specified range is set in the Grading Specifications dropdown. Instead of
the Grading Specifications dropdown, the Max Sieve Size dropdown displays
when the Type is set to 0.45 Power. The red line is determined by the maximum
aggregate size for the sieve specifications. To move the line, select a different
sieve size from this list.
• For the Scale dropdown, select either a standard or logarithmic scale (or one of
the reverse scales). Standard displays the sieves from smallest to the largest.
Standard Reversed is the reverse of the Standard graph. The sieves are
displayed from the largest to the smallest. Logarithmic displays in a logarithmic
form from the smallest sieve to the largest. Logarithmic Reversed is the reverse
of the Logarithmic graph and the sieves are displayed from the largest to the
smallest. The red line represents the Combined % Passing or the Combined %
Retained. The mix can be adjusted to fall within the specifications by adjusting
the amount of each aggregate in the mix. This is accomplished by selecting the
Constituents tab and making adjustments.
• The Show Target checkbox controls the display of the Grading Target on the
chart for % Passing and % Retained types.
• Information on the Production tab will ultimately be communicated to the batch
computer where it is used to control how the mix is batched. The available Tolerance

Profiles and Batching Sequence codes are defined by users during the database setup
and configuration stage of implementation.
The Production tab contains information required by the batching system.

 When a new mix is created, the Tolerance Profile will automatically be set to the
global default located in the Regional Values module. The Batching Sequence will
take the default value defined in the plant setup of the Contacts module. If either of
these default values are blank, the corresponding field on the Production tab will be
blank. You can select a value for the Tolerance Profile and/or the Batching Sequence
using the associated dropdown list. Selections in these fields are set up in the
Configurable Lists module. Changing and saving the Tolerance Profile and/or
Batching Sequence does not create a new mix revision. These fields are sent to
COMMANDseries whenever the mix is activated, but only a few types of batching
systems are designed to make use of this information.

• The Other tab gives you even more options when saving a mix.
The Other tab stores information about a mix related to revisions and approval and is useful when pulled into reporting modules.
 The Revision Comment field defaults blank. When a mix is changed in Mix
Adjuster, this field is automatically set to the batch Description that you entered
when you saved the Mix Adjuster changes.
 Approver Notes are entered in an external mix approval process and cannot be
edited by users.
 The Approved for Submittal checkbox is used to mark mixes that have met
internal criteria and are available to be used in the Mix Submittal feature.
 The Stored Mix Analysis Report is used to generate an ACI report for this mix for
use in the Mix Submittal feature. The PDF icon is used to view the ACI report.
 You can also attach documents using the documents grid, such as a strength
overdesign report.
Aggregate Determination
The Aggregate Determination screen is similar to The Aggregate Blend Editor available in
the Blends module.

Cement
The Cement screen lets you view blend information, strength curve information, and the
Specified and Target Strength values. The added curve must be active for the selected
plant or region and the cement content will not automatically be selected.
The Cement screen allows you to attach a strength curve generated using the Strength-Water/Cement Curves module.
• Selecting the Edit button launches the Cement Blend Editor.

The Mix Analysis Report Options Screen
The Mix Analysis Report Options screen is used to generate an analysis report that can be
attached to various products or mixes.
The Mix Analysis Report Options screen allows you to create various mix analysis reports to meet requirements.
• The Include Aggregate Gradation Analysis checkbox will include a table on a
separate page with a percent passing column for each coarse and fine aggregate material.
Refer to Mix Analysis Report Options: Figure 1 below for an example.
 The Grading Specification dropdown determines the sieves displayed for the
report. It is recommended that mix combined grading specification is selected to

ensure the full complement of sieves are available.
 If, for some reason or another, you are missing combined data for a sieve, selecting
the Interpolate Missing Sieves checkbox will have COMMANDqc interpolate

this information when including the combined passing or retained columns, which
are selected using the Combined % Passing or Combined % Retained
checkboxes from the Table Options section. Refer to Mix Analysis Report Options:
Figure 2 for an example of not selecting this checkbox and Mix Analysis Report
Options: Figure 3 for an example when this checkbox is selected.
 The Chart Options section allows you to add various charts in your report. Refer to
Mix Analysis Report Options: Figure 4 for some examples.

• The Include Coarseness-Workability Chart checkbox allows you to add the
corresponding chart, shown in Mix Analysis Report Options: Figure 5,to the report.
Using the dropdowns, you can specify a CF-WF Specification which determines the
size and shape of the parallelogram and the trend lines, well as the Coarseness Factor
Axis which orients the parallelogram on the chart.
• The Include Chart checkbox in the Strength-W/C Analysis section allows you to add
Strength-W/C information to the report and includes the chart shown in Mix Analysis
Report Options: Figure 6. Additionally, once the chart is included, you may add an
extra table (Mix Analysis Report Options: Figure 7)that displays batch weights for this
section using the Include Batch Weights checkbox.

• Selecting the Show Admixture Quantity checkbox will fill in the Design Quantity in
the materials information table added to every report (Mix Analysis Report Options:
Figure 8). Not selecting this checkbox will place a dash in that section so that you do
not have to report the design quantity of admixture materials(Mix Analysis Report
Options: Figure 9).
• The Show Dosage Range checkbox will display the dosage as a range.
• The Show Cost On Report checkbox will display mix costs on the report.
• The Show Design Properties checkbox will add information about the design
properties, such as density or chloride content, under the materials information table as
shown in Mix Analysis Report Options: Figure 9.
• The Engineer and Approved By fields (Mix Analysis Report Options: Figure 10),
along with the Report Title field and Report Template dropdown(Mix Analysis
Report Options: Figure 11), allow you to customize the footer and header respectively
of your reports.
Mix Analysis Report Options: Figure 1
Here, only the Include Aggregate Gradation Analysis and Combined % Passing checkboxes have been selected along with a Grading
Specification.

When you select Combined % Passing and Combined % Retained in the Table Options, the corresponding columns are added to the
table.

The Interpolate Missing Sieves checkbox will fill in missing combined data by interpolation as shown here.

These are examples of the types of charts that you can include in your report.

You may also choose to add a Coarseness-Workability chart.

Using the Strength-W/C Analysis section, you can add a chart that displays the Water/Cement ratio as a function of Strength.

This is an example of the table included with the Include Batch Weights checkbox.

When Show Admixture Quantity is selected, the Design Quantity will be filled in for admixture materials.
The Design Properties are adding directly under the table with material information.
Using the Engineer and Approved By fields add information to the footer of the report.

Using the Report Title field, you can customize the title of your report.
The Mix Design Report Options Screen in Mix Designs

The Mix Design Report Options screen, reached using the Mix Sample Grading Reports
button in Mix Designs or on the Mix Design Entry screen, allows you to customize an
individual or combined aggregate grading report for mixes based on recent test data. This
report screen has the standard grid functionality and you may save your settings similarly by
using the Save button. The first page of the report is similar to Mix Design Report Options:
Figure 1 and the following options allow you to edit the table that appears on the second

page.
The Mix Design Report Options screen allows you to customize aggregate sample reports.
• The Use Most Recent Samples As Of fields let you specify what samples will be
included in the grid for you to select from. You can narrow the results grid by the
number of samples and date range using these fields. Select the refresh button after
enter information here, as well as the Grading Specification dropdown, to generate a
list of samples.
• When the Use Multiple Samples checkbox is selected, you can select multiple
samples of each aggregate to include an average of these samples in the resulting report.
• The Aggregate Results section allows you to add a % Passing or % Retained grading
for each aggregate sample on the report. The Mass On Sieve and Cumulative Mass
checkboxes may only be selected when using one sample per aggregate (the Use
Multiple Samples checkbox is NOT selected). Refer to Mix Design Report Options:
Figure 2 for an example.
• The Combined section allows you to add a combined % Passing or % Retained to the
report as shown in Mix Design Report Options: Figure 3.
• The Use % Retained for Composite Grading checkbox allows you to add a
composite grading to the report.

• The F.M. Tolerance field allows you to enter a fineness modules tolerance. This field
will display on the report, as shown below in Mix Design Report Options: Figure 4,
when the Mass On Sieve or Cumulative Mass checkbox has been selected.
• The Mass Tolerance field allows you to enter sample mass tolerance. This is the
permissible sample loss during the sieve analysis (generally +/- 0.3% of sample weight).
Refer to Mix Design Report Options: Figure 5 for an example.
• Other options included on this screen are similar to those detailed above in The Mix
Analysis Report Options Screen and figures.
Mix Design Report Options: Figure 1
The first page that appears on this report includes a table of material information and design properties.

The % Passing and % Retained columns are added to the sample table here, which includes multiple samples, using the Aggregate
Results section.

The Combined Grading % Passing and % Retained columns have been added here, for multiple samples, using the Combined section.

A tolerance has been added in the FM row on the table for the samples shown here using the F.M Tolerance field.

A mass tolerance has been added here since Mass on Sieve or Cumulative Mass was selected in the Aggregate Results section for
individual samples.
Common Processes Used in the Mix Designs Module
To add a new constituent material for an individual mix:

1. While on the Constituents tab, select the green plus sign (+) just above the Calculated
Properties section.
2. The available Material Type(s) are as follows: Cement, Fly Ash, Slag, Silica Fume,
Coarse Aggregate, Fine Aggregate, Water, Admixture or Additive.
3. Enter a Material Code associated with the selected Material Type. Use the Ellipsis
button to open the Material Supplier Selector screen where you can choose a Material
Code and Supplier in one step. If you have already entered a Material Type, only that
type of Material will be displayed in the selector. If you left the Material Type blank, all
Material Supplier Sources available at the current plant will be displayed.

If you enter a Material Code instead of using the Ellipsis button, the default supplier is automatically
selected.
The Materials Supplier Selector screen allows you to select a material based on its supplier.
4. The Material Description field is automatically populated once you enter a Material
or select one from the Material Supplier Selector screen.
5. The Specific Gravity, or S.G., is provided by COMMANDqc and is based on the
material and supplier selected.
6. Enter the necessary Design Quantity for this constituent and select the appropriate
unit of measure using the Design Units field. If the Batch Units associated with the
material are different from the Design Units, a different Batch Quantity is calculated.
Otherwise, the values for Batch Quantity and Design Quantity are the same.
7. If you select the black plus sign button, the Extended Constituent Properties screen may
appear. Here you may enter other properties, such as a K-Value for cementitious
material or Maximum Batch Quantity for Recycled Water.

The Extended Constituent Properties screen that appears when using the black plus sign button for Fly Ash.
The Extended Constituent Properties screen that appears when using the black plus sign button for Water.
• This is where you will enter the maximum percentage of Recycled Water allowed for
this mix. The quantity of recycled water in the batch is determined by the batch
operator at batch time, and is primarily a function of how much recycled water is
actually available. The maximum amount of recycled water that can be used at the plant
may sometimes be limited by the specific mix design. This value (as a percentage of
total water) is set by entering a constituent line item for Recycled Water with a design
quantity of zero, then setting the maximum allowed percent. The batch computer is
also responsible for adjusting the amount of fresh water and fine aggregate in the batch
to compensate for the measured content of each in the recycled water. These
parameters are typically determined by measuring the specific gravity of the recycled
water continuously or at specific times at the batch plant.
The Extended Constituent Properties screen that appears when using the black plus sign button for an Admix.
8. The Batch Quantity is calculated by COMMANDqc and the Batch Units are
defined per plant for that material.
9. Volume is also calculated by COMMANDqc using the Batch Quantity and Specific
Gravity.
10. The Design Cost is calculated from the Batch Quantity and Cost fields in Plant
Material Entry. This value may have been provided automatically from
COMMANDseries, depending on how you have your system configured.
11. Continue to select the green plus sign at the bottom of the grid to add all constituents.
To delete a constituent, select the material followed by the red minus sign. Note that
the fields shaded in green have been added or edited since the last save. This allows you
to easily see what changes have been made.
12. Select the Save button to save your changes. Whenever a mix design is saved,
COMMANDqc compares the calculated characteristics of the mix with the entered
design targets, as well as the limiting values that are derived from the requirements and

classes entered for the product. You will be warned if one or more characteristics of the
mix design violate the requirements.
To copy a mix to one or more plants:

You can copy mixes to one or more plants as long as the destination plants have materials
with the same material code. The copy process uses the default supplier to maintain
material volumes; however, combined grading and weights are recalculated.
1. To copy a mix, select the Copy Mix to Plant button at the top of the Mix Design Entry
screen. Note that you may also perform this action in bulk from the Mix Designs
module homepage where you can select multiple mixes at once. The Copy Mix to Plants
dialog will appear.
The Copy Mix to Plants screen appears whenever using the Copy Mix to Plant button.
• Enter the plant(s) that you would like to copy the mix to using the To Plant field. If
you use the Ellipsis button, the Plant Selector screen will appear with a list of plants,
simplifying the process.
• If you would like to use the default supplier for constituents, mark the Use Default
Plant Material Supplier checkbox.
2. Select the OK button.
3. A dialog will appear to let you know whether or not the copy had errors. If you receive
an error that says The new revision number must be greater than the
revision number of the current active mix, chances are this mix is already
at the plant that you are trying to copy it to. A revision will be needed at the current
plant in order to copy the mix over.
Mix Adjuster
When raw material characteristics change or when economics dictate a change in suppliers,
COMMANDqc’s Mix Adjuster steps in to help you make changes to a large group of mix
designs in a single operation. Since Mix Adjuster allows you to make bulk modifications to
active mixes and constituents, it is crucial that you feel comfortable working with individual
mixes first. With Mix Adjuster, you can replace, remove, adjust and add materials to

multiple mixes simultaneously. Changes made here affect all mixes with a specified product
code or a specified constituent available at one or more plants.
Mix Adjuster allows you to make bulk changes to multiples mixes.
Mix Selection Criteria

• Using the Delivery Unit field, select the delivery unit for the type of mix you wish to
retrieve. Mix Adjuster will not allow adjustments to mixes that have different units of
measure.
• Enter one or more Plant(s) (separated by commas). Multiple selections can be made
because mixes may be available at more than one plant.
• The Production Status dropdown has two options. You may select At Dispatch,
meaning the result list is restricted to mixes that are currently active, or Latest Revision.
Using Latest Revision will return the latest mix revision of mixes which are set to
Active Production (the mix is currently available for use) or Pending Production (the
mix is awaiting approval or activation).
It is highly recommended that you select At Dispatch when using Mix Adjuster unless you are simply
trying to move the latest mix revision over to dispatch.

• Use the Mixes field to select one or more products. The Product Groups field is used
so that you can view the properties of your mixes before using the refresh button to
filter the criteria.
• Enter a constituent material code in the Constituents field or select the Ellipsis button
to open the Material Supplier Selector screen. Multiple selections cannot be made because
only one specified constituent modification action can be performed at a time. The
selector defaults to the material type of the adjustment material, if available.
 The Erase Constituents field/data button allows you to erase constituents or clear
the field without restarting the module.

• The Blend field and dropdown should only be used by advanced users. Here, you can
filter by blend type. Or, using the dropdown, you can search for All Mixes with that
blend, search by Aggregate Blends Only or display only Mixes Without Aggregate
Blend. By searching Mixes Without Aggregate Blend, you can then choose an action in
the Adjustment section that will replace all the aggregates in those mixes with an
aggregate blend. If you are also designing with cement blends, care must be taken to
choose the appropriate mix filter option, to get a list of valid yield adjustment options so
as not to break the aggregate blend.
Adjustment
In the Adjustment Section, use the Modification Action field to select an action. The
screen will automatically load or hide the required fields based on the action that you select.
Modification Actions include:
• The Reduce Quantity of or Increase Quantity of actions allow you to specify either
a percentage of material reduction/addition or a quantity or material reduction/
addition. When one of these actions is selected, two fields and a dropdown appear to
the right. Enter a Material using the Ellipsis button then specify an Amount. Available
units of measure are derived from the design units for each material type. No alternate
units are available for selection. Also note that if the material is reduced to 0%, the
constituent remains as a line item for the mix but with a zero quantity. When working
with water or cement, a few more options may appear.
The Reduce Quantity of and Increase Quantity of Modification Actions allow you to easily adjust the amount of material in your
mixes.
 The Adjust Cementitious to Keep W/C Constant or Adjust Water to Keep W/
C Constant checkbox allows you to adjust your water or cementitious material
simultaneously depending on what you are adjusting to keep your ratio constant.

 The Recalculate Admixture Dosages checkbox determines if admixture dosages
are automatically updated. When selected, a second dropdown list appears allowing
you to select a Liquid Volume Correction. From here, you may choose to Adjust
All Water Proportionally or Adjust Single Water, or None.
 The Yield Compensation dropdown lets you decide how the system will respond
to changes in aggregate specific gravity. The Adjust Total Aggregates

Proportionally option will compensate for aggregate specific gravity changes while
the None option will affect the yield when a material’s specific gravity has changed.
On a mix-by-mix basis, the Adjust Total Aggregates Proportionally option will
maintain the integrity of aggregate blend setups by utilizing the Blends functionality;
material volumes will be maintained given any changes in specific gravity. You may
also Adjust Fine Aggregates Proportionally or Adjust Single Aggregate to
maintain yield.
• The Remove Material action will remove all quantities of a material. You can remove
instances of a material from a mix or group of mixes which deletes the material record
from the mix design. For admixtures, the replacement is total or 100%. You cannot
specify a quantity or percentage of removal. To remove a certain amount of a material,
use the Reduce Quantity of action.
The Remove Material action allows you to remove a constituent material from a mix or a group of mixes.
• The Add New Material action allows you to add a new material. It is similar in use to
the Increase Quantity of action except that it cannot be a percentage—it must be a
specific mass quantity. You can add an additional material to a mix from any material
type group. If the material already exists in the mix, the recalculation summary sheet
sends an error. To add more of the same material, you must use the Increase Quantity
action.
The Add New Material action allows you to add a constituent material from a mix or a group of mixes.

• The Replace Material action can be a percentage or a specific quantity of another
material. As a general rule the Replacement Material must be in the same Material Type
Group as the original material.
Material Type Group Material Types

Admixture Admixture, Additive
Aggregate Fine Aggregate, Coarse Aggregate
Cementitious Cement, Fly Ash, Silica Fume, Slag
Water Water
You can choose to replace By Mass, meaning the replacement has the same mass as the
original, or by volume, which does not require a Yield Compensation as the action will
naturally maintain yield. For admixtures, you may only do it by equal Doses.
The Replace Material action allows you to easily replace a material, for example due to a change in the supplier.
• The Recalculate Admixtures action is used after modifying cementitious materials to
recalculate admixture dosages since dose rates depend on the quantity of cementitious
material. Dosage rates are specified at the supplier source or plant level.
The Recalculate Admixtures action allows you to correct the amount of admixture after making changes to the cementitious content.
• The Correct Aggregates for S. G. action should be used after the Specific Gravity for
a material has changed.

The Correct Aggregates for S. G. action updates the Specific Gravity for a particular material.
• The Recalculate Summary Mix Values action will calculate all of the additional
fields related to a mix which can appear in reports and the Mix Design Entry screen. This
is often used after mixes are imported from an external system, such as
COMMANDseries where data calculations are not available It will overcome the
yellow field situation that happens on the Mix Design Entry screen with imported mixes.
The Recalculate Summary Mix Values action recalculates all the properties associated with a mix.
The Recalculate Summary Mix Values action only performs calculations. It does not actually change
anything.
• The Adjust to Target Yield action corrects the yield of selected mixes to the yield
defined in the Mix Limits and Targets section of the Mix Design Entry screen.
The Adjust to Target Yield action automatically adjusts the yield of the selected mixes based on compliance properties.
It is crucial that you understand your mixes when using this action as it can corrupt your mixes. It is
highly suggested that you back-up all of your mixes by creating a snapshot in Mix Editions. That
way if anything happens, you can simply restore your uncorrupted mixes.

• The Replace Aggregate Blend action will replace one blend for another.
Additionally, this option permits recalculation of the original blend according to
updated blend characteristics.
The Replace Aggregate Blend action allows you to replace one blend with another blend or update a blend.
 The Yield Compensation dropdown contains an option, titled Adjust Blend
Aggregates, that should be chosen when adjusting non-aggregate materials in
mixes containing an aggregate blend. This will retain the proportions of the blend as
they were when it was added to the mix. If any changes have been made to the to the
blend since that time, the most recent blend materials and characteristics are not
used for the yield adjustment.
• The Replace Admix Dose Qty action allows you to update the dose amount for
admixture materials by adjusting the selected mixes to use the specified dosage quantity
of the admixture. The admixture dosage definition will follow the existing precedence
rules where material supplier dosage information will be used unless the material plant
specifically indicates that Use Plant Dose Rate should be used instead. If the selected
admixture is not dosed, an error message will display indicating that the selected
admixture must be dosed. Mixes that have the admixture in a non-dosed unit of
measure will display in the critical error dialog and be removed from the list of
processed mixes.
The Replace Admix Dose Qty action allows you to update the dose amount for admixture materials.
• The Restore Mix Edition action allows you to restore a set of mix revisions from a
predetermined point in time. Once selected, the Mix Edition Number field will
appear. Use the Ellipsis button to locate and select the mix edition you would like to

reactivate. Note that the Mix Edition Selector screen will not display a mix that has
expired when accessed through the Mix Adjuster module.
The Restore Mix Edition action allows you to restore a set of mix revisions.
 When the Recalculate Admixture Dosages box is marked, COMMANDqc will
adjust the admixture amounts for the updated dosage rates. You will also need to
select a Liquid Volume Correction using the dropdown.
 The Yield Compensation dropdown lets you decide how the system will respond
to changes in aggregate specific gravity. The Adjust Total Aggregates

Proportionally option will compensate for aggregate specific gravity changes while
the None option will allow exact quantities to be restored from the mix edition set
and will affect the yield when a material’s specific gravity has changed. On a mix-by-
mix basis, the Adjust Total Aggregates Proportionally option will maintain the
integrity of aggregate blend setups by utilizing the Blends functionality; material
volumes will be maintained given any changes in specific gravity.
• The Replace Aggregates with Blend action allows you to quickly set up aggregate
blends in your mixes. This will remove all the aggregates in a mix and replace them
with a selected blend.
The Replace Aggregates With Blend action replaces all fine and coarse aggregates with one defined blend.
• The Replace Cement Blend action allows you to replace all components in a cement
blend with a different cement blend or an updated version of the same blend. The final
total cementitious mass for the new/updated blend will be equal to the cementitious
mass for the original blend materials. COMMANDqc will first identify the mix
materials in the original cement blend, sum the batch quantities to get the total
cementitious amount for replacement. Materials for the new or updated cement blend
will be added to the mix, and the adjustment procedure will replace 100% of the
original blend mass with the new blend, calculating the new material masses according
to their proportions.

design quantity = % mass for blend material * original cementitious
mass
The Replace Aggregates With Blend action allows you to replace one blend with another blend or update a blend.
• The Replace Cementitious Materials with Blend action allows you to quickly set
up cement blends for your mixes. You may select the replacement blend and
COMMANDqc will replace 100% of the original cementitious material mass with the
selected cement blend. The original cementitious materials are removed from the mix
and replaced by the new blend materials; the mass quantities are calculated based on the
blend material proportions and original total cementitious content.
The Replace Cementitious Materials With Blend action allows you to quickly set up cement blends.
• The Increase Quantity of Cement Blend or Decrease Quantity of Cement
Blend action allows you to increase or decrease the total cementitious content and
adjust the mas of each of the miscegenations materials according to the blend in the
mix.
The mix must already have a cement blend in it in order to use the Increase or Decrease Quantity of Cement Blend actions.
 Because the cement blend adjustments are by mass, you may need to correct the
yield. If you are also designing with aggregate blends, care must be taken to choose
the appropriate mix filter option (located to the right of the Constituents field in the
Mix Selection Criteria section), to get a list of valid yield adjustment options so as
not to break the aggregate blend.

Once you have selected a Modification Action and mixes that you would like to apply it to
from the results grid, select the Regenerate Mixes button. If there are critical errors with
any Mix Adjuster calculations, an error dialog box will appear similar to the one below.
An error dialog box will appear if Mix Adjuster finds any errors in the calculations when trying to regenerate the mixes.
If there are errors, the erroneous mix designs will not display in the Mix Adjuster Summary
Worksheet. You will need to exit the worksheet to return to the Mix Adjuster to make the
appropriate corrections.
Mix Adjuster Summary Worksheet

New designs that have acceptable quantities are shown at the top of the grid and are
automatically selected for subsequent production approval. Designs with quantities outside
the specification limits for mix constituents and properties are listed just below these.

The Mix Adjuster Summary Worksheet displays the successfully modified mix designs.
• The grid is color coded and contains an Accepted column, allowing you to review the
mix adjustment and accept the changes.
 Constituent rows have the normal white background.
 Quantities or Calculated Properties that do not comply with the limits in the
adjustment profiles or product specifications are highlighted in yellow. If a mix is

highlighted in yellow, it will not be marked accepted; however, you can override this
setting and decide to accept it after reviewing the details.
 Material type and other calculated value rows appear in blue to distinguish them
from constituents.
 Select the Accepted checkbox in the corresponding grid column to accept the
changes. Leave it unchecked to decline the changes. This selection affects all
constituents in the mix. Mixes with a status of OK or Accepted with Warnings are
set to be updated when the Commit button updates the batch. Mixes of status NOT
OK - Warnings or OK -Rejected are not updated.
• Three grid profiles are supplied with the Mix Adjuster Summary Worksheet. The formats
are fixed and you cannot save your own layouts. Adjustment details are stored in the
Mix Adjuster Logs module in both the Long and Short formats.
 The Long Format displays a line for every constituent in the mix, calculated
primary properties, whether or not they have warnings (Yield or Water/Cement

Ratio) plus calculated secondary properties but only if they have warnings (Cement,
Flyash, Silica Fume, Slag).

An example of the Long Format grid profile.
 Short Format displays only calculated primary and secondary changes, such as
altered constituents or yield, if they have warnings.
An example of the Short Format grid profile.

 The Extended Format is considered the debug view of the summary worksheet as
it displays extra columns, which are useful when viewing more properties. It can
help you to better understand changes that were made.
An example of the Extended Format grid profile.

• The Mixes with Errors dialog box may be reopened at any time by selecting the View
Errors button.

The Mixes with Errors Dialog Box will display any errors associated with this mix adjustment. Here, there are no errors to display.
• To approve the batch of mixes to be updated, select the Commit button. Mixes are
moved to the Active Production approval status. If there are any mixes in the critical
errors result set, a warning may appear. Whether proceeding directly from the Mix
Adjuster Summary Worksheet or from the critical errors pop-up, the Save Mix Modifications
dialog appears.
The Save Mix Modifications allows you to create an adjustment batch and activate the mix at the particular plant.
 The Adjustment Batch number is configured in the Counters module. Coutner
information is also viewable under the Counters tab set for laboratories in the
Contacts module.
 You may enter a batch description in the Description field. This detail will be made
available later in the Revision Comment field on the Mix Design Entry screen’s Other
tab.
 To initiate activation of the mixes at the plant within the dispatch system, select the
Activate at Plant checkbox. When selected, a second warning message appears.
Please note that this option is not available for all users.
 If you are ready to commit the changes, select the Commit Mixes button. You are
returned to Mix Adjuster.

Mix Activation
The Mix Activation module is used to search and activate a mix or group of mixes on
interfaced systems. This is the process of making the mixes available for order entry and
shipping on your dispatch system.
The Mix Activation module allows you to send your mixes to the dispatching system.
• Unless you are part of the European market where Design Families are used, you will
need to use the Single Mixes radio button.
• From there the Plant(s) and Production Status fields are required. Select the plants
where the mix that you would like to activate is.
 Set the Production Status to At Dispatch if you want to reactivate a set of mixes
that are already active and available for dispatch. The system will retrieve and display
the highest mix revision that is At Dispatch for each mix that meets the other
selection criteria. It is possible for one or more invisible Pending Production
revisions of a mix to exist that have a higher revision level than the displayed At
Dispatch revision. This is the desired behavior because you are trying to find the
mixes that have already been activated and sent to dispatch, even if newer revisions
have since been created. The primary function of the Mix Activation form in this
mode is to re-send a set of mixes to dispatch that may have been deleted or are out of
sync some other way.

 When set to Pending Production, the system will retrieve and display those mixes
whose highest revision is in Pending Production status and that meet the other
selection criteria. Mixes with multiple revisions in Pending Production will display,
at most, only the highest revision. Mixes whose highest revision level is At Dispatch,
or Out of Production are not displayed. The primary function of the screen in this
mode is to activate the mixes that have been modified (such as new revisions
created) since the last time they were activated.
• You may select also choose to use the other search criteria, such as Mix Code(s), Mix
Batch #, Revision Comment or Created From.
• You may use the Activate On Or After field to delay the activation of the selected
mixes. Otherwise, use today’s date.
• Select the Activate Selected Mixes button to activate the selected mixes. This moves
mixes from the Pending Production status to At Dispatch and delivers them to the
dispatch system.
To activate a mix:
This section is currently being updated and will be added to an updated version of the user
guide and online help.
Mix Adjuster Logs

The Mix Adjuster Logs module provides an electronic archive of what was done during
each session in Mix Adjuster.

The Mix Adjuster Logs module allows you to view the Mix Adjuster Summary Worksheet in short and long formats for previous
adjustments.
You may enter a Region, Batch Number, Description or Created From To date to help
narrow your search.
Once you select a log, the Show Short Report and Show Long Report buttons will be
selectable. The reports are generated internally when the Mix Adjuster transaction is saved
and are renditions of both the long and short format grid layouts on the Mix Adjuster
Summary Worksheet screen. They are generated and saved as a graphical PDF image with the
transaction so that either format can be viewed at a later date. The data content and format is
designed to allow each record to fit on a single letter-sized sheet of paper in landscape mode,
with a reasonable font size and without wrapping to another page.

An example of the saved Short report.
An example of the saved Long report.
The page header on every page contains the Batch Number and Description, date and time
the report was generated and the login ID of the person operating Mix Adjuster.
The report header data on the first page contains Product Selection information from Mix
Adjuster and adjustment information. Fields that are blank or not displayed on the Mix
Adjuster form are blank on the report, but the label still appears.

Mix Editions
The Mix Editions module allows you to manage mix revisions so that you may restore a
group of mixes from a predetermined point in time. Mix Editions also checks to make sure
that restored mixes are still valid for current production.
Here, you may search for a Mix Edition Number which is system generated at the time you initially save the record.
The Mix Edition Number is generated using the Global Counters tab of the Counters
module.
To create a new mix edition:

1. Select the Add Record button. The Add Mix Edition dialog box will appear.
The Add Mix Edition dialog box displays after selecting the Add Record button.

2. Enter a Description for your new mix edition. It may be helpful to name it by season,
year or mix contents. For example, Winter 2015 or Fly Ash Mixes. Select the OK
button. The Mix Editions Editor screen will appear.
The Mix Editions Editor allows you to add mixes to a particular mix edition.
• The Mix Edition Number is not editable. It is generated using the Mix Editions
Counter found in the Counters module. The Global Counters tab contains the Mix
Editions Next Value.
• The Description will be the same one you entered on the previous screen.
• Use the calendar if you’d like to add an Expiration Date for these mixes. This
remains editable and determines when a mix edition will no longer be available.
3. You may use the (+) and (-) buttons at the bottom of the grid list to add or subtract
from the set of mix revisions. It is important to note that a mix revision can belong to
any number of mix edition sets. Selecting the (+) button will take you to the Product
Mix Selector where you can select multiple mixes to add to this edition.
A mix revision can belong to any number of mix edition sets

4. Select the Save button to save your new mix edition.
To restore a mix edition:

1. The restoration of the mix editions is handled through the Mix Adjuster module. Refer
to the Mix Adjuster section for more information.

Product Mix Selector
The Product Mix Selector screen is available in several modules of COMMANDqc and allows
you to select from a group of mixes that are likely to share a common constituent, material
type or design property.
The Product Mix Selector allows you to select from a group of mixes that are likely to share common constituents or properties.
• Using the filter criteria at the top, you can narrow down the mixes available for
selection.
 The Plant field is required in order to generate data on this screen. The Mix Code,
Product Search, and Delivery Unit fields are optional but may help you to
narrow your search.
 The Display all Mix Revisions checkbox can be useful for tracking the changes to
a mix over a period of time, especially if the Mix Design Properties and Constituents
options are selected in the Display Options.
 Use the Display Options checkboxes to determine what additional columns you
would like to view.

• If you select the Product Specifications checkbox, current mechanical property
values (such as Specified Strength) will appear as additional columns.
• The Mix Design Properties checkbox will display the stored Calculated
Property values (located on the The Mix Design Entry Screen)that were
calculated whenever the mix was last saved.

• The Constituents checkbox will display all constituents and their quantities. If
selected, the Use Material Descriptions checkbox will also appear. If Use
Material Descriptions is also selected, rather than showing the constituents by
supplier source in the column headers, they will display using the descriptions.
• The Material Type Totals checkbox will display the total combined mass of
each type of material in the mix.
• The Material Properties checkbox display the Mix Dmax, Mix Cement Type
and Mix Cement Class columns.
• Select the mixes that you would like to add by holding down the Ctrl key to select
multiple mixes. You can also select a range of mixes by holding down the Shift key or
all mixes using Ctrl + A. Note that you cannot select duplicate mixes or mixes with
the same Product Code. Select the OK button to add the mixes to the corresponding
module.
Mix Sets
{Concrete Producer > Mix Management > Mix Sets}
The Mix Sets module allows you to design a group of mixes for a range of strengths based
on a strength curve which contains similar materials and properties. Using this module you
may select materials for mixes in a group and update the design information, have
COMMANDqc calculate the cementitious content using a strength curve lookup of the

water/cement ratio for target strength and required water, compute batch quantities of each
constituent and adjust the volume using designated aggregates.
The Mix Sets module lets you add new or edit existing mix sets.
Filter Criteria
• Using the Plant field, you may enter one or more plants or select the Ellipsis button to
select a plant from the Plant Selector.
• The Strength Curve field allows you to search sets by the associated strength curve
ID. Use the Ellipsis button to select a strength curve using the Strength/Water Cement
Curves Selector which is similar to the Strength Curves module.
• The Mix Set and mix description fields allow you to search for a specific mix set. For
more information on wildcard searches, review the Using Wildcard Searches section.
Once you are finished entering the necessary information, select the Refresh button to
populate the results grid. Double clicking an entry will display the Mix Set Editor screen
described below.

To add a mix set:
1. Select the Add Record button to launch the Add Mix Set dialog box.
The Plant and Mix Set Code fields are required.

2. Select a Plant and enter a Mix Set Code and description, then select the OK button.
3. The Mix Set Editor is launched for you to enter the necessary information. Once you
have specified all the appropriate information, select the Save button to save your new
mix set.
When selecting products for your new mix set, note that products can only be assigned to one mix set.
Also note that Water and Target Air % values do not automatically populate in the grid. Once you
add materials in the material information grid, the Water and Target Air % values will update
accordingly in the products grid.

Mix Set Editor
The Mix Set Editor lets you create and edit mix sets designed using a strength curve. The
editor contains an upper grid of products and a lower grid of mix constituents.
The Mix Set Editor opens when you double click a row in the Mix Sets grid or select a row in the Mix Sets grid followed by the Edit
Record button.
• The header of the Mix Sets Editor allows you to easily identify important information
related to the selected mix set.
 While the Mix Set Code field is not editable, the corresponding description may be
edited.
 Several fields (Plant, Created and By) are not editable once they have been initially
entered.
 The Strength Curve and description fields allow you to attach a strength curve to
this mix set. Using the Ellipsis button, you may choose a curve from the Strength
Water/Cement Curves screen which is similar to the Strength Curves module.
 Use the Notes field to add useful information related to the selected mix set.
• The products grid displays all of the products included in the selected mix set. Using
the green plus sign (+) at the bottom left of the grid, you can select products using the

Concrete Products Selector which is similar to the Concrete Products module.
Note that a product may only belong to one mix set.

 The Product Code, Product Description, Strength Class and Specified
Strength columns may not be edited as they default from the product. You will
need to ensure that strength classes have completely configured using the Concrete
Requirement Classes module.
 The Mix Target Strength is automatically calculated from the grade strength for
each product. Using the Mix Management Option located in the Regional Settings
module, you can determine how the target strength is calculated using the Target
Strength Calculation.
 The W/C ratio is determined from the strength curve relation for each product
target strength while the Total Cementitious content is calculated using the W/C
value and the Water content. As a general rule of thumb, as the water to cement
ratio increases, the total cement content decreases.
 The air volume is determined from the Target Air percentages entered for each
product.
 The product row with the Reference Mix checkbox selected is the product that is
used to provide the proportions of the selected mix design in the material
information grid. Mixes are still independent, meaning that you can change
materials and suppliers.
• The Reference Mix checkbox provides an alternative to the Replace Material
action in the Mix Adjuster module because the reference is used to replace
materials.
• In future modifications of the mix set, the constituents used in the latest revision
of the reference mix become the starting materials for updating the entire mix set.
• The material information grid displays all of the mix constituents in the selected mix.
Mixes located in the products grid will be set to have the specific materials located in
this grid when calculations are performed.
 Cementitious materials may be added individually using the Material Type
dropdown or as part of a blend.

• An individual cement material must have a Design Unit of %.
• If a cementitious material is part of a blend, the cell is displayed in gray.When
using a blend, the Design Unit should also be % and the total percentage for all
cementitious materials must equal 100.
• COMMANDqc will automatically calculate batch quantities based on blend
percentages and the target total cementitious mass.
 Aggregate materials may also be added individually using the Material Type
dropdown or as part of a blend.

• At least one aggregate material must have a Design Unit of %.
• If part of a blend, the cell is displayed in blue.When using a blend, the total
Design Quantity for aggregates measured in % must be 100.
• Aggregates having a Design Unit of % will be used to fill the yield for the design.

 A water constituent is required in order to calculate the total cementitious content
from the strength curve water/cementitious ratio. The Design Quantity entered in
the material grid is used to update the Water column in the product grid; however,
the product water may be overridden if a particular design requires a different water
quantity.
 Admixtures may be dosed (Design Unit of dose, %, or /cwt) if configured for
dosing. COMMANDqc will automatically calculate the batch quantity when the
cementitious content is known. Admixtures may also be entered in absolute
amounts (L, kg, gal, liq oz, lb). Note that COMMANDqc does not consider
admixture water when computing the cementitious content from the batch water
and water/cement ratio.
• Using the Ellipsis buttons next to the Aggregate and Cement fields, you may choose
to add a blend. Using the Edit button to the right of the corresponding blend field, you
can also directly open the associated blend editor (The Aggregate Blend Editor or
Cement Blend Editor) to create or edit a current blend.
• You may also choose to enter other mix properties including Target Yield and Target
Air.
 When calculating the mix design, COMMANDqc will use the aggregates designated
with a Design Unit of % to meet the Target Yield for the mix.
 The Target Air is automatically updated to the products grid but can be overridden
for particular mixes that require different air content.

• Select the Calculate Mixes button to build these mixes and display the Mix Set Mixes
screen.

 The calculated mix designs are opened in the Mix Set Mixes screen which displays
the original design information and the computed batch quantities for each product.
Calculated mix properties are also shown above each design.
The Mix Set Mixes screen is grouped by product and maintains the batching sequence.
• The Plant Activation button opens the Mix Activation module where you may export
mixes to the dispatch system. The Batch Number will be transferred here where you
can use refresh the grid to view the mixes in the set before activating them at dispatch.
• COMMANDqc will create a Batch Number for the new generated mixes in the set.
You must have the Mix Adjuster counter configured for the current user's laboratory in
order for a batch number to be generated.
Concrete Performance Analysis

The real power of COMMANDqc comes from its ability to analyze, compare, group, and
present all the data from batch records, truck records, field tester records, and compressive
strengths from the laboratory. To make full use of the COMMANDqc’s analytical
capabilities, it is suggested that have field test data and laboratory test data, full batch
quantity data on all concrete produced and material properties, including grading, silt
content, and cement properties.

In its most basic form, COMMANDqc can provide early detection of changes that may
affect strength (as early as 16 hours through density analysis), all the way to a thorough
cause and effects analysis of an identified problem.
COMMANDqc can rapidly process huge quantities of data and display it graphically in the
form of a multi-grade cumulative sum (CUSUM) chart. Changes to material properties
being charted appear as changes in gradient on the CUSUM chart. The magnitude of the
change is an indication of the magnitude of the property being measured. Employing the
multi-grade CUSUM approach, early detection of changes can be identified with little
expertise in concrete technology.
COMMANDqc provides an almost infinite number of graphs, reports, and analysis that
can be used in the cause and effect analysis of changes identified by the CUSUM. The level
of detail and depth of analysis is limited only by your knowledge of concrete, the knowledge
of your materials, and the characteristics of your concrete. New users should progress
slowly, employing the most basic of analysis and charting, and adding to their expertise as
knowledge and confidence increases.
Combined Lab and Production Data Analysis

{Concrete Producer > Concrete Performance Analysis > Combined Laboratory and Production Data
Analysis}
The Combined Lab and Production Data Analysis module gives you the ability to analyze
strength results, fresh concrete tests and batch weight data simultaneously. Both absolute
values and cusum analysis is available for charting and you can select which fields you
would like to view on the various reports and charts. Data can be grouped by product or
viewed as individual sample results. In addition to data rage, product, plant, and the other
usual filters, numerous other ticket, specimen and sample properties are available for
limiting searches. The grid report contains an extensive array of fields that can be exported
to excel.
Toolbar Buttons
The following toolbar buttons are specific to this module:
These toolbar buttons are have specific functions when used in the Combined Laboratory and Production Data Analysis module.

• When the Analyze button is selected, COMMANDqc writes all matching records and
fields to a temporary table that is then available for reporting and graphing. On
completion of the analysis, a table of summarized results is displayed:
The Analysis Results window allows you to select a set of results and generate a report.
 This view of data can be closed without the need to reanalyze the data (which may
take considerable time depending on your selection criteria). To view the data again,
select on the Redo Analysis button. If this button is inactive, the temporary table is
empty and you must select the Analysis button again.
 To change any layout settings (such as add more fields), you must rerun the analysis.
The reports and graphs set up in the relevant sections are templates, drawing the
data from the temporary table. If electronic copies of reports or graphs are required
for archiving or filing, then write them to a file (in a CSV layout without formatting)
or print them from PDF files.
• When the Cancel Analysis button is selection, you will have to confirm that you
would like to cancel the analysis.
This is the confirmation dialog that appears when using the Cancel button.

• Select the Setup Results Display button to open a window that allows you to manage
what fields are reported for the search criteria and set up the order.
The fields you select for display here are also the fields available for searching and filtering.
 The Results Display tab lists all available numeric fields in COMMANDqc,
including any aggregate or cement fields if you selected materials on the Material
Properties tab. Select the fields you require for your reports or analysis, and use the
arrows between the lists to move them in or out of the Displayed Fields list box.
Shift+Click and Ctrl+Click work on this form for multiple selections. Use the
bold arrows on the right to reorder the displayed fields in the sequence you require
by selecting a field and moving it up or down in the list with the arrow. Note that
only one field can be moved at a time.
 Select or clear the checkboxes on the Graph Display tab to toggle the fields on and
off. On means the field is available for graphing. If any Material Properties have been
added, these will be below the concrete fields, at the bottom of the list.
 On the Graph Headings tab, you can save up to ten different graph combinations
under a settings file name. These names are displayed on the Graph Selection tab.

• The View QC button displays the raw Concrete Test Specimen QC data for the
selected product.
If a problem is revealed in Analysis Results, you can review the raw data for additional information.
 The Print Preview button opens the Print Preview screen where you can view or
print data. This button is only available once you select a report using the Report to
Print dropdown.

 The View QGrid displays the detail data in a standard COMMANDqc grid,
providing you with additional sorting and reporting options.
This grid lets you review individual samples.

• Draw Graph - If a graph has been set up on the Graph Selection tab, this button opens
the graph (plot). Note that you must click on a graph column that has been set up or
the ‘No graph selections found?’ message appears.
• Changes made on various tabs can be saved to a settings file by selecting the Save
Settings button at the top of the module. You can then enter a new Settings Name
(or change the existing name). COMMANDqc remembers the last used Settings
Name and loads this when the module opens.The Save Settings and Delete User
Settings buttons let you manage your settings list.
The Target Strength value used for Combined Lab batch and selected reports is calculated each time
the report runs, using the latest saved Plant SD, k-value and grade strength for the product. If the
calculation cannot be done, the reports will use the value saved in the mix or product.

Record Selection Tab
This is the main tab which allows you to set the record selection search criteria. It is used in
conjunction with the Additional Search and Material Properties tabs. You can limit your
results using the following fields for filtering.
The Record Selection tab allows you to define the search criteria you would like to use when running an analysis with this module.
• Product Code - Enter one or more product codes or select the Ellipsis button to select
a product code (or product code group) from the Product Code selector.
• Plants - Enter one or more plant codes or select the Ellipsis button to select a plant or
plant group from the Plant Code selector.
• Laboratory - Enter one or more laboratories or select the blank option to include all
laboratories. Test results from a plant are generally entered for a particular laboratory;
therefore, selecting a mis-matched plant and laboratory will not find any results.
• The Ticket Date Range section allows you to enter a range of dates for batched tickets
(From / To).
• The Search Options section gives you a few extra options when filtering results.
 Use Additional Search Criteria - Uses the search refinements created on the
Additional Search tab.

 Use All Batch Data - Retrieves the number of deliveries and statistics on
ingredient contents included in your search. Use this function only when needed,
because it slows down the search significantly due to the increased data volume
being requested.

 Use Material Properties - Use the search refinements created on the Material
Properties tab.
 Do Cusum Calculations - If you are planning to graph data as cusums (cumulated
sums), select this checkbox. It makes the query slower, so use it only if necessary.
 Do Characteristic Strength Calc - This relates to the calculations to create
Characteristic Strength and Required Minimum Strength calculations. These are

generally used as an alternatives to Target Strengths and are calculated for each
analysis. It slows the query, so use it only if you need these fields on the report.
• See the General Settings tab for the K value used when calculating the
Characteristic Strength. It is only used if the Do Characteristic Strength
Calcs checkbox is selected.
• Characteristic Strength uses the 28 day standard deviation of the selected results
and the K value specified by the formulae.
• Characteristic Strength = Mean - (Plant SD * K value).
• Required Minimum Mean Strength = Specified Strength + K * Plant SD *
Grade Strength Factor. See Target Strength for more information.
 Group Product Codes - The calculations of Mean, SD, and so on, will combine as
if they belonged to the same mix. Naturally, grouping products of different grade
strengths will not be very useful.
• Customer - Enter one or more customer codes or select the Ellipsis button to select an
code from the Customer Code screen.
• Project - Enter one ore more project codes or select the Ellipsis button to search for
the one you want from the Project Code screen.
• Ticket Number Range - Enter the range of delivery ticket numbers you wish to
include here. Not commonly used.
• Sample number Range - Enter the range of sample numbers based on the field sheet
used when samples are entered. Not commonly used.
• Limit Sample Records - To make the search faster, enter a smaller number in the No.
of Most Recent Records field. Be careful, especially if the Use all Batch Data
checkbox is selected, because too small a number affects the results if there are more
than the average amounts. E.g., if the 30 most recent records are selected and Use All
Batch Data is checked, few of the last 30 batch records may have QC samples.
• Test Type - Compressive is the default. Only a single value is allowed, which means
flex is always analyzed separately to Indirect Tensile or Compression results, etc.
• Test Age Group - Select an age group to view only samples that include specimens for
that group. Leaving this option blank includes all age groups
• ACI Report Template - Select the formatted report template to use for the ACI
report. Note that the Strength Performance report supersedes the functionality in this
area. You are encouraged to utilize that program instead.
• Optional Test Age - Lets you display strength results for a Test Age other than 28 day
results.
• Use Alternative Units - Creates the ACI report in the alternative unit of measure
system, which is often metric within a US units database.

Additional Search Tab
This tab allows you to further refine the filter set on the Record Selection tab. The tab is
divided into measured (numeric) and non-measured (alpha-numeric) fields.
The Additional Search tab allows you to further specify the records that should be used for analysis.
On the Record Selection tab, the Use Additional Search Criteria checkbox must be selected to use the
criteria set on this tab.
• Each criteria set has its own Use checkbox which lets you set up several criteria, but
only use the ones that are needed at any one time. If you want to use the entered
criteria, select the Use checkbox. By default, when you add a record, the Use checkbox
is selected.
• You can add multiple parameters from the Measured Properties and/or Non-Measured
Properties section. All parameters are successively restrictive (the selected records must
meet ALL of the search criteria).
 Measured Properties
• The first dropdown is a filter that separates the properties into Batched
Quantities, Specimen Properties, or Concrete Properties.
• The second dropdown contains a list of available fields within the first list box,
such as Total Water, Total Aggregate, Early Strength, and so on.
• The third dropdown field is a list of comparative criteria, such as Greater than,
Less than, Between, and so on.

• The next fields are for values and are dependent on the criteria selected.
• If you want to use any entered criteria, select the Use checkbox. By default, when
you add a record, this checkbox is selected.
 Non-Measured Properties
• The first dropdown is a filter that separates the properties into Specimen
Properties or Concrete Properties.
• The second dropdown is a list of available fields, such as Crushing Lab, Truck
Number, Sample Remark, and so on.
• The third dropdown is a list of comparative criteria, such as Equals, Begins
with, Contains, and so on.
• The last field is for the value.
• If there are no entries visible, or you want to add more, select the Add Search
Criteria button to add a row. Similarly, select the eraser button (located to the left
of each row) to remove the selected row from the selection criteria.
Material Properties Tab

This tab lets you add physical test results from your raw materials to be included with the
analysis for reporting or graphing. The presentation of raw material test data with concrete
test data is useful to help identify trends or with cause analysis. Inclusion of raw material
data in the analysis can slow the process down, so if you analyze large quantities of data
regularly, it is suggested you select the Use Material Properties checkbox (on the Record
Selection tab) only when looking at specific issues.

When the tab first appears, it displays a list of the materials and the properties that have been
previously chosen. You have the option of adding materials or deleting existing material
properties. Selecting the Add button opens the list boxes on the right half of the tab.
Selecting the Add button allows you to select a Material Code and associated properties to add for analysis.
The Material Code dropdown contains all the available raw materials. When a material has
been selected, the Material Property list box is populated, along with the suppliers of the
test data (the bottom list box). Select the appropriate material property and supplier by
clicking in the checkbox adjacent to the description.
Select OK to close these list boxes and add them to the main list. These raw materials and
properties are now included in the analysis when the Use Material Properties checkbox is
selected on the Record Selection tab.
Any added material properties will appear at the bottom of the list of available fields on the
Standard Reports and Graph Selection tabs.
Graph Selection Tab

This tab allows you to define and draw an almost limitless number of graphs. You can alter
scales, shift axis, and display as either a direct plot or CUSUM. Translation of scales of
direct shifts allows properties with very different orders of magnitude (such as density and

slump) to be plotted in a meaningful way. The fields that are available for graphing are the
same as those that have been set up for analysis.
The Graph Selection tab allows you to customize your graphs.
Use the Setup Results Display button to select the fields for graphing. When the graph is
drawn, COMMANDqc scales the y-axis based on the maximum and minimum value of all
the variables selected. As a result, one variable may dominate the graph (by being an order of
magnitude greater than all the other results), such as the case with density having a much
higher average value than slump. To make the graph more readable and therefore more
meaningful, COMMANDqc is able to scale and/or shift the selected variables.
• The columns Direct Shift, Direct Scale, and Cusum Scale manipulate the y-axis of
the selected variable to make comparisons easier.
• At the bottom of the Graph Selection tab, the Graph Legend field specifies the main
heading for the graph. Although this field allows up to 250 characters, the heading is
only one line. After about 80 characters, you start to lose the formatting.
Notes:
• The extent of the y-axis shift (either Direct Shift or Direct Scale) is included in the
legend for the graph.
• Try to avoid applying too many scaling factors and direct shifts to too many variables as
it tends to make the graph harder to read and understand. Also be careful when
interpreting the extent of a change in a cusum graph if the variables have been scaled.

• The process is equally valid for CUSUM plots; however a Direct Shift will not work
on a CUSUM graph. With a little trial and error, you can quickly create meaningful
graphs that highlight changes.
To draw the graph:

1. To draw the graph, enter a D (Direct Plot), C (Cusum Plot), or B (Both Direct and
Cusum) into the row of the variable required and in the column of the graph required.
2. With any cell in the graph column selected, select on the Draw Graph button for the
graph to appear. If you get the message No graph selections found?, you
probably selected a graph column that does not have any variables (D, C, or B).
 Avoid scaling factors greater than two decimal places (except for 0.333 and 0.666) as they are
difficult to interpret. A direct shift will not work with cusums. Keep plotted variables to manageable
levels. Negative scaling factors (especially on some cusums) can be useful, but may be confusing to the
inexperienced user. Experiment with various options (such as variables, relationships, scaling factors,
and direct shifts) and save your preferred graphs and selection settings to a Settings Name file.
Grid Reporting Tab

After the Analyze button is selected, the records are displayed within this grid. The grid lets
you review the selected data in a spreadsheet-style layout, with standard grid tools to group,
sort, etc.
The Grid Reporting tab displays all the records that will be used in this analysis.

Standard Reports Tab
No further development is being done on this tab; all future efforts will be directed toward the Grid
Reporting tab.
The Standard Reports tab is designed to allow you to quickly generate some basic reports
that allow the results of your analysis to be printed and viewed. These reports are simple
and plain in presentation, yet are quick to develop. After running the analysis, select the
required report from the Report Name dropdown, which is filtered by Region.
The Standard Reports tab allows you to quickly generate reports, such as ACI reports.
• Print Preview - Displays a preview of the data based on the selected report template.
• Print to File - Produces a CSV file of the data, based on the report template selected.
Enter the name and location where you want to store the file (note that the CSV
extension is applied automatically). Once in a CSV format, the report can be imported
into a spreadsheet for presentation, or simply stored for archival purposes.

• Edit Report and Create New Report - Opens more options, allowing you modify
the data, format, and layout of the report.
After selecting the Edit Report or Create New Report button, the Standard Reports tab will populate with more fields allowing you to
customize the report.
 Report Headings - The heading fields are 100 characters long, and are formatted
and positioned as shown in the example above.
 The report layout form has five buttons:
• Print Preview - Select this button to preview the report.
• Print to File - Exports the report to a CSV file.
• Save Report - Save any changes to the report.
• Save Report As - Save the report with a new name.
• Cancel - Return to the main form.
 Available in Region - This dropdown allows you to limit the report to a specific
region. This is handy if managers like to create their own special reports. Selecting
Global or leaving the list box blank makes the report visible to everyone.
 You have the option of selecting either Portrait or Landscape paper orientation.
COMMANDqc uses the computer’s default printer and paper sizing.
 There are only two font sizes to select from (6 and 10). This is because different font
types take up various character widths and could render the report unreadable.
 Excess Report Line Length - This field is an attempt to show you how much of
the page is available. It estimates the width of the page based on the font size and

page orientation and then calculates the field width of the ID fields and the numeric
fields. It changes to red if you exceed the page width.
 ID Field / Position - The ID Fields are fixed by the module. You have the option of
displaying any or all (at least up to the width of the paper). Enter the number in the
Position column that you want to use to identify the record. For example, if you
enter 1 next to the Ticket Date, the Ticket Date will be the first column in the
report. If you enter 2 next to Product Code, it will be the second column of the
report, and so on. Numbers must be consecutive, and the program will warn you
(on saving) if you have some fields out of sequence, (such as 1,2,4,5 with 3 missing).
 Available Numeric Fields / Numeric Fields on Report - These are all the
numeric fields available to the module, including any customized numeric fields you
may have set up. Double click (or single click and use left/right arrows) to move a
field from one list to the other. For example, double clicking a field in the Available
Numeric Fields column removes it from that column and adds it to the Numeric
Fields on Report column (and vice-versa). The bold up and down arrows to the
right of the Numeric Fields on Report list can be used to order the data on the
report. The first field in the list is the first column of data, the second field the
second column, and so on.
 The statistics/grouping options and checkboxes can be used to display the various
statistics and selection options. The statistics will appear before the results, above the
data.
• Show Selection Criteria - Includes only the criteria on the main analysis
Record Selection tab and ignores anything from the Additional Search criteria
tab. If this checkbox is selected, the selection criteria will appear in the two lines
below the Heading 3 text (on all pages of the report).
• Show Additional Search Criteria - If checked, any additional search criteria
used will also display on the report. This may be important since additional
search criteria may be used to remove, for example, low strength results, from a
report.
• Show Statistics - If checked, the overall statistics of the records reported are
displayed on the printed report, as defined by the following checkboxes.
 Using the Statistics Shown on Report section, you can select what statistics you
would like to use for this particular report.
• Grouping Options - Allows you to select from five predefined groupings.
• New Page/Group - Select this checkbox if you want each new group to start on
a new page. Otherwise, groups simply keep on scrolling down on the report.
• Minimum no. of results for SD - Enter a number to tell COMMANDqc not
to calculate a Standard Deviation if less than this number of results is found.
• Delete Report - Removes the selected report from the dropdown list. You will
be prompted with a warning asking Are you sure you want to delete
these records?. Be careful because there is no undo option.
General Settings Tab

This tab lets you set up some of the fundamental factors used by COMMANDqc to
estimate strengths.

Factors that can be set up include:
 The number of results to use for running averages.
 The K factor for characteristic strength.
 The required minimum K factor.
 Analysis results color coding criteria.
• Characteristic Strength Provided K - Enter the K strength factor here. The default
value is 1.65.
• Required Minimum Mean K - Enter the minimum K factor here. The default value
is 1.64.
• Basic SD Limit - This field is no longer used by the program. Entering a value here
has no effect throughout the program.
• Analysis Results Color Control - By default, red means the value is below
specification. Here, you determine the blue color specification. The default is:
Blue is greater than 1 psi + 16% of the specification.
Strength Graphs
{Concrete Producer > Concrete Performance Analysis > Strength Graphs}
The Strength Graphs module provides a normal distribution graph of strength results for
selected prodcts and date range. A strength test result is defined as the average strength of all
specimens of the same age (using a minimum of two cylinders), secured from a sample
taken from a single batch of concrete. Using this module, you can have COMMANDqc
calculate the mean, standard deviation, characteristic strength, and target strength for data.

At the top of the module, you can select the Laboratory from which you want to review
results.
When you select using either field, the other field will change to match your selection.
Toolbar Buttons
This toolbar button has a specific use when used in this module:
This toolbar button is used in the Strength Graphs module to plot all the graphs.
• Show Graph - This button is used to create the graphs contained on each of the tabs.
Select it after entering all necessary criteria to view the generated graph or chart.
Strength Distribution Tab

The first graph is a histogram which shows the strength distributions for a product of a
product group over a period of time and also shows the target, grade, mean, and

characteristic strengths in relation to the actual strength distribution curve. Basic criteria can
be used to refine the data search and assist in comparisons or problem solving.
This tab lets you find and draw a histogram of results and calculate the normal distribution curve
• The only mandatory entry is the Product Code field. Select one or more Product
Codes for which you want to graph the data. You can also select one or more
Customers, Projects, Plants and/or a date range to narrow the results.
• Use the option buttons in the Select Strength area to select the age group to plot. The
checkboxes in the Display On Graph allow you to optionally show these mix
characteristics on the chart. Note that they are always shown in the headline section.
• The Width of Strength Result Grouping lets you select the 'class interval' for results
(effectively, the rounding applied to the results when plotting them), to achieve a well-
formed distribution.

• The K Factor is used in the calculation of characteristic strength (F’c = Mean – k *
SD) and it should be above the grade strength. It represents confidence level if results
are normally distributed - e.g. for a 95% confidence, K=1.65
An example of the graph generated for this tab.

Strength vs Gain Graph Tab
This tab lets you view a scatter plot of Control Age Strength versus Strength Gain to 28 Day
Strength (Strength Gain = 28 Day Strength - Control Age Strength).
This tab shows a scatter point graph of the control strength versus the 28 day strength gain.

Select one or more Product Codes for which you want to graph the data (this is the only
required entry). You can also select one or more Plants and/or a date range to narrow the
results.
An example of the Strength vs Gain graph.

• A point is plotted for each Control Age Strength (x-axis) and the corresponding 28 Day
Strength (y-axis) result.
• The vertical blue line is the average Control Age Strength and the horizontal blue line
is the average Strength Gain to 28 Days.
Product Comparison Graph Tab

The Product Comparison graph allows you to select any number of products or groups of
products for comparison. COMMANDqc analyzes the data and determines the line of best
fit to the data based on the following equation:
Strength = a(1 - exp(-1 * b * Age In Days))

The coefficients a and b are manipulated with the least squares method to minimize the
error.
This tab shows the strength over time of one or more concrete products using a curve.
When the tab first loads, it appears blank and you are required to enter a Product. To select
a Product, Plant, and/or Project, click in a cell and the Ellipsis button becomes available.
You may use this button to open the corresponding selector.

You may only use one Plant. To add another Plant for the same product, use the Add Record button.
In this example, the strength/age relationships are evaluated for two mixes from two different plants.
• This chart plots a point for each product/plant combination of strength vs age. Late Age
results are displayed if the Use Late Age Results checkbox is selected. Otherwise, the
results are cutoff after 28 days age.
Strength Gain Analysis

{Concrete > Concrete Performance Analysis > Strength Gain Analysis}
This module is designed to calculate average strength gain values for user-defined groups of
products and plants and is based on the concept that similar mixes from similar sources
should have similar characteristics. COMMANDqc also provides the ability to manually
enter a gain value for any individual combination of a single product and single plant. Since
gains are normally calculated, recorded, and recognized as a single value for each group, the
manual gain setting is available at the group-level as well.

It is not the intention of this document to detail the principles of grouping plants and products for gain
setup. It is assumed that you are sufficiently familiar with your own materials, plants, and mixes to
reliably create meaningful groups.
COMMANDqc allows you to take a new mix and compare it to existing mixes to predict the new mix’s strength performance using
the Strength Gain Analysis module.
COMMANDqc uses the strength gain from an early age to a later age to make predictions
for the 28 day strength and has the ability to calculate several gains based on the early and
late ages set up for each laboratory.
A few notes before you begin:

• Take great care in setting up your plant and product groups. Once they are set and
strength gain data has been processed, changing them can be very difficult. A high-level
of knowledge of your own concrete mix behavior is required to do this well so that
COMMANDqc can make meaningful predictions.
 Only plants that are likely to have similar gains should be grouped together.
 Only mixes expected to have similar gains should be grouped together and a product
can only belong to one group per plant.

 Grouping mixes or plants with few results with those with many results allows you
to predict strength and performance for these mixes, but if you incorrectly group
them with dissimilar mixes, it can affect the accuracy of the predictions.

 The Ignore Product Plant Relationship checkbox is useful for producers who
do not create their own mixes, as they have no need for product - plant relationships.
• Strength gain is influenced by several factors, notably the early curing conditions,
cementitious materials/combinations, additive types, aggregate sources, and mix design;
therefore, it is important that when you are grouping mixes for gain calculations, only
similar mixes and plants are used.
 Gains analysis should be performed regularly; however, it is important that you have
a thorough understanding of your business to ensure that accurate gains values are
calculated. For example, if material properties change, or if cement suppliers change,
or if there are any changes to the mix designs or plant materials, gains are affected.
When updating or recalculating the gains, it is imperative that these factors are
considered.
• COMMANDqc calculates the gain for each product, or groups of products at each
plant, with the ability to manually assign gains where insufficient data is available or
unreliable.
To perform a complete gains analysis:

1. Set up or update gains groups.
2. Choose your selection/exclusion criteria (as described above).
3. Select the plant group(s) to analyze. The checkbox to the left of the group names
facilitates this.
4. Click the Run Gains Analysis icon to perform the search of data based on the
selection (or exclusion) criteria. The system will then calculate the various gains for
each product group for each selected plant group. Products that were left unassigned in
each plant group will also be analyzed.
This process can take a considerable time to run so do this at an appropriate time. If you
select the Cancel button on this dialog, the entire gains analysis will be aborted.
5. Review and promote gains for use in production. The Strength Gain Viewer topic has
instructions on reviewing and promoting gains.
Toolbar Buttons
The following toolbar buttons are used specifically with this module:
These toolbar buttons are used in the Strength Gain Analysis module.
• Run Gains Analysis - Searches data based on the selection criteria and then calculates
the various gains for each product at each plant.
• Clear 'New' Flags on Unassigned Products - Used by administrators to manage the
status of unassigned products. This icon becomes active by refreshing the unassigned
products list or after an analysis has been completed. The New flag (the checkboxes in
the Unassigned Products list) is intended to highlight those products that have been
created since the last time a Gains Analysis was executed.

• The Manage System Locks button is used by administrators to manage any system
locks that have been put on COMMANDqc, but are not cleared. Because analysis can
take some time, system locks are initiated by COMMANDqc to ensure that data stays
consistent throughout the analysis (and removed at the end of analysis). If the module
should crash during a gain analysis, the database locks set by COMMANDqc may be
left in place. If you try to restart the analysis, you will get an error message.
When attempting to restart the analysis after a crash, you might receive an error message such as this.
To resolve this error, open the Manage System Locks dialog box using the corresponding
Manage System Locks button.
The Manage System Locks button displays this dialog box where you can remove any locks placed on the database.
Active locks are displayed in this list. Select the records followed by the Remove Lock
button to remove the lock. The next time the analysis is run, any incomplete records
from an interrupted job will be deleted before the new run commences.

Gains Setup Tab
The Gains Setup tab is where the plant and product groupings are made.
The Gains Setup tab allows you to create new plant and product groups.

Unassigned plants and unassigned products are moved by selecting and dragging them onto
the desired group. The drag and drop functionality changes the cursor to indicate where the
drop is allowed.
Whenever you are not allowed to drop an item, your cursor will change into an easily recognizable no symbol,

Whenever you are able to drop an item, your cursor will have a small box on it as shown here, where unassigned product 342 is
being dragged to the 4500psi product group.

To create a new plant or product group:
1. Select the Add record button. The Edit Gain Group dialog will appear.
This dialog box is used to create both plant and product groups.
• The Parent Group field allows you to add a new plant group by selecting <New
Plant Gains Group> or <Unassigned Plants>. The other selections in this
dropdown will be the Plant Groups already created and that appear on the left in the
corresponding pane. Typically, you will group plants that are geographically close, since
they are likely to have similar raw materials. It is usually best to create all your plant
groups first. To add a new Product Group, select the Parent Group (or group of plants)
that you would like to add the Product Group to.
You can make gains groups for the Unassigned Plants list, although this is not recommended. To select
this as your Plant Group, click on the <Unassigned Plants> in between the two left hand panels.
• Enter a Group Name and Description and select the OK button to create the group.
2. Add plants to the Plant Groups section (select and drag) by dragging and dropping (as
described above). If you need to move a plant from one group to a different one, drag it
to the Unassigned Plants list, then to the other group.
To add products to product groups:

1. Select a plant group, then select the Refresh button on the toolbar to refresh the list of
unassigned products. Note that the list also identifies new products, or products that
have been added since the last time a gains analysis was run.

2. Once this list is refreshed, you will be able to drag and drop the products into the
desired product groups. You can multi-select products (using Ctrl +Click or
Shift+Click) and drag many at once, to make this process faster.
You cannot drag products to a group unless the list of unassigned products has been refreshed for the
selected group. You will have to refresh the list every time a new group is selected.
It is possible (and feasible) to have products that are not included in any gain groups. These products
will be analyzed individually, but will not have the benefit of consolidated results, and are thus likely
to fall outside of your selection criteria (see below). It should also be noted that gains analysis takes
longer to run if there are many unassigned products. It is often a good idea to create a product group
into which you place the products that you don't need or desire to have gains calculated.
Selection Criteria Tab

The Selection Criteria tab lets you establish acceptable parameters for strength gain data;
data that falls outside these parameters will be excluded from the gains analysis.
The Selection Criteria tab lets you determine a date range of samples to include and exclusionary parameters.
You are provided a series of filters to either add or exclude results that will impact the
accurate calculation of the gain. To determine the average gain (which is used as the baseline
to exclude results), all results in the date range are used initially to calculate the average,
which is then used in combination with the values entered in the relevant fields to exclude
results. Only results matching the criteria are then used to calculate the gain for each
product (or group of products) at each plant (or group of plants).

• The Add These Records section only contains two fields that allow you specify the date
range (Start Date / Finish Date) of samples that will be included in the analysis and is
the most often used criteria.
• The Exclude section contains several fields that allow you to keep certain samples from
being used in the analysis.
 Min Count - Enter a number in this field to exclude results from any group with
less than this number of results.

 SD,%, Strength Units from Average Gain - Enter appropriate numbers in these
sections to exclude results outside the criteria.

 Deviation From Target Qty - This allows you to exclude tickets/samples that
were not batched close enough to their design targets. Enter a percentage deviation
above and below the target value for cement and cementitious components.
Strength Gain Viewer

{Concrete Producer > Concrete Performance Analysis > Strength Gain Viewer}
COMMANDqc allows you to set up product strength gains from one age group to another.
For example, control age (7day) to 28day is most commonly used. The gains are kept in the
database as an absolute measurement of that strength unit used (e.g. 15MPa or 1500PSI).

The Strength Gain Viewer module lets you review gains proposed by Strength Gain
Analysis, and to promote them to being the gains utilized in the testing modules to detect
failures at an early age. This viewer also allows you to edit existing gains settings, as needed.
The Strength Gain Viewer has a standard COMMANDqc grid format that lets you sort and manipulate the results to assist in
identifying changes, new gains, or other issues.
Toolbar Buttons
The following toolbar buttons are specific to the module:
These toolbar buttons are found in the Strength Gain Viewer module.
• Edit Strength Gains for a Group - The Edit Record button saves the changes to one
product at a particular plant while using this button changes all the gains for each
product in the plant group. In this manner, the gains for the entire group can be
changed by selecting and editing any product that belongs to the group. If multiple

question marks are displayed for a gain result, COMMANDqc has found that the gain
for one or more products is different. You must enter a valid number to have the OK
button display; otherwise Cancel is the only option. Any changes made will initiate the
Is New Gain function, but the changes are not committed until the Promote Selected
Gains to Production button is selected.
• Promote Selected Gains to Production - Selecting this button permanently saves
the changes made to the gains so that all subsequent strength predictions use the new
value. This step is added to ensure that you want to commit the results of any changes,
either manually or as the result of an analysis.
Promote gains only if you are 100% confident in doing so!

Filter Criteria
• The Region, Plants, and Products fields are used to filter the results to a manageable
level or to find a particular combination that is needed.
• The checkboxes are used to further manage the gains that COMMANDqc finds.
 Display newly calculated Gains - This checkbox determines whether or not the
search displays any newly-created gains. A 'newly calculated gain' record is created by
the gains analysis program, based on current test data. It is calculated in 'gains
groups' of similar mixes that are organized into plant and product groups. Until you
take specific action to use a newly calculated gain, it is merely a suggestion.
 Display saved Gains - This checkbox controls whether or not the search displays
any previously saved gains. All gains currently in use are displayed.
Note that if both the Display Newly calculated Gains and Display saved Gains checkboxes are
selected, new and saved gains are differentiated by a checkmark in the Is New Gain column. The
checkbox is selected for newly created gains.
 Display Manual Gains with New Calculations - Selecting this checkbox grays
out both the Display Newly calculated Gains and Display saved Gains checkboxes,
indicating that they are ignored in the search. This checkbox ensures that only
manual gains with new calculations are displayed. These records have an M in the
column Auto Manual Flag as they are gains that have been set manually or adjusted.
This column may also contain some records with a P. These records are permanent,
or unchangeable, when the gains are updated.
To add or edit strength gains:

1. When a record is selected from the grid, the Add Record and Edit buttons become
active. Selecting either button displays the Add/Edit Strength Gains for a Product Code/

Plant dialog, allowing you to manually enter any of the gains or view the automated
gains.
Here, you can manually entered gains.

• If the Add Record button is used, you are required to select a Plant (or plant group)
and a Product Code (or product group). The Ellipsis button for each field opens the
corresponding selector for easy retrieval.
• The various gain types (Inter#1, Inter#2, Control, Middle, Late#1, Late#2 &
Late#3) are set up in Test Age Groups module.
It is assumed that age groups are the same for each laboratory, but if they are not, care must be taken
in comparing gains calculated at different laboratories for the same product and plant combinations.
• Single/Group Flag - An S indicates that the product did not belong to a group when
the gain was calculated. A blank indicates that it did belong to a group.
• Auto/Manual Flag - This column allows you to quickly view whether a gain is
automated or calculate (A), manually entered (M) or permanent (P), meaning it cannot
be overridden by a recalculation.
2. Simply make any necessary changes and select the OK button.
Strength Performance
{Concrete Producer > Concrete Performance Analysis > Strength Performance}
The Strength Performance reporting module can be used to analyze concrete strength
performance. A large number of fields are available for describing the ticket and sample
information in COMMANDqc, but the primary focus of this module is on the strength
data per sample (all ages tested), including test results for slump and plastic density, tick
cementitious quantities, relevant product level specifications and many fields pertaining to

strength. This report differs from the Test Specimen Details report in that most fields are
combined calculations for the sample rather than a display of individual specimen details.
The Strength Performance grid can display up to 5000 rows, all of which can be included in a report.
Filter Criteria
• You are only required to enter a Plant in order to generate results. In addition, you can
specify a Product, Laboratory, and date range (Date / To) to filter results.
• You can also select the Test Type, the number of Most Recent Samples to include, as
well as the Report Test Age. The test age is derived from the selected lab. If you leave
this field blank, the most recent samples will be selected regardless of the test age
(where the specimens available are greater than zero and not excluded).
• You can enter a Strength K-Value. Target strength for mixes will be calculated as
Specified Strength + (K * PlantSD).

To generate a report:
1. You can select specific rows to generate a formatted strength report. If you do not select
any items on the selection grid, all samples will be included.
2. Select the Strength Report button to open the Strength Report Options screen.
The Strength Performance Report Options screen allows you to create customize a strength report.
You can save any number of report option settings in the same way you do for other grid reports.
• You can choose to display (or hide) a summary table that appears on the report via the
corresponding checkboxes: Show ACI Criteria (ACI calculated fields), Show Short
ACI Criteria, Chilean Criteria, Show Strength Criteria, or Hide Summary.
• You may also choose to Show Sample Data (actual sample data), Show Statistics
(statistical calculations for the samples), and Reverse Sample Order.
• The Report Test Age defaults from the filter criteria on the module homepage and
cannot be changed here. You can plot the average strength +/- SD for the selected
Report Test Age on the charts.
• Enter a Specified Strength Override if ACI calculations should be based on a
specified strength that is different from that associated with the mix to be analyzed.
Leave this field blank to use the selected product’s specified strength.
• Enter a Mix Description Override if the description on the report must be generic or
different than the selected mix description.
• The Standard and Specification field allows you to display a named standard on
your report for easy reference by a producer.

• Select the Lab from which the logo and technical address will be obtained in the
Laboratory Logo field. The logo that appears on the report is taken from the default
that is set up for the laboratory in Contacts.
• Enter an appropriate title for the report in the Report Title field.
• Select an option from the Report Template dropdown field. These report templates
are generally created by an administrator and are usually specific to a company.
• In the grid on the right side of the screen, select any Sample Data (individual sample
data that will appear in a table on the report) and Statistics that will appear on the
report. You can drag and drop selections in the order you wish to have them display on
the report. Nine fields will display comfortably on the report before they begin to wrap
to the next page.
3. Select the Print Report button to generate the report.

An example of the Strength Performance Report’s first page.
An example of Chart 2 (on page 3) of the Strength Performance Report.
Selecting the Ticket Report button from the Strength Performance grid will open a window
from which you can generate a Batching Performance Variation Report.
From this screen you can run the Batching Performance Variation report with or without costs.

Materials Analysis
Modules under this subsection include: Material Analysis, Aggregate Sample Reports, and
Aggregate Report Options.
Material Analysis
{Concrete Producer > Materials Analysis > Material Analysis}
The Materials Analysis module displays a grid listing of material sample test results,
allowing you to critically examine all the test results for the raw materials on file. Results
can be presented in various ways, from statistical analysis to charts. All test results are pulled
through with their specification; not only can you review the specification as you review the
test results, but you are also given the option of including these specifications when you
graph or export the data.
Materials Analysis is used for all non-grading tests. To analyze the grading results of coarse and fine
aggregates, see Aggregate Grading Analysis.

When you select any of the statistical analysis options on the toolbar, the results display below the grid.
Filter Criteria
• The Plant, Material Type and Material Code can be used to limit the results grid to
a specific material at a certain plant while the Supplier ID can be used to limit the
results to samples associated with a specific supplier.
• Use the calendar dropdown boxes next to the Date From and Date To fields to
specify a date range.
• The Use Most Recent checkbox and Most Recent Records allow you to use a
specific number of most recent samples to review.
Viewing Data
After the criteria has been set, select the Refresh button to retrieve the material sample list.
The Is Certified column is used to determine what samples have been certified.
• Using the summary buttons on the toolbar, you may choose to perform various
statistical analysis on samples from the grid.
• Using the chart buttons on the right side of the toolbar, you can display the data with a
pre-formatted graph or build a new graph. Chart Functions (used to display the data in
a graphical format) provide you with multiple options to adjust the scale, hide lines, and
so on, in order to better view trends, such as non-compliances or changes in moisture.
Try experimenting with charts to customize your graphs; however, note that these settings are not
saved anywhere in COMMANDqc.
The chart above plots aggregate moisture as a function of date.

Aggregate Sample Reports
{Concrete Producer > Materials Analysis > Aggregate Sample Reports}
The Aggregate Sample Reports module displays a grid listing of aggregate sieve test results
and allows you to generate formatted reports for viewing material sample test results and
sieve gradation tests for aggregates. Results are presented for graphing in a timeline format
using charts. All test results are pulled through with their individual sieve specification, and
you have the option of including specifications when graphing or exporting the data. The
module lets you view the individual percent passing values for each sieve per test and
specification and gives you the option of reviewing the raw test data or the interpreted test
data (for sieves that were not initially tested in tabular or graphical form).
If you want an average of a material’s performance over a specified date range, see Aggregate Grading
Analysis.
When you select any of the statistical analysis options on the toolbar, the results display below the grid.
Filter Criteria
• Use the Region dropdown to narrow down the display test results to a specific region.
Similarly, use the Material Type dropdown to narrow down the materials to a specific
type.

• The Material Code can be used to limit the results grid to a specific material while the
Supplier ID can be used to limit the results to samples associated with a specific
supplier.
• The Sample Date and Test Date radio buttons give you flexibility when searching
and analyzing data that has recently been entered since samples are received for a given
sample date but may be tested later.
• Use the calendar dropdown boxes next to the Date From and Date To fields to
specify a date range.
• The Use Most Recent checkbox and corresponding number field allows you to
specify a number of most recent results to review.
• The Grading Specification field is used to compare individual sieve apertures to the
specified criteria with the possible aim of identifying non-compliances and trends. The
Ellipsis button will display all the available Grading Specifications. The View Grading
Specification (binoculars) button allows you to view details of the selected specification
including the Sieve Label, Min % Passing and Max % Passing.
• The Plant field refers to the concrete plant related to the results. If test results are
generic (such as results for material that might have gone to several plants), then leave
the Plant field blank to receive all test results. However, there are several advantages in
being able to track raw materials directly related to individual plants and, if you enter a
plant code or group, you will find only records where the plant code has been entered
in the initial raw material data entry.
• Using the Customer(s) and Project(s) fields can be used to narrow samples to those
associated with a specific customer or project.
• There are four reports available and the number of samples you have selected will
determine if the Formatted Report button becomes available for the selected report.
 The Single Sample radio button will display the Formatted Report Selector for a
Single Sample screen where you can generate a report on the selected sample.
 The Multiple Samples and Statistics radio button will display the Formatted
Report Selector for Multiple Samples and Statistics screen where you can generate a
report that details multiple samples and includes statistic functions, charting options
and historical comparisons.
 The Compare to History and Standards radio button will display the Aggregate
Report Options screen where you can generate a report that displays the current
aggregate grading for a sample along with historical data. This allows you to use the
most current sample and compare it to historical data.
 The Compare Sample to Standards radio button will also display the Aggregate
Report Options screen where you can generate a report on the average gradings of
multiple samples alongside the chosen specification and ideal gradings. This allows
you to select a specific sample to compare to standards rather than using the most
current sample.
Results Grid
Use the Refresh button to populate the results grid. The Sample Failed checkbox, used in
Material Sample Entry, allows you to indicate that a sample has failed for reporting

purposes. There is no logic to the Sample Failed field and you must manually check it if you
would like to mark a sample as failed as part of reporting information. Similarly, the Is
Certified field allows you to indicate that a material is now certified as part of testing.
Formatted Report Selector for a Single Sample

The Formatted Report Selector screen that appears when a single sample is selected allows you
to generate a report for a single sample.
This is the Formatted Report Selector that appears when a single sample is selected.
• The Approved By field lets you add the name of an employee or tester along with any
certifications (specified using the dropdown to the right) that may be relevant. A setting
(titled Aggregate Sample Report Signature Selection) is available in the Regional
Settings module which allows you to restrict the signatures that you are able to use. In
some cases, only the logged in user appears limiting you to using only your signature to
approve the report.
• The Second Employee field lets you attach another employee signature that will
appear next to the Tested By section in the footer.
• The Attention textbox allows you to identify your intended reader of the report.
• The Report Template dropdown lets you pick what template you would like to use
for this report.
• The Round % Passing dropdown allows you to determine the degree to which results
will be rounded.
• The Accreditation Symbol dropdown allows you to attach an accreditation symbol.
Using the Graphics module, you can add a new accreditation symbol. Note that it will
need to be added in the Graphic Category of Logo.
• The Chart Options section lets you customize the grading specification chart. To
display the chart, select the Show Grading Chart checkbox. The Chart Sieve Order
dropdown is used to determine the order of the sieves on the x-axis of the chart while
the Sieve Spacing radio buttons (Logarithmic and Equal Spacing) determine the
spacing of points between each sieve value along on the x-axis.

Using the Print Preview button, you can generate the report. The report below was
generated using the above report settings.
This is an example of the report that displays when using the Print Preview button.

Formatted Report Selector for Multiple Samples and Statistics
The Formatted Report Selector screen that appears when multiple samples are selected is
similar to the Formatted Report Selector for a Single Sample described above with a few
differences noted below.
In order for the report to appear properly, you must have an associated Grading Specification when
using multiple samples.
• The Multiple Samples radio button.
This is the Formatted Report Selector that appears when multiple samples are selected and the Multiple Samples radio button is
selected.
 The Show Statistics checkbox will add a summary table to the report that includes
the sample count, average, standard deviation, minimum, maximum and coefficient
of variation for each sieve.
 The Show Time Line Cart checkbox will add a chart that plots the percent passing
for each related sieve over a period of time.
 The Show Testing Results checkbox will add information such as Silt Percentage
Absorption, Agg Moisture, etc. for the overall material to the report.
 The Grading Distribution section allows you to customize the grading reports on an
individual or average basis for samples.
• The Show Average Grading checkbox will include a chart that uses the average
grading across all samples on the report.
• The Show Individual Grading checkbox will include an individual grading
chart on the report. Using the Show Specification checkbox, you may include
the grading specification on the individual grading chart.

• If the Historical Comparison to radio button is selected
This is the Formatted Report Selector that appears when multiple samples are selected and the Historical Comparison radio button is
selected.
 The Show Specification, Show Nominal, Show Historical Average, and
Show Historical Min/Max checkboxes will add the corresponding plot points
connected by a line to the percent passing chart included on the report.

The following are examples of the two reports that you may generate, using the Print
Preview button, when multiple samples are selected along with the Multiple Samples and
Statistics radio button.
This is an example of the report generated using the Multiple Samples radio button using the report settings above.

This is an example of the report generated using the Historical Comparison radio button using the report settings above.

Aggregate Report Options
The Aggregate Report Options screen contains some of the same fields mentioned above with a
few noted differences.
• The Grading Specification field is populated from the Aggregate Sample Reports
filter criteria and cannot be changed from this screen. You can however, add additional
grading specifications using the Grading Specification 2 and Grading
Specification 3 fields.
• The Laboratory field allows you to attach lab information, such as a logo and an
address, to the report. While the Technician field lets you attach an additional
employee signature to the report.
• The Report Title field allows you to generate a customized report title for this report
rather than using a standard one from the template.
• The Report Fields grid on the right side of the screen allows you to select fields for
inclusion in sample tables and/or in charts.

Using the Print Preview button, you can generate the report. The report below was
generated using the above report settings.
This is an example of the report that displays when using the Print Preview button.

Aggregate Grading Analysis
{Concrete Producer > Materials Analysis > Aggregate Grading Analysis}
The Aggregate Grading Analysis module displays the aggregate grading distribution average
for many samples for a selected aggregate material. Results are presented for graphing in a
time line format using charts and sieves are populated with their average, specification
maximum and minimum values, and overall maximum and minimum values.
Aggregate Grading Analysis is for all the grading tests. To analyze the non-grading results of coarse
and fine aggregates, see Materials Analysis.
The Aggregate Grading Analysis module allows you to view averages for aggregate samples.
Filter Criteria
The filter criteria here is used similarly to other modules in the Materials Analysis section.
To view the Filter Criteria for the Aggregate Sample Reports module, use the appropriate
links included here.
Results Grid
The results grid displays an Aperture and Sieve Label column that corresponds to the
selected Grading Specification along with the specification’s Min Spec and Max Spec
value for each sieve. In order to populate the Avg Data, Min Data and Max Data

columns, you are required to enter a Grading Specification. Using the Show Selected Chart
button on the toolbar, you can view a graph of the average grading results for the samples.
In this chart, grading results are not within specification limits for some sieves.
Production Analysis
All the graphs in the Production Analysis section use COMMANDqc's standard charting
package and have the same editing and enhancement features. You can select the icons to
rotate, move, and zoom the graph and to add depth. This allows you to better view your
data (according to your needs and the type of data being viewed). For detailed information
on COMMANDqc’s charting tools, please see the Chart Functions section of the manual.
Batching Performance
{Concrete Producer > Production Analysis > Batching Performance}
The Batching Performance module allows you to look critically at the day’s batch records
and also provides different tools to assist in identifying and highlighting any potential
problems. It extracts the data based on your selection criteria and subtracts the actual batch
value from the target batch value to report a variance. Each variance is then available for
graphing in different formats.

For all graphs in this section, if you double click on a data point, a transparent window pops up
containing the actual delivery ticket details.
The Batching Performance module provides a wide variety of parameters when creating graphs.
Toolbar Buttons
The following toolbar buttons are specific to this module and include examples:
The Batching Performance window toolbar provides quick access to material and cost analysis.

• Graph Masses - Graphs the individual batching errors of the selected period and
allows you to immediately identify potential batching problems.
This is an example of the graph created using the Graph Masses button.

• Graph Cumulative Masses - This chart can be used to see if any errors are self-
compensating or if corrections were made to address an issue. It graphs the cumulative
effect of batching errors over the selected period.
This is an example of the graph created using the Graph Cumulative Masses button.
• Graph Costs - Graphs the cost implications of the batching error.The value graphed is
the batching error multiplied by the unit cost of the product.

The various cost graphs use cost information already entered in COMMANDqc. For additional
information about material and production costs, please see the Plant Materials section.
This is an example of the graph created using the Graph Costs button.
• Graph Cumulative Costs - Graphs the cumulative cost implications of the batching
error. The value graphed is the sum of the batching error multiplied by the unit cost of

the product. The exaggeration due to the cost weighting displayed in the cumulative
cost graph is useful to identify and prioritize batching errors.
This is an example of the graph created using the Graph Cumulative Costs button.
• Graph Percentage of Masses - This graph displays the percentage errors for each
component and/or material selected. Percentage is calculated as the error divided by the

target. Typically, it results in some spikes which should be the focus of further
investigation.
This is an example of the graph created using the Graph Percentage of Masses button.
• Configure Tolerance Limits - The Configure Tolerance Limits button allows you to
set an upper and lower limit for certain material groups.
The Batch Variation Tolerance screen appears whenever you use the Configure Tolerance Limits button.

• Graph Masses by Plant - This graph displays the total errors for each component for
each plant, which is useful in identifying problems and prioritizing actions.
This is an example of the graph created using the Graph Masses by Plant button.

• View Data - Opens the Batch Viewer screen where you can look at the actual batch
quantities of individual loads of concrete and generate an exception report.
The View Data button displays the Batch Viewer screen where you can review individual ticket details for a batch.
 On the Result Data tab, simply select the Show All Tickets button and a ticket from
the left pane to populate all the fields to the right. To print a report, select the Print
Delivery Report button. You can use the dropdown above this button to select a

template. To remove cost data, select the Show/Hide Costs button at the top of the
screen.
This is an example of the Exception Report tab that displays when using the View Data button of the Batching Performance module.
 On the Exception Report tab, select a Profile Name and then select the button at the
top left to generate data for an exception report. To generate the report, use the
Exception Report button.
Filter Criteria
• Select the Show Batch Time on Chart checkbox to add the batch time to the date on
the x-axis. This is useful in identifying a problem and its possible causes.
• Using the Date Range section, you can choose either a range of dates in order to select
batching information from the past, or you can choose running charts to show current
batching information.
 When using Date Range mode, be careful that the Start and End fields do not
specify a long timer period of the data may take a long time to load.
 When the Running Charts mode is enabled, you can choose how many tickets to
show (Last Tickets) and how often to refresh (Chart Refresh Minutes); this
allows a dynamic display of the latest batching information, updated on a regular
basis.
• The fields in the Search Options section are optional. Select the required criteria based
on your needs. For example, you might select a specific Product for a specific

Customer on a specific Project to verify the uniformity of the concrete. If you know
the number of a specific order or ticket number, you can filter for that as well.
• Using the Exclusions section, the Errors Greater Than field allows you remove the
spikes that might occur in order to generate an easy to read and reliable graph. Other
options are to exclude Loads Less Than a certain size or to exclude Target Only
Batches, such as those records that do not have any actual batch data, only the target.
• The lower half of the module relates to the materials and plant.
 Plants - Use the ellipsis button to select a plant or a group of plants. The grid is
populated with all available materials at the selected plants. This selection is
required.
 Material Code - Select the checkbox next to a Material Code so that individual
readings for that material are plotted.

 Select one or more checkboxes in the Groups of Materials section to display the
totals of the five main types of materials: Cements, SCMs (Supplementary

Cementitious Materials), Aggregates, Sands and Admixtures.
Production Analysis
{Concrete Producer > Production Analysis > Production Analysis}
Some typical uses of the Production Analysis module are to review the following types of
data:
• The relative amounts of various types of concrete (such as seasonal patterns, market
trends, and so on)
• The day-to-day variation of concrete volumes
• Truck usage
• Usage by customer and/or project
• Actual quantities of raw materials batched
• Comparing the batching efficiency of different plants
• Finding a ticket that relates to the sample, when the paper record is partially incorrect
or unreadable

Analysis results can be graphed with the COMMANDqc Chart Functions, or exported to a
CSV file for charting or reporting in your favorite program.
Before performing a search you must enter at least one plant, material/material group, and a display value.
The Production Analysis module uses the large amount of data in the batch files, along with
some basic filters to extract the data and present it as a grid. There are a number of options
for retrieving the data that you would like to display. You can retrieve a set of tickets for
analysis based on a range of ticket numbers or dates, with additional filters for plants,
products, customers, projects, or truck numbers. It also allows you to save searches and grid
layouts, graph settings, and so on. The flexibility of the selections require that you carefully
name your grid layouts and chart layouts, so as to recognize that they match. Because
different data elements are retrieved based on your selections, the charts might not be able
to display if they contain columns that are no longer available.
• Each of the Ellipsis buttons in the Search Options section opens the corresponding
selector so that you can select from groups or individual items (Product Code,
Customer, Project, Plant). Manually entered codes, such as truck codes, must be
separated by a comma.

 The Group Results By section provides option buttons to display the data in
different formats to assist in graphical presentation.
• This module requires at least one Plant, one batch weight from the Display section
(Target or Actual), and one of the Groups of Materials before it can conduct a
search. Warnings are displayed if you forget to select any of these fields. On selecting a
plant or a group of plants, the list box automatically displays all the materials available.
Individual materials can then be selected for graphing as well as the Groups of
Materials, letting you summarize the data by material type.
• For quick analysis, the grid format lets you save your settings for both the search and
the graph.
Batch Mix Comparison

{Concrete Producer > Production Analysis > Batch Mix Comparison}
The Batch Mix Comparison module compares the design amount for mix constituents with
the batch targets. With this report, you can more readily analyze changes made by your
batchers and make the appropriate corrections.
Select data on this screen, then analyze it with COMMANDqc tools.

• To view materials, select from the fields in the top half of the module and then select
the Refresh button to view results. Materials will display below these fields.
• Select Use Material next to each material you wish to include in the analysis and then
select the Refresh button once more to populate the grid.

• Once you have selected and organized the data to your needs, you can use the statistical
analysis and charting tools on the toolbar, save the layout for later use, or export the data
for analysis with third-party tools.
Compliance Reporting
Modules included under this subsection allow you to determine compliance and
conformity and print related reports and certificates.
Mix Submittals
{Concrete Producer > Compliance Reporting > Mix Submittals}
A Mix Submittal is a collection of documents containing the details regarding concrete
mixes and their constituents. It includes mix design details, mix QC result data summaries,
raw material QC data summaries, and constituent specifications from vendors, such as an
admix specification. The Mix Submittals module allows you to manage existing submittals
and create new submittals.
How are mix submittals used?

• The job owner hires an engineering company to come up with specifications for the
required mixes. These mixes:
 Differ by application, such as foundation walls, sidewalks, and driveways.
 Must exhibit the required strength.
 May have particular requirements for slump, workability, air content, yield.
 Must have an economically delivered price.
• The engineering firm requests mix submittals from different concrete producers.
• Submittals are returned by the Concrete companies. The submittals provide evidence
that the concrete company will provide materials that meet the customer’s
requirements.
The Mix Submittals module provides a list of existing submittals that match the entered
selection criteria. You can create a new submittal or review an existing one. Once Mix
Submittal Configuration has been completed, Mix Submittals can be managed almost

exclusively through the Mix Submittal module and the Mix Submittal Editor.
The Mix Submittals module is used to manage existing submittals and create new ones.
Toolbar Buttons
The following toolbar buttons are specific to the Mix Submittals module:
These toolbar buttons are found on the Mix Submittals module grid.
• The Obsolete Record button will mark an existing submittal record as obsolete.
Obsolete records are not displayed with the list of active submittals.
• The Recover button can retrieve obsoleted submittal records.

• The Show obsolete items checkbox toggles the grid display between active and
obsolete records. After changing the checkbox you will need to refresh the display.
• Using the preview buttons next the Submittal Summary Report dropdown and
Preview Submittal, you may preview a summary of the report or the final submittal
in full.
Filter Criteria
• Submittal Summary Report - Summarizes critical information so it can be
distributed to dispatchers and contractors. To create a summary report, select the Print
Preview button to the right of the Submittal Summary Report field. Currently, the only
option is Mix Submittal Summary.
• Customer and Project - To add a Customer or Project, select the Ellipsis button to
open the Customer Code or Project Code selector. Once a valid Customer/Project is
entered, the description to the right is defaulted from the corresponding record.
• You may also filter using the Job, Submittal Number and Created From/To fields.
• If you know that a submittals contains a particular mix, you may use the Contains Mix
Code(s) field to open the Product Code selector, where you can select one or more
products to include in your search results.
• Display all Mix Submittal revisions - Select this option to include each revision of a
mix submittal.
Select the Refresh button to view mix submittals matching the criteria you have selected.
To create a new submittal, select the Add Record button. To preview or edit an existing
submittal, select the Edit button or double click one of the listed submittals. Either action
opens the Mix Submittal Editor.
Mix Submittal Editor

This editor lets you prepare, store, and deliver a Mix Submittal to a client, using compiled
mix design information and material test data. Some basic management and workflow

features are included in the software to let you edit new submittals, yet prevent changes to
submittals that have been delivered to customers and/or approved by them.
The Mix Submittal Editor will appear after selecting an existing record and or selecting the Add Record button.
• Above the tabs of the Mix Submittal Editor, there are several toolbar buttons that you
may find useful
 Preview Submittal - This button will generate a preview of the current submittal
based on the current selections. This button will always be available.
 Approve Submittal - This button changes the status of the submittal to Approved–
that is, ready to send to the customer. This button will be inactive if the current
submittal is already approved.
 Print Approved Submittal - Generates a PDF of the current submittal, which can
be reviewed on screen or sent to a printer. This button will only be active if the
current submittal is approved.
 E-Mail Approved Submittal - Prepares an e-mail to send to the customer, with
the submittal attached as a PDF. This button will only be active if the current
submittal is approved.

• Also above the tabs of the Mix Submittal Editor, are fields used primarily for
identification purposes.
All fields on this screen (including those on the tabs) are read-only for Approved submittals.
 Submittal Number/Version - These two values combine to uniquely identify a
submittal record.
 Description - Provide a description of the submittal; in many cases the description
will correspond to a project or job description.
 Reference ID - Use to reference an external document related to the request for
the submittal, such as Job Book or Quote Code, if needed.
 Customer Approval - This field reflects the approval status of the submittal from
the customer’s perspective. Options include Not Submitted, Pending Approval,
Approved, and Rejected. Some software logic changes this status as you progress the
status (see below); you can also set this value manually at any time. This field is
available for editing after the submittal is finalized.
 Configuration Name - When creating a new submittal, this is the first option that
should be selected. This relates to the pre-defined submittal configuration, which is
created using the Mix Submittal Configuration module. After the name is selected
from this dropdown list, the corresponding submittal configuration settings are
defaulted to the submittal. As a user convenience, this setting is reused in
subsequent new submittals.
 Approved By - Lets you record the name of the customer representative who
approved the submittal. Along with the Customer Approval field, this value can be
edited after the submittal is finalized.
 Create Date - When the submittal is first stored, this display-only field is set to the
current date and time.
 Created By - When the submittal is stored, this display-only field is set to the user
name of the submittal creator.
 Status - This display-only field reflects the status of the submittal values. The
toolbar functions (described below) allow you to change the status.
• Draft - The submittal is (and can be) actively edited. This is the assigned status
when the submittal is stored or previewed before the approval. The submittal is
stored by selecting the Save button. The submittal is previewed by selecting the
Preview button.
• Approved - This is the status after the submittal is approved. After the status is
set to Approved, no changes to the submittal are allowed. The submittal is
approved by selecting the Approve button (the red check mark).
• Final - This is the submittal status after the submittal has been sent to the
customer, either by using the Print Approved Submittal button to print and mail
a hard copy of the submittal or by using the E-mail Approved Submittal button to
e-mail the customer a PDF of the submittal.

• The Submittal tab lets you enter customer, project, job, and template information:
The Submittal tab contains delivery information relating to the finished submittal.
 Job - The job code and description identify the project that is the subject of the
submittal.
 Customer - This field allows for the selection of a pre-existing customer from the
contacts database. Select the submittal customer by selecting the Ellipsis button.
This opens the Contact Selector (Customer) form. When an existing customer is
selected, the customer description defaults in the display-only field to the right; their
contact details display below. You can create a submittal without using a customer
record from the database by NOT using the Customer field and/or Ellipsis button,
and instead entering the contact details directly.
 Project - This field allows for the selection of a pre-existing project from the
contacts database. Select the submittal project by selecting the Ellipsis button. This
opens the Contact Selector (Project) form. When an existing project is selected, the
project description defaults in the display-only field to the right; their contact details
will be shown below. Similar to customer setup, you can also directly enter project
details without having a record in the database. If the project selection option is used,
the customer-project relationship may or may not be enforced, depending on the
Enforcement setting in the Mix Submittal Configuration.

 Copy Customer Information to Cover Letter - This button shows twice next to
the E-Mail field of the customer and project. When selected, it will copy all address
information for the adjacent customer or project on the cover letter for the mix
submittal. the button only displays for new submittals, not existing ones.
 Mix Template - The Mix Report Template is selected from the list of available Fast
Report templates. Mix Report data is printed on the Mix Report based on the fields
included in the template and the Mix Report setting in the selected Mix Submittal
Configuration. Each Mix Template may include the following template sections and
fields for the Mix Report:
Template Section Fields

Report Header Header Text
Mix Header Title Label, Mix Code, Mix Description, Concrete
Source, Submittal Date, Customer, Contact, Office
Phone, Project Name, Project Contact, Usage/
Placement, Air Content, Slump, Design Strength, Unit
Weight, W/C Ratio
Mix Individual Disclaimer Mix Level Disclaimer
Mix Materials Material Type, Material Code, Material Description,
Design Quantity, UOM, Volume, Specific Gravity,
Supplier-Source, Total Yield, Air Content (by % and
volume)
Mix Admixtures Material Code, Material Descr., Dosage Range
Custom Fields Custom field labels and values
Mix Notes Mix Notes
Submittal Level Disclaimer Submittal Disclaimer 1, 2, …, n
Prepared By Signature, Name, Job Title, Approver Text
• Every section of the Mix Report is precisely positioned following the template,
even when the previous section is not completely populated with data.
 Mixes Approved By - This is the name of the person who approved the mix
designs if the logged-in user is approved for submittals, as set in the Employee
record. This value can be overridden and defaults to the user’s name. After the name
of the employee is selected, the job title is defaulted.
 Show Signature - This checkbox controls whether or not the Mixes Approved By
signature is printed on the Mix Report.
 Submittal Level Disclaimers/Cover Letter Templates - Use the +/- buttons in
this section to add selected documents or templates to the submittal. You can
preview each of the selected documents and print all of the selected disclaimers in
the Submittal Disclaimers section of the Mix Report.
 If the desired disclaimer is not in the dropdown list, you can add a new disclaimer by
selecting the Ellipsis button to the far right. This button opens the Documents

Maintenance form where you can store a new disclaimer in the database. After you
navigate back to this form, the new disclaimer is added to the dropdown list.
• The Mixes tab is used to add and select mixes for the submittal and to generate the Mix
Report documents. Submittal must be saved before adding mixes.
The Mixes tab when first accessed. You will need to save the submittal after adding changes.

 To add mixes to the submittal, click the Add Mix button, which opens the Mix
Selector and allows you to select mixes for the submittal.
The Mix Selector screen that appears allowing you to select a mix.
• Enter your search criteria and then select the Refresh button. Select mixes by
highlighting them and selecting OK. The mixes you selected will appear in the
Mixes tab.
 For every mix attached to the submittal, you need to set up the following submittal
information on the Mixes tab:
• Usage/Placement - This list is populated with the stored Sample Comments of
type Concrete Usage and Placement. These are set up using the Sample
Comments module. If you cannot find the desired Usage/Placement code, you
can enter an ad hoc string to be stored with the submittal mix, but it won't be
stored in the Sample Comments table.
• Project Mix Description - Allows you to make a mix description to be used
specifically for this submittal. When this field is left empty, the original Mix
Description is used.
• Specified Strength Override - This field is loaded with the Specified Strength
of the mix, but can be altered for this particular submittal.
• Workability Code Override and Tolerance - The Workability Code defaults
from the mix. The Tolerance allows for a range to be shown on the report (e.g.,
+/- 1).
• Air Percentage Override and Tolerance - Functions similarly to the
Workability Code Override and Tolerance fields described above.

• Internal Comments - These comments are entered by the person who creates
the submittals but are not printed on the submittal.
• Custom - The fields on this tab default from the selected Mix Submittal
Configuration and let you enter values for the mix report that are not part of the
standard software.
• Disclaimers are generated from a list of stored documents categorized as
Submittal Disclaimers. Users can make multiple selections, which can be
concatenated for, and will print on the mix report.
• Report Options - Select this button to open the Mix Design Report Options
Screen for Mix Submittals, where you can decide which additional Mix Design
Reports to include in the submittal, and set each report’s specific options.
• The Mix Documents tab allows you to review and manage the support documents that
will be included with the finished submittal. When mixes are added to submittals, any
documents attached to the mix or mix material are automatically populated in the grid.
Use this tab to view any documents associated with the materials used in the mixes.
If multiple mixes are used which include the same material, duplicate documents will only be listed
once.
The Mix Documents tab lets you view what documents have been added based on mix selection.
 Clear the Include checkbox if you wish to exclude an associated mix or material
document.
 Select the Ellipsis button in the Preview column to view the PDF file for each
document.

• The Add Ons tab allows you to add new documents to the database that will be
included in this submittal or browse through documents already available in the
database and attach them to this submittal.
The Add Ons tab lets you select additional documents to include in the submittal which have not already been added through the
automatic mechanisms in the prior tab.
 If you cannot find the desired document in the list, select the Ellipsis button on the
right (not the one under the Preview column) to a standard Windows browsing
window where you can store a new document in the database. When you return to
the Add Ons tab, the newly-added document will be available in the Documents
dropdown list.
• The Cover Letter tab lets you provide details for the submittal’s cover letter and
customize the automatically generated cover letter to suit the needs of the specific
submittal. The submittal template is prepared earlier (in the Mix Submittal

Configuration module) as part of the configuration and provides a number of
placeholders (tags) which are substituted from data values entered here.
The Cover Letter tab allows you to edit the letter that appears at the beginning of the submittal.
 Prepared For - This section contains the name and other contact details of the
person for whom the submittal is prepared.
 ATTN - The person to whose attention the submittal is directed. This field
substitutes for the <Attn> tag in the cover letter template.
 Address - The address fields are Street 1, Street 2, Town, State, and Post Code.
These fields substitute for the <Street1>, <Street2>, <Town>, <State>, and
<PostCode> tags in the template, respectively.
 E-Mail - The e-mail address of the person receiving the submittal.
 Signatory Name - Select the name of the person who prepared the submittal. The
name defaults as the Approved By from the Submittal Configuration, but can be
overridden here. The list of choices is limited to the employees of the Region of the
logged-in user. After the name is selected, the employee job title defaults in the field
to the right. The Description and Employee Title of the selected person are
substituted for the <Signatoryname> and <Signatoryposition> tags, respectively.
 Show Signature - Determines whether or not the signatory person's signature is
printed on the submittal cover letter. Substituted for the <Signatoryimage> tag.
 Cover Letter Template - Defaults from the Mix Submittal Configuration. After
the template is selected, the cover letter should be available to preview or edit. The
ellipsis button opens the Documents Maintenance form which lets you store a new

template in the database. After navigating back to the Mix Submittal form, the new
template is added to the list of available templates.
 In addition to the tags mentioned in this section, the Submittal Number and
Description from the top section of the Mix Submittal Editor replace the
<SubmittalNumber> and <SubmittalDescription> tags. The tag <MixString> is
used to make a listing of the attached mixes within the cover letter, according to the
layout created in the Mix Submittal Configuration.
 The following buttons are available only after a Cover Letter Template has been
selected.
• Edit Button - This button activates the text editor and populates the template
tags with the Contact and Signatory information entered in the form. From here,
you can modify the context of the letter. After the letter is modified, the label
Modified is displayed to the right of the Cover Letter buttons. After such
modification, subsequent changes to names, addresses, etc. will not be reflected
in the cover letter.
• Cancel Button - This button cancels any custom modifications done to the
cover letter. It removes the selected template and reflects your changes to the
cover letter. After changes have been canceled, the Modified label to the right of
the Cover Letter buttons is removed.
• The Submittal Contents tab provides you with the list of all current documents
included in the submittal in the sequence that they will be included.
The Submittal Contents tab displays all the contents of the submittal.
 Documents - The sequence of the documents can be changed by selecting a
document and dragging it to a new location. Alternatively, you can highlight a

selection and then move it up or down using the arrow buttons at the bottom of the
grid.
 Size - The size of each document is displayed here in kilobytes.
 Preview - Select the Ellipsis to the right of the Adobe PDF icon to view the
document.
• You may open and edit PDF Reports by selecting the Ellipsis button here. For
more information, refer to the PDF Report Editor Screen section below.
 Locked - This read-only checkbox shows the status of editable PDF Report (reports
produced from PDF Templates). When a user edits a PDF Report, it will
automatically become Locked and will not be updated when something is changed
on the Mix Submittal for that mix.
Common Procedures
To approve a mix submittal:

1. When the submittal is ready to be sent to the customer, it should be placed in Approved
status by selecting the Approve button at the top of the Mix Submittal Editor. Once the
Mix is approved, mixes and documents contained in the submittal become protected
and cannot be removed from the submittal.
Once a submittal has been approved, the Print and E-mail buttons will become active.
To email a mix submittal:

1. A mix submittal must be in the Approved status in order to send it as an email from
COMMANDqc. If the PDF is password protected (configured under the Submittal
Settings tab of the matching Mix Submittal Configuration), when you select the E-mail

Approved Submittal button, you will be prompted for a password.
A password warning will appear before you are able to preview the final report if one has been set for the configuration.

2. After entering the password (or after selecting the E-mail Approved Submittal button if
no password is necessary) the finished submittal PDF will display in your system’s
default PDF viewer.
An example of the final preview of a submittal that appears when using the Email button.
• This preview gives you one final chance to review the submittal prior to e-mailing it.

3. When the PDF window is closed, the Send Mail dialog will display.
The Send Mail screen allows you to select recipients and send an email directly from COMMANDqc.
The Send Mail screen defaults the customer’s email address in the To field. The CC and BCC
addresses are also defaulted. In addition, if you enter a different address in any of these fields, the new
addresses will be saved after the email is sent and made immediately available for the enxt email sent
from the same submittal.
• The Select Emails For: section provides on option to add email addresses. Select a radio
button (Employee, Customer, or Project), then select the Ellipsis button next to the

email address field (To, CC, or BCC) you wish to modify. The Contacts Selector for the
selected option will display:
The Contact Selector makes it easier to select employee, customer, and project email recipients.
• The Include Emails From section provides an alternate means of adding addresses.
Select one of the three email address fields and then select any of the checkboxes.
 The Cover Letter checkbox will use the email address located on the Cover Letter
tab.
 Customer Information and Project Information checkboxes will use the email
address will be pulled from the Submittal tab.

• Select the Add Emails button to add the selected addresses to the current email
address field.
If an email address isn’t available, that checkbox will be inactive.

4. Once the required email addresses have been added to the Send Mail dialog, select the
Send button to send the submittal to the specified recipients.

PDF Report Editor Screen
Under the Submittal Contents tab of the Mix Submittal Editor, select the Ellipsis button on
the row of the PDF report document you wish to edit and a PDF Report Editor screen is
launched.
When you select the Edit button, fields become available for editing.
When you edit and save your changes, the report will become locked and will not be
overridden when you change anything in a mix.
The Unlock button becomes available once you select the Lock button, and vice versa.
If you unlock this report by selecting the Unlock button, the report will be overridden
when you change any information on a submittal.

Mix Design Report Options Screen for Mix Submittals
Using the Mix Design Report Options screen, you can customize what kind of information
you would like to include in this submittal. If you make changes here, you will need to save
the submittal before you preview it in order for COMMANDqc to make any updates.
The Mix Design Report Options window is inactive for submittals in approved status. It will display
so that you can review the settings, but none of the fields can be edited.
The Mix Report Options screen after the ACI Report has been generated and added.
• The Include Aggregate Gradation Analysis checkbox will include a table on a
separate page with a percent passing column for each coarse and fine aggregate material.
Refer to Mix Design Report Options: Figure 1 for an example.
 The Grading Specification dropdown determines the sieves displayed for the
report. It is recommended that mix combined grading specification is selected to

ensure the full complement of sieves are available.
• The Table Options section allows you to add extra columns, including Combined %
Passing and Combined % Retained, Min and Max % Passing and Fines %
Passing and Coarse % Passing, to the table.
• Because California requires the use of X factors with tolerances for a subset of the
sieves normally used for the gradation testing, the X Values Sieves section allows you to
add the formatted report required for displaying sample sieve analysis data for mix
aggregates, X factors derived from combined gradings calculated for coarse and fine
aggregate data, and CalTrans tolerance values for each sieve.
 When the Include checkbox is selected, a anew band will be added to the mix
design report to display the CalTrans X values and specifications for the mix.

 The Configure button opens The Configure X Value Sieves Screen described in
more detail below.
• The Chart Options section allows you to add various charts in your submittal. Refer to
Mix Design Report Options: Figure 1 for and example of the Combined % Passing
chart.
• The Include Chart checkbox in the Strength-W/C Analysis section allows you to add
Strength-W/C information to the report and includes the chart shown in Mix Design
Report Options: Figure 2. Additionally, once the chart is included, you may add an
extra table that displays batch weights for this section using the Include Batch
Weights checkbox.
• The Include Dosage Calculation Report checkbox allows you to add an extra page
to the submittal, show in Mix Design Report Options: Figure 3, that describes how the
dosage for an admixture is calculated.
• The Include Coarseness-Workability Chart checkbox allows you to add the
corresponding chart, shown in Mix Design Report Options: Figure 4,to the report.
Using the dropdowns, you can specify a CF-WF Specification which determines the
size and shape of the parallelogram and the trend lines, well as the Coarseness Factor
Axis which orients the parallelogram on the chart.
• The Notes textbox will add a section to the submittal, usually located on the dosage
calculation page if included, with any text that you choose to enter here. For an
example, see Mix Design Report Options: Figure 3.
• The ACI Concrete Analysis section allows you to add the stored ACI report or generate
an ad hoc ACI report and add it to the submittal.
 The Generate button opens the Strength Performance module, where you must
generate a report and preview it before it is added to the submittal.

Here, several columns have been added along with a chart using the corresponding sections of the report options.

You may also choose to add Strength vs. Water/Cement Analysis information to your mix submittal.
A dosage calculation report is included on a separate page along with any notes entered in the textbox.

Mix Design Report Options: Figure 4.
You may also choose to add a coarseness-workability chart to your mix submittal as shown here.
The Configure X Value Sieves Screen

COMMANDqc customers producing concrete in the state of California require the ability
to show the CalTrans specification and adherence of aggregate gradation test results to the
CalTrans standards on the Mix Design Aggregate Report. Each mix submittal must declare
the expected X value for CalTrans sieves along with the tolerance levels provided by
California for the sieve.

Configure your mix submittal to display this information by selecting the Configure button
from the CalTrans Sieves section of the Mix Design Report Options screen to launch the
Configure X Value Sieves screen.
Set up information to display in the CalTrans Sieves section of your mix submittal from this screen.
• California requires the use of X factors with tolerances for a subset of the sieves
normally used for the gradation testing. These are applied to the combined coarse and
combined fine aggregate gradation data. A formatted report is required for displaying
sample sieve analysis data for mix aggregates, X factors derived from combined gradings
calculated for coarse and fine aggregate data, and CalTrans tolerance values for each
sieve. The report must be available as part of the mix submittal.
 In the Coarse Aggregate Specification and Fine Aggregate Specification sections,
select the Operating Range and Contract Compliance grading specifications

that should be displayed to meet the California requirements.
• Select the Ellipsis button to launch the Grading Specification Selection screen.
The tolerance values for CalTrans sieves are configured in the Grading Specifications module.
• The minimum and maximum specification values of CalTrans sieves are expressed as X
factor +/- tolerance value for that sieve. The X factor is designated by concrete
producers as an agreed upon target for the sieve percent passing for the combination of
fine or coarse aggregates used in the mix. The upper and lower tolerance values around
the X values for CalTrans sieves are defined by the California Department of
Transportation according to maximum aggregate size of the mix, and also for fine
aggregates.
 The grid automatically populates based on your Coarse Aggregate Specification and
Fine Aggregate Specification selections in the Operating Range and Contract

Compliance fields. Enter the proposed gradation % passing for each CalTrans sieve.
These entries are saved when you exit the Configure X Value Sieves screen.
• Sieve Label - The sieve size used for gradation testing is displayed in this column.

• Coarse Combined % - The X factor designated by concrete producers as the
agreed upon target for the sieve % passing for the combination of coarse
aggregates used in the mix is displayed in this column.
• Coarse X value - Enter the proposed coarse aggregate gradation percent passing
for the CalTrans sieve in this column.
• Fine Combined % - The X factor designated by concrete producers as the agreed
upon target for the sieve % passing for the combination of fine aggregates used in
the mix is displayed in this column.
• Fine X value - Enter the proposed fine aggregate gradation percent passing for the
CalTrans sieve in this column.
• When the grading specification is printed on the report, the minimum and maximum
range for the aggregate specification is determined from the X value entered in report
options and the tolerance set up for the grading specification.
Here is an example of a CalTrans X Value Gradation Report.

The Agency Standard Number is displayed on the mix submittals when entered for a given
material. This is used primarily for CalTrans reporting and takes the place of the Material Standard
in the Mix Design Report.
Test Certificates - General

{Concrete Producer > Compliance Reporting > Test Certificates - General}
Test certificates are formatted reports that display sample and associated specimen and ticket
batch weight data for each sample.Certificates are most commonly printed by crush date,
but can be printed on a report number basis or by customer or sample date.
COMMANDqc has the added ability to filter by using Product Codes, Customers or
Projects.
The Test Certificates - General module is used to generate certificates.

• The Selection Criteria section is used to define what certificates to print. If multiple
criteria is entered, only certificates meeting all the criteria appear.
 Include all Specimens – If this box is checked, the Test Certificate will include all
specimens, even those without break data. If left unchecked, the Test Certificate will
ignore specimens without break data.
• The Certificate Settings section is used to determine how and what to display on the
certificate. Labs commonly have multiple possible test signatories. This should be

checked and altered if necessary before each print, based on who will actually be signing
the certificates.
Certificates should always be checked by a test signatory for correctness. It is the duty of the test
signatory to verify and correct the contents where necessary.
• COMMANDqc has added a simplified test certificate option in the Test Certificates -
General module so that you may print test certificates for samples and specimens
without ticketed batched weights. To use the simplified test certificates, go to the
Concrete Settings option in the Regional Settings module and change the Test
Certificate Mode from Advanced to Simplified.
Shrinkage Report
{Concrete Producer > Compliance Reporting > Shrinkage Report}
The Shrinkage Report module is a grid list of shrinkage samples, 28 day strength results and
shrinkage readings for each age tested. A formatted report provides ability to print shrinkage
results plus selected sample data for a single sample or for many mixes.
The Shrinkage Report module allows you to search through shrinkage tests and generate a report.
The Shrinkage Report module allows you to filter results by Laboratory, Plants, Products,
and Date Range. Once you have filtered the results you want to appear on your report,

select a sample (or multiple samples), and use the View Report button to bring up the
Shrinkage Report Options window. Configure the final details of how your report will be
formatted and rendered.

Shrinkage Report Options

The Shrinkage Report Options screen allows you to customize your shrinkage report.
An example of the generated shrinkage report.
Strength Conformity
{Concrete Producer > Compliance Reporting > Strength Conformity}
The Strength Conformity and Conformity Report modules generate reports that may be
used for the purpose of analyzing compliance in regards to strength properties and non-
strength properties.
The Strength Conformity module produces a report that meets the EN 206 requirements
for testing the strength compliance of a family of mixes or individual products. The report
provides evaluations for EN 206 definitions of Criteria 1 (Group), Criteria 2 (Single Test)

and Criteria 3 (Member Status) for a population of strength test results, shows a non-
overlapping average of three strength values for both continuous and initial production, and
has the ability to display and plot individual sample data.
Features of the report include:
• Calculation of characteristic strength for products and family.
• A landscape template for the report.
• The ability to group by class for each method and an indication of compliance by class.
• The display of characteristic strength and current standard deviation as well as an
indication of compliance (product mode only).
The Strength Conformity module may be used for a concrete family or an individual product.
Filter Criteria
The Strength Conformity module opens to a grid report. The filter criteria, located along
the top of the grid, allows you to retrieve specific data needed for analysis. The strength
results found in the grid are used in the report.
• Report Mode allows you to create a report based on an individual product or a family
of products. Selecting the Family radio button will retrieve test data for families. In this
case, family rules will apply in the analysis. Using the Product radio button will allow
you to review individual products and evaluate if family members are still valid
members.

 The Product field is only visible when the Product radio button is selected under
Report Mode. It is suggested that you use this selector as a filter when analyzing
individual products or distinct family members. All products, even family members,
can be selected for reporting; however, each product plant is evaluated individually.
Typically, products without a family affiliation are selected to confirm the
production status. The Ellipsis button opens the Product Code screen where a single
product or a group of products previously created may be chosen.
 The Concrete Family and Exclude Product fields are only visible when the
Family radio button is selected in the Report Mode field and is limited to families
belonging to the selected Norm and Plant. All products in the family will be
automatically included in the report except those explicitly excluded using the
Exclude Product selector field, which allows you to select family members that need
to be excluded from the analysis. The exclusion is for the current report only.
Permanent exclusion of family members must be done in the Concrete Family
module.
• The Norm field is required. Regardless of the selected Norm, the application of EN
206 rules for Criterion 1-3 will always be available for display on the formatted report.
• The Plant field is also required. Note that you can only select a single plant.
• COMMANDqc will retrieve the Most Recent Samples having the specified Report
Test Age, usually 28 days. If you want to view all the samples performed during the
specified period, set the Most Recent Samples value to a very high number (i.e. 5000).
If a Report Test Age other than 28 is entered, COMMANDqc will retrieve the most
recent samples based on tests performed for that age group.
• Using the Report Type dropdown lists the types of tests that this report can be run on
(flexural, compressive, etc.).
• The Transposition Method will normalize (transpose) the actual test strength to the
family reference mix using one of three methods.
 Actual - (Target Diff: Sample - Ref)-This is a conversion based on the difference
between the sample target strength and the sample actual strength.
 Actual - (f ’c Diff: Sample - Ref)-This is a conversion based on the difference
between the sample actual strength and the sample specified strength.
 Actual * (Target Ratio: Ref/Sample)-This is a conversion based on the ratio of
the sample actual strength to the sample target strength.

• The K Value is the statistical factor used in the target strength calculation. It defaults to
1.48 but you may change it as needed.
• The Running Mean allows one additional running mean (and standard deviation) to
be displayed. Enter the number of tests to include in the Running Mean calculations.
COMMANDqc will go back no more than 30 days prior to the designated start date to
attempt to collect sufficient data to fulfill the running mean of X tests. Values shown in
the report are blank until the quota is fulfilled.
Sample details for strength results used for the trend X calculation that are outside the selected date
range are not shown on the report and, further, they are not included in any calculations apart from
the trend X mean and standard deviation.

The Strength Conformity report gets the target strength from the stored value when available. If
missing, the value is calculated based on the known values for grade strength, SD and K-value.
• Selecting the Formatted Report button takes you to the Strength Conformity Report
Options screen.
The Strength Conformity Report Options Screen

This screen allows you to create a formatted report of strength results containing sample
details and summary information for an individual product or a family of products. You
may use it to configure different report templates and save the settings for repeated use.
The Strength Conformity Report Options screen allows you to customize the report for the selected sample.
• The Report Type, Transposition Method, Report Test Age, and K Value are not editable
from this screen as they default from the options selected within the grid filter criteria
on the preceding screen.
• The Report Summary section allows you to pick and choose what information you
would like to show with respect to the chosen Report Mode (Family or Product).
• Check the Show Sample Data checkbox to display individual sample details on the
report.
• The Show Statistics checkbox may be marked to display sample data such as: Count,
Average, Standard Deviation, Coefficient of Variation (%), Range Minimum Value and
Range Maximum Value.
• There you can choose to display a total of two charts. Select the Show Chart 1
checkbox or the Show Chart 2 checkbox to have these charts display in the report and
enter a Left Axis Title for each.

• The report options grid contains the list of report fields available for the tables and
charts. Check the appropriate box under the Sample Data and Statistics columns or
select the chart number in the Display On Chart column for each field that is needed
on the report.
• The Lab Logo field allows you to select a laboratory, and therefore corresponding
company logo, for display in the header of the report. Also displayed in the header of
the report is the Report Title. The footer may contain two signatories and an
employee certification number. This information may be entered using the fields
Reviewed By and Approved By.
• Select a Report Template. COMMANDqc provides one system template for the
strength report. Users with expertise in report writing may create alternative templates
from the original, but it is recommended that the system template be used.
• Using the Print Preview button, you may review the formatted report.
An example of the Report Preview screen generated by using the Print Preview button.

Conformity Report
{Concrete Producer > Compliance Reporting > Conformity Report}
The Strength Conformity and Conformity Report modules generate reports that may be
used for the purpose of analyzing compliance in regards to strength properties and non-
strength properties.
The Conformity Report module, used for properties other than strength, allows you to
generate a report that contains a detailed analysis of a large range of tests and evaluate if the
results are within the minimum and maximum limits or target tolerances defined by the
Norm for each property. In general, the report provides a list of test results for each test
method, displays the norm limits, and determines the pass or failure to meet limits.
Features of the report include:
• Reporting and compliance checking for 2 tests per self-compacting concrete subtype.
• Compliance checking for Design Water/Cement Ratio vs. Measured Water/Cement
Ratio and Measured Water/Cement vs. Max Water/Binder.
• Compliance checking against EN 206 air extended limits for the variance between the
mix plant air target and the corrected air measurements.

• Grouping by class code for each test method, the addition of class and target limits
number of failures, and an indication of group compliance.
The Conformity Report allows you to generate a report for properties other than strength.
Filter Criteria
The Conformity module also opens to a grid report similar to the Strength Conformity
module. The filter criteria, located along the top of the grid, allows you to retrieve specific
data needed for analysis. The results found in the grid are used in the conformity report.
Many of the fields used to filter the results (such as Report Mode, Norm, Plant, Concrete
Family, Exclude Product, Product, and Most Recent Samples) work the same as the
Strength Conformity module. Refer to the Filter Criteria section above for the Strength
Conformity module to read about these fields in more detail.
• You may use the Test Methods field to narrow down the amount of columns seen on
the results grid. By selecting a test method, the system will decipher what information
may be more important to you based on your method of choice and therefore show
only the relevant columns. Some important information (such as class limits and

tolerance, calculated values, variance and compliance) will show regardless of what is
chosen in the Test Methods field.
• Selecting the Formatted Report button takes you to the Report Options screen.
The Report Options Screen

This screen allows you to create a formatted report of results containing sample details and
summary information for an individual product or a family of products. You may use it to
configure different report templates and save the settings for repeated use.
The Report Options screen allows you to customize the report for the selected samples and the test methods used.
• The Report Summary section of the report works the same as the Strength Conformity
report.
• The Show Statistics checkbox may be marked to display sample data grouped by class
code such as: Count, Average, Standard Deviation, Coefficient of Variation (%), Range
Minimum Value and Range Maximum Value. When this checkbox is selected, you may
further specify what columns to display by using the report options grid.
• Mark the Show Sample Data checkbox to display individual sample details on the
report. These can be further identified using the Test Method Option section.
• When the Show Sample Data checkbox is selected, the Test Method Option section
allows you to select what columns of information you would like to display on this
section of the report.

• The report options grid allows you to select what test methods you would like to have
displayed for a family of mixes and/or individual products.
• There are two charts available for display. Select the Show Chart 1 checkbox or the
Show Chart 2 checkbox to have these charts display in the report and enter a Left
Axis Title for each.
• The Lab Logo, Report Title, Reviewed By, and Approved By fields work the same
as the Strength Conformity report. The Approved By field is restricted to the user login
only.
• Select a Report Template. COMMANDqc provides one system template for the
strength report. Users with expertise in report writing may create alternative templates
from the original, but it is recommended that the system template be used.
An example of the Preview screen generated by using the Print Preview button
Frequency of Sampling
{Concrete Producer > Compliance Reporting > Frequency of Sampling}
To ensure concrete quality and strength performance, European standards have strict
guidelines for sampling and testing of concrete. The EN 206 standard allows grouping of
concrete products with similar composition and properties into conformity families. Test
evaluation is applied to the volume produced across all members of the family, thus,
reducing the amount of sampling, especially for concrete products with a smaller output.

This approach provides an earlier indication of performance control problems than would
be the case if each mix were tested individually. It also reduces the overall number of tests
required, because low volume mixes in a family do not need to be tested regularly as long as
other family members are being tested.
The Frequency of Sampling module lets you make sure that you are sampling your concrete often enough.
Filter Criteria
• Report Mode allows you to create a report based on an individual product or a family
of products. Selecting the Family radio button will retrieve test data for families. In this
case, family rules will apply in the analysis. Using the Product radio button will allow
you to review individual products and evaluate if family members are still valid
members.
 The Product field is only visible when the Product radio button is selected under
Report Mode. It is suggested that you use this selector as a filter when analyzing
individual products or distinct family members. All products, even family members,
can be selected for reporting; however, each product plant is evaluated individually.
Typically, products without a family affiliation are selected to confirm the
production status. The Ellipsis button opens the Product Code screen where a single
product or a group of products previously created may be chosen.
 The Concrete Family and Exclude Product fields are only visible when the
Family radio button is selected in the Report Mode field and is limited to families
belonging to the selected Norm and Plant. All products in the family will be
automatically included in the report.

• The Norm field is required. Regardless of the selected Norm, the application of EN
206 rules for Criterion 1-3 will always be available for display on the formatted report.
• The Plant field is also required. Note that you can only select a single plant.
• In the Date Period section, use the calendar in the End Date field to select data over a
selected time period. COMMANDqc retrieves information starting with the ticket
date equal to the first calendar day of the selected period until the end date. For
example, if the End Date is 10/16/2014 and the selected time period is Week,
COMMANDqc gathers data for tickets in the range from 10/13/2014 to 10/16/2014. If
the selected time period for this particular End Date is Month, COMMANDqc will
gather data in the range of 10/1/2014 to 10/16/2014.
• You may choose to display detailed sampling history by Day or Ticket number. When
these options are selected, COMMANDqc will retrieve the detailed history and also
provide a summary row for the selected families (Family mode) or products (Product
mode).
• Selecting the Strength Performance button takes you to the Strength Performance
module where you can generate reports.
• The default Test Age is 28 days but you many select a different strength test age for
products or families specified at an age other than 28 days.
Grid Results
Required sampling frequency data is derived from the product level setup; however, if
product level sampling frequency is not available, COMMANDqc will display the sampling
frequency for the product’s family (according to the selected Norm and Plant). The
variance cells are highlighted in yellow when the value is negative. This indicates that the
sampling frequency requirements have not been met. The Variance for the period is the
difference between the actual number of samples for the period and the required number
and is only shown when the selected time period has a value in the corresponding sampling
frequency column in the family/product setup.
Incidents
{Concrete Producer > Compliance Reporting > Incidents}
The Incidents module lets you formally record non-conforming quality events (such as
strength not in compliance and cracks in newly placed concrete, etc.), as well as their

resolutions. Recording these events can help you discover persistent downward trends over
a given time period, enabling you to improve your business processes.
The Incidents screen can be used to enter new incidents, retrieve existing incidents, and to edit them if needed. In addition, you can
run reports directly from this screen. These reports can be printed or exported to Excel.
• Use the Region dropdown to select the incident’s region.
• Use the Category dropdowns to select the incident’s category. When you select an
option from one dropdown, the other dropdown automatically populates with its
version of the selection. For example, if you select Quality from the first dropdown,
Concrete Quality Incident automatically populates the second dropdown. The
following categories are available:
 Quality / Concrete Quality Incident
 Accounting / Accounting Issue
 Internal / Infrastructure Problem
 Operations / Operational Control Incident
• Use the calendar dropdown boxes next to the Event Date From and To fields
(required) to specify a date range.
• Customer(s) - Enter the customer associated with the incident. Selecting the Ellipsis
button launches the Customer Code selection screen.
• Project(s) - Enter the project associated with the incident. Selecting the Ellipsis button
launches the Project Code selection screen.

• An Incidents # is generated using the Incidents Counter value found under the Global
Counters tab of the Counters module. Refer to the Counters section in Global Settings
for more details.
• Owner - This field defaults to your employee record but you can select an alternative
owner by manually entering the appropriate Employee ID. Use the Ellipsis button to
open the Contact Selector screen.
• Assigned To - Assign a contact to the incident. Use the Ellipsis button to open the
Contact Selector screen.
• Use the Status dropdown to assign a status of Open, Close, or Resolution Pending to
the incident.
 When a new incident is added, the Status is set to Open and will be locked. Upon
later editing, you may change the status to Closed.

• Use the Severity dropdown boxes to classify the incident’s degree of severity. When
you select an option from one dropdown, the other dropdown automatically populates
with its version of the selection. For example, if you select Critical from the first
dropdown, Critical Impact automatically populates the second dropdown. The
following severity classifications are available:
 Critical / Critical Impact
 High / High Impact
 Med / Medium Impact
 Low / Low Impact

Common Procedures
To add a new incident:

1. Select the Add button in the top left corner of the Incidents screen; this will launch the
New Incident dialog box.
Category and Incident Event Type are required fields, and therefore display in red.
• This dialog box is where you will initially document necessary information related to
the new incident. Required fields are displayed in red. The other fields (Customer,
Project, Product Code, etc.) allow you to make notes about the particular event that
you are attempting to record. Add as much information as you can for future reference.
2. Once you have entered as much information as you have on the incident, select the OK
button to save and close the New Incident dialog box. The new incident will then display
on the bottom half of the Incidents screen in the grid.

To edit an existing incident:
1. Select an incident from the grid and select the Edit button to launch the Incident Editor.
The Incident Editor allows you to edit the Incident record.

2. You may add information in the Activities, Incident Details, Tickets, and Checklist tabs
that appear above the grid section of the editor.

• The Activities tab allows you to record all actions related to the incident.
 To add a new activity, select the Add Record (Ins) button displayed above the activity
grid to launch the Add Activity dialog box.
Select the Add Record (Ins) button to launch the Add Activity dialog box and record a new activity related to the incident.

 To edit an existing activity, select on an existing record in the activity grid and then
select the Edit button. The Add Activity dialog box is launched for you to edit an
activity previously recorded for the incident.
• The Incident Details tab allows you to record additional details related to the incident.
Here, you can input Project, Date, Plant, Lab, Cost, and Resolution information. Copy Customer Information to Contact and Copy
Project Information to Contact buttons are available for Customer and Project field entries.

• The Tickets tab gives you the option to associate tickets to the incident, and enter
corresponding notes.
You can attach any ticket that is associated with an incident as well as generate a report detailing batching variations for the selected
reports.

 Selecting the Add Tickets button in the upper left-hand corner of the Tickets tab
launches the Ticket Selector dialog box.
The Plant(s) field is required in order for the Ticket Selector to retrieve tickets based on specified criteria.

 From either the selection grid of the Tickets tab in the Incident Editor, or, the selection
grid of the Ticket Selector dialog box, you may select one ticket or multiple tickets to
include in a Delivery Report.
Select the Show Report button to generate a Batching Performance Variation Delivery Report for selected tickets.

• The Checklist tab lets you ensure that all typical items for a category are covered.
This tab contains a configurable list that allows you to indicate when a phase has been completed.
 Marked items on the checklist are shaded green until you select the Save (F12)
button to save all changes to the incident.
3. Once you are done adding or editing information on an incident in the Incident Editor,
select the Exit (Ctrl+F4) button to return to the main Incidents screen.
 From here, you can select the Formatted Report button to generate a report for the
selected incident(s). You may choose to Show Internal Details, including Show
Costs and Hours, Show Activities, including Show Internal Activities, Show
Checklist and Show Ticket List.
Selectselecting the magnifying glass icon that appears next to the Report Template dropdown in the Formatted Report Selector
generates the Incident Report in a COMMANDqc Preview window.

• You may print, save, and export your incident report from the COMMANDqc
Preview window. When selectselected, the Documents button lets add the current
incident report to your stored documents in COMMANDqc.
Concrete Reports
This section is currently being updated and will appear in a later version of the user guide.

The Setup Icon
Using modules under the Setup icon, administrators can access modules that configure
COMMANDqc based on company operations.
Sections under the Setup icon:

• Concrete QC Setup - Holds the modules that allow you to configure how sample and
specimen information is entered as well as list options for modules with lists.
• Products and Mixes Setup - Allows you to enter a variety of norms and product
categories which will be used for products and mix design defaults.
• Concrete Producer - Materials - Contains extended information on certain materials
such as cement and aggregates.
• Notification Alerts - Allows you to configure email alerts for Batch Watcher.
• Global Settings - Provides you with a means of setting up global system values, regional
values and security based restrictions in COMMANDqc.
Concrete QC Setup
Most of this section is currently being redeveloped as part of the new Samples and
Specimens rewrite; therefore, some modules will be documented closer to the end of the
development cycle.
Concrete Test Methods
Configurable Lists
Test Certificate Settings
Products and Mixes Setup

This subsection includes modules such as: Mix Submittal Configuration, Norms, Product
Categories, Concrete Requirement Classes, Concrete Product Screen Layout, and Mix
Adjustment Profiles.
Mix Submittal Configuration

{Setup > Products and Mixes Setup > Mix Submittal Configuration}
The Mix Submittal Configuration module gives you access to various configuration settings
that may be adjusted and applied to one or multiple mix submittal configurations. It
contains four tabs: Cover Letter, Mix Report, Submittal Settings, and Custom Fields.
The toolbar buttons used in this module are not unique and are found in most modules of
COMMANDqc. For more information, refer to the COMMANDqc Basics section. The
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only filter criteria is the Configuration Name field. Select an existing configuration using
the dropdown or add a new one by selecting the Add Record button on the toolbar.
Once you select an existing configuration or the Add Record button, the tabs will become
active, allowing you to enter information for this mix submittal configuration. For more
information on adding a new configuration, see the Common Procedures section below.
• The Cover Letter tab lets you specify the format, page layout, and content variables that
will be applied to Cover Letters included in the specified Mix Submittal Configuration.
The Cover Letter tab lets you specify cover letter settings for the selected mix submittal configuration.
 The Template dropdown shows the available cover letter templates. The Ellipsis
button launches a window that allows you to add additional cover letter templates.
 The Mix String Setup field lets you enter a set of variables that determine the list
of submitted mixes to be displayed in the cover letter. Clicking the question mark
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button displays a list of tags available for you to include in your cover letter. Apart
from the \t code, any text not enclosed by tag markers will be printed as plain text.
The right-click context menu displayed when you click the question mark button next to the Mix String Setup field.
Tag Description
Default The default Mix String Setup is: <MixCode>\t\t<MixDescription>.
\t Inserts a horizontal tab. For example, if the Mix String Setup is:
<MixCode>\t\t<MixDescription>, there will be two tab indents
between the Mix Code and Mix Description of each mix that appears in
the cover letter, with one line per mix.
<MixCode> Inserts the Mix Code.
<MixDescription> Inserts the Mix Description.
<SalesText> Inserts the Sales Text.
<ShortDescr> Inserts the Short Description.
<PlantID> Inserts the Plant ID.
<PlantDescription> Inserts the Plant Description.
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 The Project must be related to Customer selection dropdown allows you to set
the level of enforcement for customer-project relationships as they are selected in a
submittal. The Enforce option ensures that the selected project is related to the
customer. The Ignore option allows any project to be chosen for any customer.
 The Remaining Page Width field displays a standard page width value that
measures the amount of space you have left to fill before your text begins to wrap on
the page. This field is non-editable. Before you have add any columns to the Mix
Table Setup grid, the Remaining Page Width value should match the full, available
page width; as you add columns and specify column widths, the Remaining Page
Width value will decrease as it subtracts the added column width values from the
standard page width. A negative Remaining Page Width value indicates text
wrapping, which means that the columns are not aligned properly on the page. You
want to achieve a Remaining Page Width value of 0.00 after having added and sized
all columns that will appear on the cover letter.
 The Mix Table Border Option dropdown allows you to select the border format
for the mix table displayed in your cover letter. You may choose to apply All, None,
or Outside And Headers.
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• The Mix Report tab lets you specify the format, page layout, and content variables that
will be applied to Mix Design Reports included in the specified Mix Submittal
Configuration.
The Mix Report tab gives you access to options that allow you to specify certain information to be excluded or included and, if
included, where and how it is to be included in the mix submittal.
 Use the Template dropdown box to select a template.
 Use the Header dropdown box to select a header.
 Specify the Header Text in the available text box.
 Use the Header Alignments dropdown box to specify the alignment of the header
on the page.
 Use the Admixture Display Option dropdown box to specify whether you want
to show or hide the Admix Quantities.
 Use the Admixture Dosage Option dropdown box to specify whether you want
to show or hide the Dosage Range.
 Use the Concrete Standard dropdown box to select the appropriate concrete
standard.
 Use the Footer dropdown box to select a footer.
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 Specify the Approver Text in the available text box.
 Specify the Default Mix Notes in the available text box.
 Use the Constituent Sequence to dropdown to select either the User Defined
Sequence or the Batch Sequence.

 Use the red arrow buttons to move items up or down in the User Defined
Sequence section.
 In the grid, use the dropdown to select a Disclaimer and click the Ellipsis button
under the Preview column to preview the selected template. Use the green plus sign
(+) button to add a new record to the grid and the red minus sign (-) button to
remove a record from the grid.
 Click the Ellipsis button that appears to the left of the grid to select and upload a
template stored on your computer.

 Use all available checkboxes to specify additional display options for your mix
report.
• The PDF Reports tab lets you add report templates to mix submittal configurations.
When more than one report is to be included in the mix submittal, you may use the black arrow buttons in the bottom left hand
corner of the PDF Reports grid to specify the order in which the reports are to be generated on the mix submittal.
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• The Submittal Settings tab lets you set up allows you to enter information that will
enable COMMANDqc to attach your mix submittal as PDF files to an email message
that will be sent to a specified recipient or multiple specified recipients.
Click the Edit Record (F2) button to add or edit information under the Submittal Settings tab.
 BCC Mail Recipients - Enter your mix submittal recipient(s). Use the Ellipsis to
open the Contact Selector screen.
 Warn if submittal is >__ MB - COMMANDqc will issue a warning if the file size
of the PDF generated for the mix submittal exceeds the value specified.
 PDF Password - Add a password to the generated PDF file of the mix submittal.
 Confirm - Confirm the password to the generated PDF file of the mix submittal.
 Use Approved By email address - Select this checkbox to use the email address of
the employee who approved the submittal as the From address when sending
submittals by email from COMMANDqc. This option will automatically be
selected for all configurations during an upgrade. The Mixes Approved By field will
be used to populate the From address.
 Reply To - When Use Approved By email address is unchecked or not selected, the
sender of the approved mix submittal email will be the email address specified in the
Reply To field.
 Global Maximum Allowed Size __ MB - This is the maximum file size of the
PDF generated for the mix submittal. This value is defined in Regional Values.
 File Compression - Use the dropdown box to select None or Zip.
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• The Custom Fields tab lets you add custom fields for a mix in the Mix Design Report.
When a mix is added to a mix submittal, the values for the custom fields are added in
the mix submittal editor.
Click the Edit Record (F2) button to add or edit information in the Custom Fields grid.
• Use the dropdown boxes in the grid to select a Field Type and Precision for each
Field Label. Use the Is Visible checkbox to specify whether a field is displayed or
hidden.
Common Procedures
To add a new configuration:

1. Click the Add Record (Ins) button in the upper left-hand corner of the Mix Submittal
Configuration screen.
This is where you will enter a Configuration Name and Description for your new configuration and then click the OK button.
• The description field to the right may be the job name or the region name that
describes in more detail what this configuration is used for.
2. Once you have entered the Configuration Name and Description click the OK button.
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To replace a standard Mix Design report with a PDF report:
1. Select the Mix Report tab, then select the Edit Record (F2) button to enable editing.
2. Clear the template for the standard fast report by selecting the Clear button displayed
next to the Template field.
Once the report assignment is cleared, the Save button becomes available.
3. Select the Save button to save the record.
As a result of clearing the fast report template and then saving the mix submittal configuration, the fast
report will not be generated when a new mix is added to this configuration in the Mix Submittal
Editor. Instead, the PDF report will be generated in place of the standard fast report. If you had not
cleared the fast report template here, the PDF report would be created in addition to, rather than in
place of, the standard fast report.
Norms
{Setup > Products and Mixes Setup > Norms}
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The concrete industry in most of Europe uses well-defined concrete classes to categorize,
describe, and specify concrete in terms of intended performance (for example, strength and
durability). These class types and expected values are described in norms, or standards, such
as EN 206-1 and the Italian UNI 11104 standard. Because of the flexibility inherent in the
norms, business practice includes the use of other concrete specification parameters such as
minimum cement content, cement type, or maximum water/cement ratio. This
functionality is not limited to European markets, however, and producers around the world
can take advantage of setting up norms and concrete requirement classes.
The Country Code dropdown allows you to shift between countries in order to get all
recipes calculating against the correct norms.
• The General tab lets you identify some of the most basic characteristics of the specified
Norm Code.
To add a new Norm, click the Add Record (Ins) button.

 The Description field allows you to enter detailed information indicative of the
selected Norm Code, such as the geographic region wherein the code is enforced.
 The Material Type field appears in red, as it is a required field. Values available for
selection in this dropdown are included in the Concrete Property group.
 The Measurement System field also appears in red, as it is a required field as well.
You may select either Metric Units or US Customary Units. For new entries,
the UOM defaults to the UOM of the primary global units.
 The Exposure-Strength Class Check field allows you to select Don’t Allow Save,
Warn User, or Ignore.
 If the Norm Code is a Concrete Norm, additional norm-specific limiting fields that
are used for Mix Design compliance calculations will display under the General tab.
The fields which are displayed for Concrete Norms are as follows:
The Setup Icon 330

• Flyash: Maximum Cement Reduction = K * (Minimum Cement - ) lb per
CY
• Maximum Flyash/Cement Ratio: Cement CEM I / CEM II / CEM III
• Maximum Silica Fume/Cement Ratio
• Maximum Slag/Cement Ratio
• K value data pertaining to a specific Norm Code exists under the K Values tab of the
Norms module. K values are useful only in European markets, in conjunction with the
Advanced Mix Designer licensed feature and European norms. A number of fields
within the Mix Designs Editor use K Values to calculate cement equivalence values.
Click the (+) button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen to add a new row; use the dropdown boxes and editable cells to
specify Material Type, Cement K-Group, Exposure Class, K Value, Max Addition/Cement values.
 When Yes is selected in the w/c <=0.45 column, COMMANDqc will not to use
the specified Exposure Class calculation unless the W/C ratio of the mix is less than
or equal to 0.45.
The Setup Icon 331

• The Tests tab allows you to add or edit Test Method targets and configure parameters
for sampling frequency.
The Test Method Targets grid allows you to set targets and limits for Test Methods.
 For each Test Method to be included in conformity checks, you may enter the values
which apply. These include the Target Value, as well as the Target Lower Tolerance
and Target Upper Tolerance values, if required for conformity checking. When
required for conformity checking, you may enter the respective Minimum and
Maximum boundary values.
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• The Shrinkage Defaults tab includes the shrinkage set from sample and specimen
defaults.
The grid lets you add Test Age, Age unit, and Curing History data related to the specified Shrinkage Age Group.
To add a new norm:

1. Click the Add Record (Ins) button located in the toolbar to open the Add Norm dialog
box.
In the Add Norm dialog box, enter a code that you want to use for the new norm and then click the OK button.
2. Enter a code in the Norm Code field and then click the OK button.
The Setup Icon 333

To edit an existing norm:
1. Select an existing Norm Code from the Norm Code field dropdown box.
Notice that this Norm Code automatically brings up additional fields; this is because it is a Concrete Norm.
2. All information which exists for the selected Norm Code record is automatically
populated in the fields under each tab of the Norms module.
Product Categories
{Setup > Products and Mixes Setup > Product Categories}
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The Product Categories module allows you to view and create product categories used in
Mix Management. A product category primarily determines the level of checking done on
mixes and defines a default Norm and Density setting.
When new products are created, they must be assigned a product category.
To create a new product category:

1. Click the Add button to create a new product category. The Add Product Category dialog
box appears.
The Add Product Category dialog box requires that you enter a Product Category and Norm Code
• Product Category - The name of the product category you are creating or editing.
This field is required.
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• Norm Code - Select the Norm/Standard Code that will apply to this product category
from the associated drop-down list. This field is also required.
• Check Compliance - Determines whether the compliance of mix calculated
properties to the requirement class settings and targets is actually checked.
• Requires Compliance - When a compliance check is performed, this flag determines
whether mixes in this category must pass all those checks in order to be available for
activation to dispatch.
• Density Class - The density class that will apply to this product category from the
associated drop-down list.
2. Once you have entered the required information, plus any additional information, click
the Save button.
To edit an existing product category:

1. If you wish to edit an existing product category, click on a product category in the
selection grid and then click the Edit button. Double clicking on a product category
row in the selection grid also opens the Edit Product Category dialog box.
The Edit Product Category dialog box does not allow you to change the Product Category name or the associated Norm Code.
2. Once you have updated the product category, select the Save button.
Concrete Requirement Classes

{Setup > Products and Mixes Setup > Concrete Requirement Classes}
The Concrete Requirement Classes module lets you create and maintain concrete classes
such as valid strength classes, consistence classes, and exposure classes. Class parameters are
generally set up by administrators during implementation and are not expected to change
often. If you change the limiting values for a class, the new values will not affect mixes that
The Setup Icon 336

have already been saved with that product class. Classes cannot be deleted once they have
been assigned to a product.
The Concrete Requirement Classes module lets you specify minimum, nominal and maximum values depending on the type of class
selected.
If you have selected a Norm and Class Type, click the Refresh button on the toolbar. If any
entries exist for that Norm and Class Type, they will populate the grid.
To add a new concrete requirement class:

1. First, select a Norm and a Class Type using the dropdown. The Class Type field
determines the dialog box that is launched to allow you to edit existing class
information.
2. Select the Add button. The Concrete Class Entry screen will appear. Most class types have
very similar screens; however, a few Class Types require extra information because of
the complex data they require.
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• Consistence Class
The Concrete Class Entry - Consistence Class dialog box allows you to select and enter details specifically related to Consistence Class.
• A special screen has also been developed for a Class Type of Exposure Class Group.
The Concrete Class Entry - Exposure Class Group dialog box features additional fields, as well as a Limiting Values tab and a Limiting
Overrides tab.
 The Limiting Values tab allows you to enter or edit the information listed below:
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• Maximum W/C Ratio - The maximum water-to-cement ratio allowed for this
class.
• Minimum Char. Strength - The minimum characteristic strength that a mix
for this class can have.
• Minimum Cement Content - Mixes must contain at least this amount of
cement.
• Minimum Air Content - The minimum air content for a mix.
• Lifetime - The lifetime expectancy of a mix in years.
• Required Cement Designations - List of designations, one of which is
required in the mix.
• Excluded Cement Designations - List of cement designations that are not
allowed.
• Excluded Addition Types - List of addition class types that are not allowed for
mixes.
• Other Limitations - Descriptive notes of limitations. These are shown at the
bottom of the Specifications tab on the Concrete Products screen.
• Silica Fume: Maximum Cement Reduction - The maximum amount of
cement replacement allowed by use of a silica fume.
As with the limiting values in the other Class Entry screens, COMMANDqc will
compare the limiting values with the calculated mix design parameters that are set
up when a mix is created or assigned to a product.
 If a Limit Overrides tab is present, you can view the limiting values for special
conditions such as Greek norms that, for some exposure classes, define special
limiting values for different Dmax or Cement Type settings within a single exposure
class.
Click on the (+) button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen to add an entry; the Dmax column features a dropdown, and the
Max. W/C and Min. Cement columns allow you to enter values.
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In the Limiting Overrides tab, you have the option of clicking Dmax or Cement
Type, and editing entries accordingly.
With Cement Type selected, click on the (+) button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen and add an entry; use the dropdown in
the Cement Type column and enter a value in the Min. Strength column.
3. Select the Save button once you are finished adding a new requirement class.
Concrete Product Screen Layout

{Setup > Products and Mixes Setup > Concrete Product Screen Layout}
The Concrete Product Screen Layout module allows you to customize which fields need to
display on the The Concrete Products Entry Screen based on the selected Norm, as well as
how they are labeled. The setup of Norms, Concrete Classes, and the Concrete Product
Screen Layout needs to be carefully considered before entering products and mixes into the
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system to avoid re-entry of data or the possibility of creating products that are not consistent
with each other.
You may have a different layout for each Norm, so you have the flexibility to set up concrete product requirements differently for
different types of concrete or concrete designed for specific regulatory requirements.
To customize the layout for a particular norm:

1. First, select the applicable Norm from the associated dropdown list. A list of existing
fields displays in the grid below.
2. If you wish to edit any fields, click the Edit button. A dropdown list will appear next to
all entries in the Field Type column. Change any fields as needed.
3. To change an entry in the Form Label column, simply type over the existing text. This
is the label that will appear for each field on the Concrete Products screen.
4. To add a new field, click the (+) button at the bottom of the grid. A new line will
display from which you can add a Field Type and a Form Label.
5. To remove an existing field, select the field you wish to delete and then click the (-)
button at the bottom of the grid. You will be asked if you wish to delete that field. Select
the OK button to delete, or, click the Cancel button to disregard the deletion.
6. When you are done with your changes, click the Save (F12) button to save.
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Mix Adjustment Profiles
{Setup > Products and Mixes Setup > Mix Adjustment Profiles}
This form is used to maintain settings for mix adjustment tolerances by material type, yield,
and density.
The tolerances are provided as shown by default, but may be altered.
When mix changes exceed these limits, mix adjuster users will be warned and forced to
manually accept the adjustments.
Concrete Producer - Materials

Modules in this subsection include: Sieves, Cement Designations, Material Field
Definitions, and Alkali Silica Reaction.
Sieves
{Setup > Concrete Producer - Materials > Sieves}
COMMANDqc allows you to set up sieves of various sizes. Sieves are used to determine
the particle size distribution of aggregate material.
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If you attempt to delete a sieve that is actively being used in a grading specification, a warning will be
provided and the sieve cannot be deleted.
The Sieves module allows you to add and edit sieves.

• The Aperture column displays sieve apertures in microns. Apertures must be unique
to each sieve.
Apertures cannot be modified for existing sieves.

• The Sieve Label column displays how sieves are represented in COMMANDqc.
• The IsConcreteSieve column determines which sieves are used for calculating mix
properties and combined gradings, such as fineness modulus and workability factor.
Cement Designations
{Setup > Concrete Producer - Materials > Cement Designations}
The Cement Designations module lets you view and create the types of cement that will be
used in Mix Management. Cement designations are used to assign a cement type, cement
strength, and a K-group to a concrete product. K-groups, entered using the Configurable
Lists module, represent a combination of cement types and cement strength that defines an
exposure class dependent K-value, where the K-value limits addition usage as replacement
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for cement. For example, K-group name = '52.5' can be applied to all high strength
cements.
The Cement Designations module allows you to create cement designations to be used in the Norms and Concrete Requirement
Classes modules.
To add a new field definition:
Once added, a cement designation may not be deleted.

1. To add a new cement designation, click the Add Record button. The Add Cement
Designation dialog box appears. Enter the following information:
The Add Cement Designation dialog box appears after selecting the Add Record button.
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• Cement Designation - This is a required field. Here, give the cement designation a
name that is easily identifiable.
Once saved, this cannot be changed.

• Concrete Norm - This dropdown is required. The list is populated using the Norms
module.
Once saved, this cannot be changed.

• Cement Type and Cement Strength Class - These dropdowns will populate once a
Concrete Norm has been selected. The lists are populated using the Class Type
dropdown (Cement Strength and Cement Type) for each Norm in the Concrete
Requirement Classes module.
• K-Group - This dropdown is populated using the Configurable Lists module and
therefore does not depend on the Norm, Type or Strength Class.
2. Once you have entered this information, select the Save button. Your new cement
designation will be added to the grid.
To edit an existing cement designation:

1. Select the row that you would like to edit followed by the Edit button or simply
double-click the row. The Edit Cement Designation dialog box will appear.
2. Make any of the necessary changes, whether you need to update the Cement Type or
K-Group.
You may not edit the Cement Designation and Concrete Norm fields.
Material Field Definitions

{Setup > Concrete Producer - Materials > Material Field Definitions}
If you are using material data in your analysis, you can add custom fields using this module.
These custom fields are similar to the custom fields in the Samples and Specimens module,
except the definitions in this module are used in material sampling reporting modules.
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From the Material Type Group dropdown, you may select Water, Cementitious,
Admixture, or Aggregate to populate the grid.
The Material Field Definitions module allows you to create custom fields to record material data.
• The System Supplied checkbox is a visual representation of which fields have been
supplied by COMMANDqc. It is not editable.
You may not edit the Field Label, Material Type Group, or Data Type fields if the System Supplied
checkbox is selected.
To add a new field definition:
Once a field is added, it may not be deleted.
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1. To define a new material field, click the Add Record button. The Edit Material dialog
box appears. Enter the following information:
The Edit Material dialog box appears after selecting the Add Record button.
• Enter a Field Label, which refers to the name of the field that will appear on reports.
• Select a Material Type Group. This field will be added to that grid.
• Select a Data Type. Numeric means that only numbers may be used,
AlphaNumeric means that letters and numbers may be used, and Date means that
only a date will be found acceptable for this field. These values will appear in the Field
Type column on the grid.
• Select a Unit Type. The Unit Type will determine what Units are available in the
dropdown list.
• The Report Precision dropdown allows you to determine how precise the value in
the custom field will be.
• The Grid Sort Order determines the order that this field will display in the grid once
populated.
• The Report Sort Order determines the order that the field will display in reports.
• The Display In Grid checkbox will display this field in Specimen Entry.
• Marking the Display On Report checkbox will have the associated field display on all
relevant reports.
2. Once you have entered this information, select the OK button. Your new field will be
added to the grid.
To edit an existing field definition:

1. Select the row that you would like to edit followed by the Edit button or simply
double-click the row. The Edit Material Field dialog box will appear.
2. Make any of the necessary changes, whether you need to change the Units or the
Report Precision.
You may not edit the Field Label, Material Type Group, or Data Type fields for System Supplied
fields.
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3. After adding or editing information, select the OK button.
Alkali Silica Reaction

{Setup > Concrete Producer - Materials > Alkali Silica Reaction}
The Alkali Silica Reaction module allows you to enter information required in order to
calculate the alkali silica reaction (ASR) and total alkali content of concrete. Calculations are
based on material type and will therefore depend on the values you have previously entered
using the Materials module. For more information on where these values are located in
Material Entry, please refer to the * section. COMMANDqc will compute the ASR value
and total alkali content for each ticket as batch weights are updated from
COMMANDseries into the COMMANDqc database.
When first opened, the only selectable field in the Alkali Silica Reaction module is the Norm Code dropdown.
The parameters required for calculations, entered in a grid format, are based on the Norm
Code selected.
If records already exist for the selected Norm, the original records will be overwritten.
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ASR Setup Tab
Once a Norm Code is selected, column headers will appear under the ASR Setup tab. To
add a new row, click the (+) button in the lower left-hand corner. Each row defines the set
of conditions required for alkali or chloride computations.
The ASR Setup tab with rows of materials and corresponding values.
• Using the dropdown in the Property column, select the chemical for which this row
applies (Alkali or Chloride). Select a Material Type using the dropdown.
• The Allowance of Variability is equal to the probability factor (a) times the standard
deviation (SD).
COMMANDqc will NOT automatically calculate the standard deviation for you.
• The cut-off value is the point at which a change in the calculation of alkali or chloride
content is needed. The Lower Cut-off Value and Upper Cut-off Value fields allow
a step-wise contribution of alkali or chloride content per material type.
The Lower Cut-off Value is required for each row that is added.
• The Cut-off Basis determines the meaning of the cut-off value.
 If Alkali is selected as the Property, the cut-off value for the contributions of Slag,
Fly Ash, or Silica Fume in regards to the alkali content is the addition of mass
expressed as a percentage of total cementitious content (shown as % of
Cementitious). For all other material types, it is the nominal alkali content for the
material or material source (shown as Alkali Content).
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 If Chloride is selected as the Property, the cut-off value in regards to the
contribution of chloride content refers to the nominal chloride content for the
material (shown as Chloride Content).
• Use the Lower Contribution Factor, Middle Contribution Factor and Upper
Contribution Factor fields to specify the percentage of material alkali or chloride
content should be counted towards the total value when the material mass is at a
particular amount.
 The Lower Contribution Factor specifies the percentage of material content that
should be counted towards the total value when the material mass as a percentage of
cementitious for Alkali, or when the material percentage of nominal chloride
content, is below the lower cut-off value.
The Lower Contribution Factor is required for each row that is added. For admixtures, the dosage
rate factor is entered as a contribution factor using the Lower and Middle Contribution Factors.
 The Middle Contribution Factor specifies the percentage of material content that
content, is equal to or greater than the lower cut-off value and less than the upper cut-off value.
For admixtures, the dosage rate factor is entered as a contribution factor using the Lower and Middle
Contribution Factors.
 The Upper Contribution Factor specifies the percentage of material content that
content, is equal to or greater than the upper cut-off amount.
ASR Limits Tab

Designating the ASR limits is more complex than simply setting restrictions at the product
level as is done for properties such as strength. The interaction between aggregates and
cement materials is important for determining the expected alkali reactivity and restricting
its level.
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Each row of the ASR Limits tab defines the set of conditions required for alkali or chloride
computations. To add a row, click the (+) button in the lower left-hand corner.
The ASR Limits tab let’s you determine acceptable aggregate reactivity levels.
• The Aggregate Reactivity Level is assigned for each aggregate material or material
supplier on the Properties tab of The Material Entry Screen or The Material Supplier
Entry Screen using the Alkali-Aggregate Reactivity row. Here, you may enter any alpha-
numeric values that will be automatically added to the dropdown list used for
establishing ASR limits.
• Enter the mean alkali content for the cementitious material in the mix where a change
in limits will apply using the Cement Alkali Lower Cut-off Value and Cement
Alkali Upper Cut-off Value fields. The %Na20 eq column (surrounded by the <
and <= columns) is not used for selection but only for informational purposes,
making it easier for you to understand what needs to be entered.
• Enter the maximum allowable ASR content for the concrete in the ASR Limit field.
Alkali Setup Tab

COMMANDqc lets you limit the alkali content, according to material type, counted
towards the total alkali content of the concrete. The Alkali Setup tab allows you to setup
ASR limits on a material basis. For each material type, you can assign 3 steps for allocating
the portion of alkali content that is used in the calculation.
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Each row defines the set of conditions required for alkali or chloride computations. To add a
row, click the (+) icon on the lower bar.
The Alkali Setup tab gives you the ability to limit the amount of alkali content that gets applied to the total alkali content of the
concrete.
• The Lower Contribution Factor, Middle Contribution Factor, and Upper
Contribution Factor let you define the percentage of alkali content that you want to
include in the total calculations per material.
• The Lower Cut-off Value indicates the material mass (as a percentage of
cementitious, if cementitious) or nominal alkali content (for other material types)
below which the Lower Contribution Factor is applied. When the material level is
equal to or greater than the Lower Cut-off Value and less than the Upper Cut-off
Value, the Middle Contribution Factor is applied.
• The Upper Cut-off Value indicates the material mass (as a percentage of
cementitious, if cementitious) or nominal alkali content (for other material types)
below which the Lower Contribution Factor is applied.When the material level is equal
to or greater than the Upper Cut-off Value, the Upper Contribution Factor is applied.
• The Cut-off Basis designates the reference for the cut-off values. For cementitious
materials, the basis is the material quantity as a percent of the total cementitious content
by mass. For all other material types, the cut-off basis is the nominal alkali content for
the material or material source.
Notification Alerts
Modules in this section include:
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• Batch Watcher Profiles - Lets you define the performance profile the Batch Watcher
will use in validating concrete batches.
• Batch Profile Users - Identifies the people to be notified when a load is out of
tolerance.
• Batch Watcher Configuration - Configures the various e-mail settings that enable Batch
Watcher e-mail notifications.
Batch Watcher Profiles

{Setup > Notification Alerts > Batch Watcher Profiles}
The Batch Watcher Profile module is used to set up named profiles which identify the
limits for material type and load size. When a mix exceeds the tolerances specified in an
assigned profile, the system will send a notification email to the person designated in the
Batch Profile Users module.
You can set all batch tolerances for your system on this one module.
• Profile Name – Select an existing profile from this drop down box. Three default
profiles (Errors, Analysis, and Initial) can be used as the basis for custom profiles.
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• Active – Flags a profile as available for use in batch validation.
• Use Alternative Units – If your system is configured for both primary and alternative
units, and you want to set up limits using the alternative units, select this box.
• Active – When this flag is checked, the selected Batch Watcher profile becomes active.
• Band A, Band B, and Band C – These tabs allow you to establish tolerances based on
load size. You can define up to three ranges if you wish. Each tab will have the same
fields.
• Min/Max Load Size – Load sizes can be entered with more than two decimal places,
but when saved, they are rounded to two places. Ensure that the Load Size Unit is set
correctly for the appropriate unit of measure.
• Select Option for Handling Cementitious Materials – You have two options here:
 Sets Limits for All Cementitious Materials - This option will let you enter one
set of limits for all cementitious materials (cement, fly ash, etc.)
 Set Limits Separately for Cements and Supplementary Cementitious - This
option lets you enter separate limits for cement and the various cementitious
materials.
• Material Type – Displays the material type or user-defined material group. User-
defined material groups are defined in the Configurable Lists module.
• Percent/Absolute Limits – Profiles can be set up to use percentage or absolute limits
(or both) for a load size range. The limits are all relative to the total load size target
value. For example, a limit of -20 in Absolute Lower generates exceptions if the
actual value is more than 20 units (lb, kg, gal, etc.) below the target. Similarly, a value of
10 in Percent Upper generates exceptions for any batch that is 10% or more over
target.
• Units – Lists the Units of Measure for each Material Type.
• Use Cumulative – When selected, limits are applied to the sums of values batched per
material type. If cleared, limits are applied to the individual material. This allows for
some flexibility for material substitution when batching.
COMMANDqc supports multiple profiles where you can set up different degrees of alert
depending on what sort of response is required; a fairly narrow range of tolerances might be
appropriate for an alert that might result in a plant manager checking a bin gate when he or
she gets a chance, while an alert on a wider tolerance might yield an alert to keep the truck
from leaving the plant.
To configure material groups for use with Batch Watcher:
To make managing Batch Watcher profiles easier, COMMANDqc lets you create Material
Type Groups as needed for various material types. You might have one group for Cement
Type I, and another for Cement Type II. Similarly, high-range water reducers need different
tolerances than air entraining agents.
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1. Create user-defined Batch Watcher material groups in Configurable Lists {Setup >
Concrete QC Setup > Configurable Lists}.
Once a material group has been created, it is available in the Batch Watcher Profile editor.
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2. Open the Batch Watcher Profiles module and edit the material profiles.
Newly added groups are available on all profiles.
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3. Assign materials to these user-defined groups on The Material Entry Screen.
This step links the material to the appropriate Batch Watcher Profile.
 Once a material is assigned to a profile group, Batch Watcher can validate batch quantities as they are
provided by the various interfaces.
Batch Watcher compares the tolerances for the user-defined material group to which the
material is actually assigned, and not the tolerance for the admixture material type, when
assigned to a material group. If a material is not assigned to a user-defined group, the
tolerance for the material type will not be used.
Batch Profile Users

{Setup > Notification Alerts > Batch Profile Users}
When Batch Watcher finds a batch that is out of tolerance, it has to know who to notify. The
Batch Profile Users module is used to associate users with plants and batch watcher profiles
for the Batch Watcher program.
Double-click on a user name (or select the Edit Record button) to open the edit form.
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Pressing the Add Record button, selecting an existing record and pressing the Edit Record
button, or double-clicking on an existing record will open the Edit Batch User dialog.
Both e-mail and SMS text messaging are supported.

 Active – If this checkbox is selected, the employee is active (and not on vacation or
leave). Inactive users will not receive batch watcher alerts.
 Employee – Select from a list of existing employees to assign as a user.
 Profile – Select the profile name from the list that is maintained in the Batch Water
Profiles program.
 Plants – One or more plants may be entered for the employee. Click the Ellipsis
button to open the Plant Selector form for easy selection.
 Send Email Message – When selected, an email will be sent to the employee, when
necessary. Enter the email address in the text box or select the Use Employee
Email Address checkbox to automatically populate this field using the employee’s
email record from Contacts.
 Send SMS Message – When selected, a Short Message Service (text message) will
be sent to this employee, if necessary. This option may require additional services to
be procured and/or configured.
 Use Alternate Email Address – If this checkbox is selected, the alternate email
address (entered here) is used in addition to the primary email address.
Batch Watcher Configuration

{Setup > Notification Alerts > Batch Watcher Configuration}
This module lets you start and configure Batch Watcher.
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Batch Watcher Configuration Tab
Batch Watcher Profiles and Users should be configured before configuring or starting Batch Watcher.
• Start / Stop – Click the Start button to start the Batch Watcher program. If there is a
failure while the program is running, an email will be sent to the address entered on the
Email Configuration tab. After the program has been started, the Stop button
becomes active. To stop the program, click this button.
• Test Batch Weight Datasource Connection – If you have a linked server
connection to COMMANDseries, use this button to test the Linked Server
Connection in SQL Server. The module will quickly display the results:
Test results will display immediately.

• Configure E-mail Connection – Click to open the E-mail Configuration tab in the
Application Service Manager where you can configure your e-mail service for all
modules in COMMANDqc.
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E-mail Configuration Tab
The E-mail Configuration tab on the Batch Watcher Configuration window allows you to
configure the alert email that will be sent when the Batch Watcher discovers a load that is
out of tolerance.
This e-mail configuration is specific to this module and allows you to determine when an email will be sent.
To configure Batch Watcher e-mail:

1. Click the Edit Record button. The E-mail Configuration tab will open for editing.
Fields on this tab will not be active until the Edit Record button is pressed.
2. In the Failure Address field, enter the email address of the person to be notified if an
email fails to reach an intended recipient.
3. Using the Exception Report Options section, you may specify additional options to be
included in the notification email such as Show Material Code, Show Material
Description, Show Mix Properties, Show Material Type Totals.
4. The options in the Report Language dropdown are determined the languages
installed and configured for COMMANDqc. Select the language to be used for the
report. T
5. Using the W/C Equation dropdown, select the method to be used for calculating the
water/cement ratio (Water/Cementitious or Water Cement Eq).
6. The Custom Email Subject and Custom Email Body text areas let you configure
the content of the Subject and the Body portions of the Batch Watcher emails. The tags
in square brackets and the text can be altered to your preference. Tags in square brackets
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will be replaced by the actual data for the ticket in question. The default layout is shown
above. The following table depicts the available tags:
Tag Value
[PlantID] Plant ID
[DocketNumber] Ticket Number
[TruckNumber] Truck Number
[LoadSize] Load Size
[DocketDate] Ticket Date
[BatchDate] Batch Date
[CustomerID] Customer ID
[Errors] Error Message
For the [Errors] tag, the Subject will appear with an abbreviated message, while the Body will
contain the complete message. The remaining tags appear the same in both the Subject and Body text.
Using the default configuration, the Batch Watcher email might look like this.
7. Select Show Material Code and/or Show Material Description to include these
items in the Batch Watcher email.
COMMANDseries Configuration
COMMANDseries can be configured to pass batch information to Batch Watcher, sending
batch weights for analysis. Configuring COMMANDseries to work with Batch Watcher
involves two steps:
1. Get Batch Watcher added to your COMMANDseries license. Contact your Command
Alkon Technical Account Manager for information about purchasing an updated
license. Your COMMANDseries license can be accessed within COMMANDseries at
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{Files > System Information > Licenses}. The Batch Watcher license will be on the Batch/
Color Consoles tab.
The Batchwatcher interface is effectively a batch computer interface; you will need one license for each plant you wish to monitor.
2. Once the updated COMMANDseries license is in place, enable your plants by going to
the COMMANDseries Plants-Batching tab {Files > Plant & Delivery information >
Plants} and selecting the following flags:
• Upload Weights from Batch Interface
• Update Batchwatcher
Both flags must be set for the Batchwatcher interface to work.
Global Settings
This subsection contains a large number of modules including: Login Authentication
Mode, Select Language, Regional Settings, Regional Values, Security Group, Security
Region, Units of Measure, Counters, Graphics, Documents, and Documents Import.
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Login Authentication Mode
{Setup > Global Settings > Login Authentication Mode}
• Clicking on this module launches a dialog box that prompts you to select your
preferred mode of authentication for logging into COMMANDqc. Your selection will
determine whether your Windows NT credentials or your SQL Server credentials are
used, from this point forward, to authenticate your login to COMMANDqc.
You may select Use Windows NT Authentication or Use SQL Server Authentication as your Login Authentication Mode, and then
click OK to save your selection and close the dialog box.
 If you select the Use Windows NT Authentication radio button,
COMMANDqc will use your Windows security credentials to authenticate your
access to the application. Once the Use Windows NT Authentication selection has
been saved and you close COMMANDqc, the next time you open the application,
you will be automatically logged in with your Windows credentials.
 If you select the Use SQL Server Authentication radio button, COMMANDqc
will use your SQL Server security credentials to authenticate your access to the
application. Once the Use SQL Server Authentication selection has been saved and
you close COMMANDqc, the next time you open the application, you will login
with your SQL Server username and password.
Select Language
{Setup > Global Settings > Select Language}
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Clicking on this module launches a dialog box that prompts you to select your preferred
language from the dropdown list of language options available to you.
This dropdown list contains the languages that were included in the initial install of your COMMANDqc application.
 If you select the Show at startup. checkbox, the Select Language dialog box will
appear for you to select your preferred language each time you start the application.
Click the OK button to save your selection and close this dialog box.
Regional Settings
{Setup > Global Settings > Regional Settings}
The Regional Settings module provides you with the ability to configure various system
settings to be applied throughout your COMMANDqc application.
Clicking the Option Group dropdown displays a list of option categories with configurable settings.
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• The Option Group dropdown lists the categories or groups of system settings with
configurable options. The Option Groups included are as follows:
Option Group Scope

Plant Material Option Various options to permit editing of plant material fields.
If the Material Supplier will be mandatory, you

should set the Supplier-Source is mandatory
for Materials setting to Yes. Entries without a
supplier will not display on the Material Supplier
selector when this is selected.
Global Measurement System Options to set your Primary and Alternate units of
measure.
Data Interfaces Run Flags Options to turn on or off various exports.
Interface Option Determine how information is transferred between
COMMANDqc and COMMANDseries.
Delivery Import Validation Flags Various options to turn on or off your delivery import
checks.
Customer Import Validation Flags Option to turn on or off your Customer ID check.
Employee Import Validation Various options to turn on or off your Employee import
Flags checks.
Material Import Validation Flags Various options to turn on or off your Material import
checks.
Material Plant Import Validation Various options to turn on or off your Material Plant
Flags checks.
Plant Import Validation Flags Options to turn on or off the Plant import checks.
Project Import Validation Flags Various options to turn on or off your Project import
checks.
Aggregate Grading Import Various options to turn on or off your aggregate grading
Validation Flags checks.
QC Data Import Validation Flags Options to turn on or off your QC data checks.
BOM Import Validation Flags Determines whether or not to verify various aspects of
BOM imports.
Material Test Data Import Various options to turn on or off your import validation
Validation Flags flags.
Precision of Stored Property Determines the precision of Strength and Density in
Values Primary and Alternate units.
Concrete Settings Settings related to concrete testing and reporting.
Project Import Settings Includes an item that lets you set the length of the
Customer ID imported from COMMANDseries.
Mix Management Options Determine how to calculate the Strength Curve W/C
Ratio.
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 Once you select an Option Group, all configurable settings will be appear with a
Description and Global Value. To change the setting for any row, click the dropdown
box that appears in the Global Value column of that row, and select your preferred
setting.
• When you change the Global Value setting on any row, and then click off of that
row, the Global Value cell for the edited row will be displayed in green, indicating
that the setting has been adjusted but the change remains unsaved. This allows
you to easily review settings that have changed, prior to any of these new settings
being saved.
When settings are changed, the Save (F12) button and the Cancel (Ctrl+Z) button appear for you to save or cancel any changes.
Additional Notes on Some Settings

• Users must create new mix products on COMMANDseries - If you save a new
Product on COMMANDqc, but this option requires COMMANDseries to create
new products, the Product will be rejected by COMMANDseries, and an error is
written to the Mix Product Export table. Located under Interface Options.
• Location-Plant Transformation -
 Use Plant Codes:
• Deliveries and Batch Weights returned from COMMANDseries will be

identified by their Plant ID (COMMANDseries Plant Code).
• Mix and Material information on COMMANDqc will be identified by Plant ID,
but only Plants flagged as the Primary Plant for each Location will be available for
assignment to Mixes and Materials. When Mixes and Materials are imported
from COMMANDseries, the interface software will map the
COMMANDseries Location Code to the primary Plant ID for each Location.
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When Mixes are exported to COMMANDseries, the interface software will map
each COMMANDqc Plant ID to its corresponding Location Code.
• COMMANDqc will maintain each Plant's Location Code in the Plant table. This
is equivalent to PLNT.LOC_Code in COMMANDseries, and will be imported
automatically when Plant data is imported.
 Use Location Codes:
• Mixes and Materials will appear in COMMANDqc and COMMANDseries with
Location Codes.
• The system will convert the COMMANDseries shipping Plant to Location when
Tickets (deliveries) are imported, so they appear on COMMANDqc with
Location Codes.
Regional Values
{Setup > Global Settings > Regional Values}
The Regional Values module allows you to specify regional values and Units of Measure to
be applied throughout your COMMANDqc application.
Click the Edit Record (F2) button in order to view options available in the dropdown box on each row.
• The following variables are included in this module, and may be adjusted by Value and/
or Unit of Measure:
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 Water Density - This setting allows for slight variations of opinion on the water
density from one producer or marketplace to the next. You can enter the variation
multiplier here; typically set to 62.4 lb/ft3 in U.S. systems.
 Maximum Allowed Size of Submittal - The default value is set to 10 MB, but
may be overridden; if this default limit is exceeded and the submittal is saved, a
warning message appears stating that the limit has been exceeded.
 Mix Export Template Product Code (Primary Units) - With the mix
integration to COMMANDseries, where COMMANDqc will create new products,
it is necessary to have a product code in COMMANDseries predefined, from which
mandatory properties that COMMANDqc does not contain can be drawn; use this
field to enter the code of that COMMANDseries product.
 Mix Export Template Product Code (Alternative Units) - In the case where
the producer makes concrete products in both US Units and Metric, a second
template product is needed in COMMANDseries; the product code for that goes
here.
 COMMANDseries Linked Server Name - This field contains the name of the
database link to the COMMANDseries instance to which this COMMANDqc
instance integrates; it is set as part of the installation/upgrade program, and caution
should be taken if changing it here.
 Mix Calculations: Lower (#8) Sieve Aperture for WF/CF (microns) - Lets
you define the lower-side sieve for workability and coarseness factor calculations.
Typically set to 2360 microns.
 Mix Calculations: Upper (3/8) Sieve Aperture for WF/CF (microns) - Lets
you define the upper-side sieve for workability and coarseness factor calculations;
typically set to 9500.
 Mix Calculations: Sieve Aperture (#8) for Mortar Fraction (microns) - Lets
you define the sieve for mortar fraction calculations; typically 2360 microns.
 Mix Calculations: WF Adjustment for Cement Content (per % WF) - This
value is used in the Workability Factor and Coarseness Factor calculations in Mix
Designs.
• The Coarseness Factor Chart is based on 6.0 sacks (564 pounds) of cementitious
materials per cubic yard. Thus, the Workability Factor (WF) needs to be adjusted
to account for different cementitious amounts in a given mix.
• The Cement-Adjusted Workability Factor is the percent of combined aggregate
passing the #8 sieve, adjusted for the fines content of cementitious materials. The
WF is adjusted +/- 2.5 % per sack of cement equivalent, when the mix
cementitious material is above or below 6 sacks, respectively. The adjustment
amount to WF = (total cementitious - <baseline WF Cement>) /
<WF Cement Adjustment> where <Baseline WF Cement> = 564 lbs
(i.e. 6 sacks) and <WF Cement Adjustment> is approximated at 37.6 lb
per % WF.
 Mix Calculations: Baseline Cement content for WF Calculation - See above.
 COMMANDqc Watchdog Host Name - The COMMANDqc watchdog is a
small program that is designed to monitor a number of failure points in processing
batch alerts and alert key users if a problem is detected. This setting defines the
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server name that this program is running on; it is typically put on the SQL server.
This setting will usually be set up by CAI implementation personnel. Changes
should be carefully considered.
 Time Limit for Editing Samples and Specimens - Defines the amount of time
after a sample is created that the sample and specimen data for that record can be
changed. After this, the software prevents editing.
 Density Tolerance Limit - The Density Tolerance Limit defines the upper and
lower limits as a percent of the theoretical density within which concrete density test
results must fall to be in compliance.
• If the density tolerance limit = x, then (Theoretical Density – x% of
Theoretical Density) < = Test Density <= (Theoretical Density
+ x% of Theoretical Density)where Theoretical Density is the
calculated density at design time. The density tolerance check is performed
during data retrieval for the specimen detail report.
 Include Admixture Water in Effective W/C if Value Exceeds - European
standards state that the water volume of admixtures should be included in the
effective water used for calculating the mix water/cementitious ratio if admixture
water content exceeds 3 L. Customers adhering to EN206 rules should enter 3 L
for this value; customers not obligated to comply to EN206 can leave the value blank
or zero, so that it is ignored.
 Mix Design: Default Batching Tolerance Profile - This is a customer-specific
setting, and is used in new mixes to define a value that is then passed onto that
producer's batching systems.
 Plant to use for UOM and Dose Setup - The plant specified here will be used to
get the material batching units and dose definition for sending to Integra.
 Store large documents in network files. Maximum database document size.
- Specify what file sizes need to be saved to the database versus an external file
location. Available units are in MB. The default setting is equal to a value of zero,
meaning that all documents, no matter their size, will be stored in the database.
 Network location for large documents - Specify the network location that you
want to use for storing large documents.
 Sieve Aperture for Fines Sieve (microns) - Specify the sieve aperture value, in
microns, that is used for to calculate the fineness modulus mix property.
 Minimum Concrete Volume for 1 Production Day - This is the minimum
concrete volume for one concrete sample. A production day is defined as a calendar
working day, in which the specified minimum volume of concrete is produced.
 Number of Production Days in a Calendar Week for 1 Production Week -
Specify the number of days in a calendar week. A production week is defined as a
calendar week, wherein the minimum daily volume requirement has been met for
the specified number of week days.
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To edit existing values and/or units:
1. To make any changes, click the Edit Record (F2) button at the top of the screen.
When either a Value or a Unit cell is edited, both the Value and the Unit cell on that row are displayed in green.
2. You may enter new information or edit existing information in the Value column.
3. Use the dropdown box to change the Unit of Measure in the Unit column.
• When any Value or Unit field is adjusted, the associated field is displayed in green;
additionally, the Save (F12) and Cancel (Ctrl+Z) buttons become available.
Security Group
{Setup > Global Settings > Security Group}
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COMMANDqc uses groups to define the various security access levels throughout the
program. Groups are also used by the program to filter many of the available drop-down
lists, to show information that is relevant only to a particular user in a particular region.
The Security Group module displays all groups in the system (along with the system-supplied Admin group).
• Typically groups may have titles such as Management, Sales, Lab Data Entry, Lab
Management, etc., and should fall in line with your organizational structure Admin
group, which usually has full access to all parts of the program, including the Setup and
Tools modules.
To add a new Security Group:

1. Click the Add button that appears in the upper left-hand corner of the screen; this
launches the Add Security Group dialog box.
Here, you will enter a Code and Description.

2. Remember that you will have to manually assign access to each form in the application
for each of the user groups you create; therefore, the fewer, the better. When you
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double click a row, the Security Group Entry screen opens to display three tabs from
which you can further control security settings for users.
The Security Group Entry screen includes User Assignment, Security Assignment, and Report Security Assignment tabs.
• The User Assignment tab allows you to assign users to the selected Group by selecting
one user or multiple users listed under the Available Users column and then clicking
the right arrow button to transfer your selected user(s) to a Security Group.
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• The Security Assignment tab will show you what modules the users in this group have
access to.
Function Groupings may be collapsed or expanded with the minus/plus button displayed to the left of each Function Group.
3. If you want to change the access for several items at once, use the Ctrl key to select
multiple modules, then use the Change Access Level for Selected Records
dropdown box at the bottom of the screen to choose an Access Level for all selected
modules. Click the Apply button to view your changes, and then click the Save button.
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Or, use the dropdown box under the Access Level column of each row to edit an
individual item’s Access Level.
Sorting and filtering is available with the Function Grouping button.

4. Click the right end of the Function Grouping button to view a dropdown box that
allows you to group all displayed modules by functionality. All sorting will be based off
of the row that is currently selected when you click the Function Grouping button to
sort.
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• The Report Security Assignment tab will show you what reports are accessible for this
group.
Sorting and filtering is available with the SubGroup button.
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5. Click the right end of the SubGroup button to view a dropdown box that allows you to
view all of the reports available to be displayed.
Selecting the checkboxes will ensure that the associated Report Names are displayed on your grid under the Report Name column.
6. If you want to change the access for several items at once, use the Ctrl key to select
multiple modules, then, use the Access checkbox for the Change Selected Records
to: field at the bottom of the screen to assign access to multiple reports at once. Click
the Apply button to view your changes, and then click the Save button.
Security Region
{Display > Global Settings > Security Region}
A Region is a collection of laboratories, quarries, or plants within a certain geographical area.
You can customize COMMANDqc to your specific requirements. For example, you may
want to limit the access of a tester in one location to the data or tests from other locations, or
you may limit a particular employee to only one laboratory. Each plant and lab must be
assigned a region. This is used by security to limit access of plant and laboratory data to the
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users region(s). In every plant and laboratory selector, the lists are filtered to only display
those allowed by the users security.
The Security Region module displays all regions in the system.
The primary purpose of regions is to compartmentalize data so that one region does not see
the data and results of other regions. This is beneficial from both a security and a practical
point of view. In a large company, the database can also get very large; therefore, some type
of filtering is necessary.
For security purposes, employees may be provided access to more than one region. To do
this, set up a group containing all required regions and assign the employee to the group.
Assigning a region to a user group lets that group access data from all locations within that
region. More than one region can be added to a user group. However, due to the amount of
data, it is recommended that groups be assigned only to the necessary regions.
To add a User to a Security Region, click the Add button that appears in the upper left-hand
corner of the screen; this launches the Add Region dialog box.
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Here, you will enter a Region ID and Description.
When you double click a row, the Region Entry screen opens to display the User Assignment
tab.
The Region Entry screen displays Available Users that may be assigned to the specified Region.
This tab allows you to assign users to the selected Region by selecting one user or multiple
users listed under the Available Users column and then clicking the right arrow button to
transfer your selected user(s) to a Security Region. After any changes have been made, you
will be able to click the Save button to save your changes, or the Cancel button to cancel.
Units of Measure
{Setup > Global Settings > Units of Measure}
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This Units of Measure module displays your default units of measure in a grid format.
Information in the grid is not editable, as the settings are made at the time of
implementation of COMMANDqc and unchangeable thereafter.
The Units of Measure module is for display purposes only and cannot be edited.
Counters
{Setup > Global Settings > Counters}
This module is used to set up counters for use in various functions, including laboratory
setup, mix submittals, mix update batches, incidents, and mix approvals. While on a plant
record in Contacts, counters can be set up for Concrete Samples, Trial Batches, and
Products.
Some of these features have limited availability.
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• The Contact Maintenance tab allows you to add new counters to be used in other
modules or edit existing counters.
The Counter Maintenance tab allows you to maintain both counters in use and in inactive counters.
 Counter Name - The name given to the counter at the time it is created.
 Next Counter Value - The next report number to be generated using this counter.
If this is a new counter, the value begins with the Minimum Value and will be
incremented by one each time the counter is used to generate a report number.
 Maximum Value - When the counter reaches the maximum value,
COMMANDqc will increment the counter above the maximum, but you will be
warned on each occurrence.
 Reset Annually -When selected, the first report number is generated for a new
calendar year and the Next Counter Value is reset to the Minimum Value. Primarily
used when the Use 2-Digit Year Prefix option is also selected.
 Use 2-Digit Year Prefix (YY-) - When selected, the YY- prefix is included in the
report number. If not selected, the report number will not have a prefix.
 Counter In Use - When selected, the current counter is in use. This checkbox is
not editable; it automatically updates to indicate whether or not the selected counter
is in use.
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• The Global Counters tab contains the Mix Editions Next Value field, which is
automatically generated using the Mix Editions counter.
The Mix Editions Next Value field is not editable.
To add a new counter:

1. To add a counter, select the Add Record button. The Add Counter dialog will appear.
Enter a Counter Name in the Add Counter dialog box and click the OK button.
2. Enter a name for this counter using the Counter Name field and select the OK button.
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3. On the Counter Maintenance tab, enter the relevant information for this counter.
When adding a new counter, you may choose to use a 2-digit year prefix.
4. Select the Save button.
Graphics
{Setup > Global Settings > Graphics}
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The Graphics module allows you to store various graphics, such as signatures and company
logos, in COMMANDqc.
Use the Graphic Category and Graphic ID dropdown boxes to define your new graphic or to view existing graphics.
• Graphic Category - Displays all the categories that you may need. The Logo can be
used for test certificates. The Signature, Submittal Header, and Submittal
Footer options can be used with mix submittals.
• Graphic ID - This dropdown box displays all the graphic names within the selected
Graphic Category that have been added to the system.
• Graphic - If you selected an existing graphic in the Graphic ID field, that graphic will
display here.
• Ellipses - Click this button to select from your network or local drive, to import an
existing graphic into the database.
To resize your image using MS paint:

Sometimes, you may need to resize a signature before it can be loaded to COMMANDqc.
This section will explain how to do so.
1. Open MS Paint and select the resizing option. Depending on your version of Windows,
the resizing option may be accessed from the Attributes dropdown box under the
Image menu, or, from the Home ribbon.
2. Images should be resized to around 300 x 100 pixels.
3. Save the image as a 24-bit bitmap (*.bmp) image in Paint.
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To add a new graphic:
1. Once you have saved your image in MS Paint, select a Graphic Category from the
dropdown box list and then click the Add Record (Ins) button.
2. Enter a name in the Graphic ID field.
3. Press the ellipses button in the Graphics field.
4. A standard Windows Open window appears for you to navigate to the graphic. This
graphic must be in bitmap (*.bmp) format as no other graphic format is supported.
5. When the graphic is loaded, click the Save icon. The new graphic will be available
immediately for selection on this form.
Documents
{Setup > Global Settings > Documents}
Document management is a key feature involved in the Mix Submittal function, as well as
other areas in COMMANDqc. Documents may be added, updated, and deleted using this
module.The functionality may also be accessed and documents managed from its various
touch points throughout COMMANDqc.
Document deletion requires that the file is not attached to any current work.
Use the dropdown box to select a Category and then click the Refresh button.
Documents can be included in the database and related to concrete products, mixes, or raw
materials, for automatic inclusion into submittals, upon selection of a mix. Additional
document types are also available for managing submittal cover letters, disclaimers, etc.
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Furthermore, notes regarding the document can be added. These notes are internal and will
not be sent to customers.
Select a document Category using the dropdown box and then click the Refresh button to
populate the selection grid.
Flagging the Show Number of Assignments checkbox will result in the query populating
the # of Uses column, which gives you an indication of how popular a document is, and
whether it can be deleted.
Selecting the Show Number of Assignments field ensures that the # of Uses column is included in the results grid.
Documents that are included in finalized submittals can be deleted provided they are not
also included in any draft submittals.
To add a new document on the grid selector screen by clicking the Add (Ins) button. Select
the file you wish to include, click the Open button to launch the Add Document dialog box.
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From here you will use the dropdown box to select a Document Category, enter a
Document Name, and you may also choose to add a Note related to the file.
Click the OK button to save the new document and close the Add Document dialog box.
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The Print Preview button allows you to open documents in a PDF viewer. From the grid,
find and select the row that contains the document you want to view, and click the Print
Preview button.
You may customize your view settings by utilizing various buttons included in the Print Preview toolbar. Click the (x) button or the
Close Print Preview button to exit and return to COMMANDqc.
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Double click on an item in the selection grid, or, click the Edit (F2) button to launch the
Document Entry screen, where you can view or change assignments for the selected
document.
The Save Changes (F12) and Cancel Changes (Ctrl+Z) buttons become available after changes have been made.
To update a document, click the Ellipsis button from the File Name field to upload a file
stored on your computer. The software also includes a feature where you will be alerted to
the existence of a new file in the same location when you edit a document record. This is
useful to producers who manage a network location for their reports, data sheets, etc. as a
staging point for importing into COMMANDqc. Newly imported documents must be re-
imported into the database before it can be included into new submittals, etc.
Depending on the Document Category, up to two buttons may show beside the Document
Assignments label. These buttons allow you to apply new or existing document assignments
for materials, concrete products, and mixes.
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Materials and Material-Suppliers buttons are displayed on the Document Entry screen when
Material PDF Category documents are selected.
The Materials button and Material-Suppliers button launch an assignment screen that lets you can assign the document to available
Materials or Material Suppliers.
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Products and Mixes buttons are displayed on the Document Entry screen when Mix PDF
Category documents are selected.
The Products button and Mixes button launch an assignment screen that lets you can assign the document to available Products or
Mixes.
Once you have saved changes in any of the above Document Assignment screens by clicking
the OK button, COMMANDqc will return you to the Document Entry screen. A list of all
the assignments just made will display, along with a note if there is a new version of the file
that has not been uploaded. The document record will remember the location from which
the file was loaded (e.g., network directory), and if a newer file is placed into that location,
the alert displays, which gives you the choice as to whether or not to load the updated file.
This can be useful in organizations where a shared location is used to update files that might
be produced/delivered from multiple sources. Files become available for use after they have
been imported from the file location into the database.
Documents Import
{Setup > Global Settings > Documents Import}
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The Documents Import module allows you to upload and attach documents in bulk.
The Documents Import screen lets you specify a Directory from which to import files, Import Files, and Review Results.
Click the Browse for the Document Import folder location button to select the directory
that contains all the documents you wish to import. Once you have selected a folder, click
the OK button in the Browse For Folder dialog box.
The Setting Name and Value columns that appear on the right-hand side of the Documents
Import module specify the document naming conventions that will determine how
imported documents are to be treated categorized in COMMANDqc. In order for all
documents to be sorted and attached appropriately, file names should be formatted in the
following manner:
Category File Name Format

Mixes [Mix PDF Prefix][Separator Character][Mix Code][Separator
Character][Plant ID].pdf
Products [Product PDF Prefix][Separator Character][Product Code].pdf
Materials [Material PDF Prefix][Separator Character][Material
Code][Separator Character][Supplier ID][Separator
Character][Source Code].pdf
Since the Setting Name and Value columns determine how COMMANDqc attaches a
particular document, you may need to edit the Value column before importing files. Click
the Edit (F2) button to change or adjust information in the Value column; for example, if
the Mix PDF Prefix is set to a Value of EPD, all PDF files that begin with EPD will be
attached to a mix. The Separator Character is the character that will be used to signal a new
sorting category to COMMANDqc. If any changes have been made to Value column
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entries, they will be shaded green until the Save (F12) button or the Cancel (Ctrl+Z)
button is selected.
Use the dropdown to select Link To File Location or Import Files To Document
Database. The Link To File Location option will connect the files to the COMMANDqc
database from their actual location on your machine. The Import Files To Documents
Database will import the documents directly into the COMMANDqc database.
Once you are ready to begin importing, select the Import Files button. COMMANDqc will
update all previously imported documents with any changes that were made outside of
COMMANDqc and import all new documents.
The Review Results button opens the System Interface Viewer.
The System Interface Viewer provides a view of the interface tables, and provides you with a mechanism to review interface errors.
This allows you to select one or all status levels, thus giving a view of filtered data or to all
the interface data.
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The Tools Icon
The Tools icon includes modules that help you manage the COMMANDqc application, its
interfaces, and its data.
Modules under the Tools icon:

• Report Designer - Use Report Builder to create new reports.
• Report Browser - Use FastReports to manage existing reports.
• File Import - Upload files from your machine to COMMANDqc.
• System Interface Viewer - Access the interface tables and review data transfers.
• Mix Activation Batch Viewer - View of all of the mixes that have been activated for your
laboratory during a specified date range.
• Integration Services Configuration - Set up and test the addresses used by
COMMANDqc to communicate with external services.
• Import Templates - Upload templates from your machine to COMMANDqc.
• Language Manager - Manage the language translations available to COMMANDqc.
• Application Service Manager - Manage the integration services available to
COMMANDqc.
• System Licensing - Manage system licenses.
• System Message Log - View system messages.
• Install Default Settings - Reconfigure COMMANDqc to install original default
settings.
Report Design
The Report Design subsection provides you with multiple options to design and manage a
variety of reports and includes two modules: Report Designer and Report Browser.
Report Designer
{Tools > Report Design > Report Designer}
The Report Designer module allows you to manage complex report designs using a tool
called Report Builder. Report Builder is a 3rd party development tool that allows you to
The Tools Icon 393

design and create complex report formats. Reports can be created, edited, imported, or
exported.
When a report is selected, the toolbar buttons activate.
• The All Folders section of the screen displays a hard-coded list of folders. This list
cannot be edited.
• The Contents section displays the contents of the selected folder in the All Folders
section. Reports can be sorted into folders by dragging them to the desired folder in the
All Folders section. You cannot drag a report to a folder in the Contents section.
Hints will display when you hover over a button.
Report Builder
Double-clicking an existing report or selecting the New Report button on the toolbar will
open the Report Builder.
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Report Builder is a legacy tool that is gradually being replaced by Fast Reports. Support for Report
Builder, including documentation and online help is available at https://www.digital-
metaphors.com.
The Report Builder is a very flexible tool.
The middle of the screen shows the report layout; the left-hand column contains report
layout controls, while the right-hand column contains data source controls.
Report Browser
{Tools > Report Design > Report Browser}
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The Report Browser module allows you to design and manage complex report designs
using a third party tool called FastReport. Reports can be created, edited, imported, or
exported.
Unlike the Report Designer, the Report Browser uses the standard COMMANDqc grid.
The Report Browser grid contains the majority of COMMANDqc System Defined Reports.
• Below the standard grid toolbar is the FastReport toolbar. The buttons will activate if a
report is selected:
The FastReport toolbar provides access to Fast Report management tools without having to load the Fast Report editor.
 Save As – Saves a copy of an existing report. This option is a useful means to create
an editable copy of a system defined report.
 Edit – Opens the selected report in the FastReport Editor.
 Report Properties – Displays basic information about the report.
 Report Security Assignment – Opens the Report Security Assignment screen,
which allows you to identify the COMMANDqc group(s) allowed to edit the
report.
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 Export/Import Report – Export or import report designs, allowing you to migrate
complex reports to multiple systems.
 Localize Report – If your system is properly configured, this button allows you to
change languages in the report.

• To filter the reports in the grid, you can select either a Group Type or a Group Name
and click the Refresh button.
 Group Type - The Group Type is either Concrete or Aggregate, however,
Aggregate is not used at this time.

 Group Name - This represents a number of similar reports such as Test
Certificates or Aggregate Sample Reports. When you select a Group Name and then
select the Refresh button, you will see a list of all the reports included in the selected
group. Refer to the PDF Reports section for more information on the PDF report
group options available in this dropdown box.
• The default reports are indicated by a check in the System Defined column; these
reports are flagged as read-only. Double-clicking an existing report will open the
FastReport editor.
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The Fast Report editor is a newer tool than Report Builder, but the basic principles are the same.
• The middle of the screen shows the report layout; the left-hand column contains report
layout controls, while the right-hand column contains data source controls. A link to
the FastReport website, where you can get documentation for the editor, is available
through the editor’s Help > About window.
PDF Reports
The available PDF Report options give you the ability to create editable PDF mix reports.
You may create fillable PDF templates populated by COMMANDqc which can then be
modified and stored in the database. The PDF Report options allow you to open a system
defined report and save it as a new report. Using a PDF writer, you may then edit the report
and save it as a different report.
An example of the PDF report editing screen is shown here. The name of the selected PDF report will determine the name displayed in
the title bar of this screen, when launched.
• PDF Reports: Mix Submittal Mix Reports - The Mix Submittal Mix Report contains
several mixes, providing one report per mix.
• PDF Reports: Mix Submittal Reports - The Mix Submittal Report contains just one
mix and is similar to a cover letter, providing a single page summary.
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Interfaces
The Interfaces subsection has various modules used for importing/exporting data between
COMMANDqc and other Command Alkon products including: File Import, System
Interface Viewer, Mix Activation Batch Viewer, Integration Services Configuration, and
Import Templates.
File Import
This module allows you to import a data file of a particular format into COMMANDqc.
For example, you may select a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet layout for concrete test results
imports.
Click the Load/Refresh Data (Ctrl+F5) in order for the grid to update based on your chosen Import Type and date range.
• Two additional toolbar buttons become available when a file is selected in the grid.
The Check Imports and View File toolbar buttons.
 The Check Imports toolbar button opens the System Interface Viewer.
 The View File toolbar button lets you save the file to your computer.
• You may select Mix Design Import, QC Aggregate Results Import, or QC Concrete
Results Import from the Import Type dropdown box.
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• Using the From and To fields, you may specify a date range to limit the range of past
operations that will display once you select the Load/Refresh Data (Ctrl+F5) button.
This will let you see how many times files have been imported and the success rate for
each import operation. To preview the data before importing, make sure the Preview
checkbox is marked before clicking the Import Data button.
Common Procedures
To import data:
1. Select an Import Template from the dropdown box.
If the system defined templates are insufficient, you may create a new template in the Import
Templates module. Note that you cannot edit the system defined templates but you may copy them
using the Save As function.
2. Click the Ellipsis button beside the File Name field to select the file you would like to
import.
Once you click the ellipsis button, COMMANDqc Data Maintenance opens to allow you to select and upload a file from your
computer. Click the Open button to upload your selected file.
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Mix design spreadsheets must contain certain information such as Product Code, Plant, and
Materials (Material Code, Quantity). Materials must be defined in COMMANDqc and present at
the selected Plant.
Clicking the Import Data button on the main COMMANDqc - File Import screen launches the Execute: Mix Design Import - Excel
Import Wizard.
3. Select a File Origin and specify Trim Values, then click the Next button.
If you marked the Preview box, a preview of how your mix designs will be imported is shown.
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4. Review your data to ensure that it will import with the appropriate values and then
click the Next button.
Click the Execute button to import your mix design data.
• An Information dialog box will appear. Review the Batch Number Created for the
import and click the OK button.
Click the OK button in the Information dialog to view your import in the COMMANDqc - File Import selection grid.
5. The imported file will now appear in the COMMANDqc - File Import grid.
System Interface Viewer

{Tools > Interfaces > System Interface Viewer}
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This module provides a view of all records that have been interfaced to COMMAND series
including records that contain errors for your review. Some interfaces include the option to
select and re-interface records after the cause of any errors have been corrected.
You may choose an Interface Group, a Transfer Status, a Batch ID, a Date Range, and you must select an Interface Name.
Once you have selected and/or entered specific search filter criteria, click the Load/Data
Refresh (Ctrl+F5) button to view your results. The result grid includes all of the columns
defined for each interface and may vary by interface type.
• Select an Interface Group using the dropdown box.
• Select an Interface Name using the dropdown box. This field is required.
 Mix Designer Export - Export from COMMANDqc to TMS/CL Mix Designer.
• Plant.
• Material.
• Material Plant.
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• Single Material, Supplier to Material.
• Single Material Plant Supplier.
• Material Supplier Cost and Supply for all Plants.
• Norm.
• Dmax.
• Product Class (Cement Type).
• Product Class (Cement Strength).
• Product Strength Class.
• Sieve.
• FM Sieve.
• Delete Sieve.
• Sieve Specification.
• Security Group.
• Product Class Detail.
• Material Status.
• Materials by Material Supplier.
 Master File Import - Import from COMMANDseries into COMMANDqc.
• Customer Import.
• Project Import.
• Plant Impot.
• BOM Import.
• Employee Import.
 Material and Supplier Import - Import from COMMANDseries into
COMMANDqc.
• Material Import.
• Material Plant Import.
• Supplier Import.
• Supplier Source Import.
• Material Supplier Source Import.
• Plant Material Supplier Source Import.
 Delivery Tickets - Imported into COMMANDqc.
• Delivery Import.
• Ticket Header Import.
 Product Mix Export - Exported from COMMANDqc to COMMANDseries.
• Mix Design Import.
• Mix Product Export.
• Mix Plant Export.
 File Import and Export - Import from or Export to an Excel spreadsheet.
• QC Concrete Results Import.
• QC Aggregate Results Import.
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• QC Concrete Results Export.
• Mix Design Export.
 Mix Approval - ItalCementi only.
• Mix Approval Import.
• Mix Approval Export.
 Notifications
• Batch Watcher Email.

• Mix Submittal Email.
• Notifications.
 Legacy Interfaces - Not commonly used.
• Material Test Data Import.

• BOM Export.
• BOM Trim Rule Export.
• Tester Export.
• Target Frequency Export.
• Actual Testing Qty Export.
• Batch Warnings Profile Export.
• Batch Warnings Member Profile Export.
• Batch Master.
• Material Test Import.
• Billing Export.
• Document Import.
• Climate Earth Interface.
 Export to Integra - Export from COMMANDqc to Integra.
• Mix Product Export.

• Mix Plant Export.
• Material Export.
• Material Plant Export.
• Integra Test Export.
• Material and Plants Export.
 Export to EDX - Export from COMMANDqc to COMMANDbatch Interface via
EDX.
• Mix Design Export.
• Material Plant Export.
• Location Information Export.
• Batch Weights Import.
• Ticket Import.
 Export to EDX - Export from COMMANDqc to COMMANDbatch Interface via
EDX.
• Select a Transfer Status to limit the display of records to a single status. Leaving this
field blank will allow all records in all statuses to be displayed in the grid. For example,
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if you select Transfer Status 2, then you will only display records that have not been
interfaced because of an error received.
 -1 - Preparing/Untouchable.
 0 - Ready to Process.
 1 - Processing.
 2 - Errors from Processing (because of these errors, the records were not interfaced).
 3 - Processed/Success.
 4 - Processed/Warning (these records have been interfaced but some non-critical
information is missing as explained in the error number and Error Message in the
grid).
• Enter a Batch ID number to display all records in a particular batch.
• Enter a Date From and Date To to filer results by date range.
Mix Activation Batch Viewer

{Tools > Interfaces > Mix Activation Batch Viewer}
This module allows you to view of all of the mixes that have been activated for your
laboratory during a specified Date Range.
Select a Batch ID, Production Status, and set the Activation Date Range.
You may also use the Batch ID dropdown box to specify a Batch ID, and the Production
Status dropdown to specify a particular Production Status. Use the From and To fields to
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select a particular Activation Date Range. After you have specified search filter criteria, click
the refresh button and view your results in the selection grid.
Integration Services Configuration

{Tools > Interfaces > Integration Services Configuration}
This module is used to setup and test the communication addresses to those services that
COMMANDqc will exchange information with.
Clicking the Test button executes a process that tests the communication addresses to the services COMMANDqc is exchanging
information with.
The COMMANDqc Broker is a service that all COMMANDqc installations host on one
of their servers. COMMANDqc Programs access the Broker to perform calculations or
interface actions. The COMMANDqc Broker communicates with other application
services, including EDX for exchange with COMMANDbatch, TMS CL for
communication with Mix Designer, and Climate Earth for impact document generation.
For Integra sites, this form has connection information for COMMANDqc to exchange
data with the Integra services.
Import Templates
{Tools > Interfaces > Import Templates}
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This module shows you all of the current templates that exist in COMMANDqc.
The selection grid displays System Defined templates with a check mark.
• You may filter the templates displayed in the grid by selecting a group type from the
Import Type dropdown box and clicking the Load/Refresh Data (Ctrl+F5) button.
• Additional toolbar buttons become available once you select a row in the grid.
The Save As, Edit, Template Properties, Export Template, and Import Template toolbar buttons.
Common Procedures
To copy a template:
1. Select a template from the grid.
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2. Click the Save As button in the toolbar.The Template Properties dialog box is launched.
This dialog allows you to save a new Description of the selected template, as well as add a Note and check or uncheck Import
Parameters, including Product, Product Plant, and Mix Design.
3. In the Description field, enter a name for the template and enter additional template
details in the Note field.
4. Select Import Parameters. You may choose to make the template available at the
Product level, the Product Plant level, the Mix Design level, or all three.
5. Click the OK button.
To import a template:
1. Select a template from the grid.
2. Click the Edit button in the toolbar. The QC Edit wizard is launched.
Click the radio button that appears under Documents, Spreadsheets/Workbooks, or WEB publishing, based on the file format of the
selected template.
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3. Select a file format and click the next button.
Click the ellipsis button to select a file that contains the data you would like to import into the selected template.
4. Click the Ellipsis button to open the Select A File For Data Importing utility.
Select and preview the file you would like to import.
5. Select a file and click the Open button. The file name will populate the Import from
File field in the QC Edit wizard.
• The QC Edit wizard allows you to select a File Origin as well as allow you to Trim
Values.
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6. Click the Next button.
This section of the Edit Template Wizard lets you define Date Formats and Dates, Times, and Numbers rules to apply to your imported
data.
7. Enter the appropriate Date Format information and click the Next button.
This section allows you to preview your imported data in the selected template.
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8. Ensure that the imported data is correct and click the Next button.
This section allows you to set field mappings that will determine how the data in your source file is organized in the destination file.
9. The dropdown box lets you select the source fields for each destination attribute. Flag
the checkbox of the destination attributes you want to specify as primary key attributes.
• Clicking the Ellipsis button launches the Expression Builder.
The Expression Builder allows you to apply additional rules to the organization of your source data in the destination file.
 You may use the Expression Builder to construct filtering expressions that are
applied to imported data. Refer to Advanced Filtering (Filter Builder) in
COMMANDqc Basics for more information on expression building.
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10. Once you have finished mapping the fields, click the Next button.
This section allows you to give your data one last preview before importing it into the selected template.
11. Review your data and click the Next button.
The Summary section appears, informing you that, by clicking the OK button, you are executing the import process.
12. Click the OK button to import your data and return to the main COMMANDqc -
Import Templates module.
Application Manager
The Application Manager subsection contains modules that allow you to manage
COMMANDqc including: Language Manager, Application Service Manager, System
Licensing, and System Message Log.
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Language Manager
{Tools > Application Manager > Language Manager}
The Language Manager lets you enter language translations for your particular location.
The Language Manager displays Actions, Languages, Mouse Search, Find, and Options in the left pane, in addition to a selection grid
on the right-hand side of the screen.
The only editable fields are those that appear in the Languages menu displayed in the left
pane of the Language Manager form. If, for example, you wanted to translate a label
displayed in the grid from American English to Spanish, you would first flag the checkbox
next to English - USA in the Languages menu. Next, under the English - USA column in the
grid, you would find the label that you want to translate, enter the appropriate Spanish
translation in the adjacent cell under the Spanish column, and then click the Save button.
The boxes that appear in the left pane may be collapsed or expanded as needed.
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• In the Actions menu, click the Save button to save any changes made in the Language
Manager; click the Undo button to undo any changes made in the Language Manager;
click the Set Default button to set changes made in the Language Manager as the default
settings.
• In the Languages menu, select the checkboxes in the Show column, of all the languages
you want to display in the Language Manager.
• In the Mouse Search menu, when you flag the Auto "Mouse Search" on left mouse
click checkbox, the cursor turns into a large plus sign. You can no longer work in
COMMANDqc, but you can click on a field within COMMANDqc and its language
properties are displayed in the Language Manager. Note that this checkbox must be
unchecked to exit the Language Manager.
 The Language Manager is a non-modal form. This means that you can work in
COMMANDqc without having to close the Language Manager. As you move the
mouse cursor over various areas of COMMANDqc, the Item and Value fields
populate with the values picked up from the field you are currently hovering over.
• In the Find menu, you may search for a particular form by entering the form name in
the Find field and flagging the checkboxes of the columns you want to Look In. If the
Auto Mouse Search checkbox is selected and a field is clicked on in COMMANDqc, the
Find field on the Language manager is populated with the name of the selected field in
COMMANDqc. The properties of the selected field are displayed in the grid to the
right.
• The Options menu lets you adjust the Transparency of the Language Manager and
select whether or not you want the Language Manager to Stay On Top of all other
open forms on your desktop. The Transparency slider is positioned at the right end of
the scale by default and the Stay On Top checkbox is flagged by default.
 With the slider at the right end of the Transparency scale, the Language Manager
appears opaque. As the slider is moved to the left end of the scale, the Language
Manager appears more transparent. The more transparent the Language Manager
appears, the easier it is to view other open forms on your desktop when when the
Language Manager is on top. For example, if you don’t have a second monitor, this
allows you to see both COMMANDqc and the Language Manager.
Application Service Manager

{Tools > Application Manager > Application Service Manager}
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This module allows system administrators to define settings for services that need to run for
COMMANDqc to be able to perform critical functions such as sending out emails and
integration with other software.
The Application Service Manager includes four tabs: Service Controller, Database Configuration, E-mail Configuration, and Export
File Locations.
• The Service Controller tab allows you to actually start & stop services, as you would in
the windows Services program. For this to be done, COMMANDqc must be running
on the server where the services are actually installed. Displayed buttons are unavailable
if COMMANDqc is running on a different server. To edit information for the services,
select the Edit Record (F2) button.
 Under the Available Services dropdown, select which service you would like to
register first (the COMMANDqc Broker Service or the COMMANDqc Email

Service).
 If you do not enter a Server Name, COMMANDqc will use the local machine for
registration and events. It is important to note that a Server Name is required if you
need to install or register a particular service on a remote machine. If you enter a
Server Name but leave the Domain, Username and Password fields blank,
COMMANDqc will install the service under the current Windows user that is
logged in. This user MUST be an administrator. If the currently logged in Windows
user is not the local administrator, you will need to use the Domain, Username and
Password fields.
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 Use the Email Service Directory and Broker Service Directory fields to link
your COMMANDqc to the corresponding file path.
• Once you input a file path and save, the file click the Register button to register the
service. The path and file will be validated and COMMANDqc will check to see
if the service already exists. If there are no errors, you will receive a message like
the one below letting you know that the service was registered successfully.
The Information dialog displays if your service has been registered successfully.
• The new service will appear in the Windows Services immediately. Note that you
may need to use the Windows refresh button to see it.
The Services utility displays your registered service.
• The Test Connection to COMMANDqc E-mail/Broker Service button will test the
service connection and return the current state of the service in a blue label next
to the button. Note that you must click this in order to enable the service status
(Start and Stop) buttons.
• To unregister or uninstall the service, click the Unregister button. The service will
be removed from Windows services immediately. Note that you have to stop the
service before attempting to unregister it.
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• The Get Events button will return all events related to that service. You may click
on an event log record from the grid to display the message associated with it in
the text/memo box located below the grid. Note that errors will display in yellow
on the grid while warnings will display in blue. Using the Clear Events simply
clears the grid; it does not delete the events.
The Event/Memo text message box is empty without any record selected.
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• The Database Configuration tab displays your COMMANDqc database information.
To edit information for the services, select the Edit Record (F2) button.
The server and database currently in use by your COMMANDqc application display by default.
 Server Name - Identifies the server that contains the COMMANDqc database.
 Database - The name of the COMMANDqc database.
 Also Subscribed (Server / Database / Authentication) - Alternate server,
database and authentication information available to the COMMANDqc
application.
 Authentication Type - You may choose to authenticate based on settings from
each user’s individual Windows profile or authenticate based on settings from the
SQL database.
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• The E-mail Configuration tab allows you to enter email settings appropriate for the
particular email server to be used.
Here, the Email Service Polling Frequency field is set to 5000 milliseconds (or roughly 5 seconds).
This tab allows you to configure the e-mail settings that will be used throughout
COMMANDqc. The E-mail Configuration tab on the Batch Watcher Configuration
window, discussed below, allows you to configure Batch Watcher alert emails.
 Mail Server Host Address – Identify the mail server to be used for Batch Watcher
emails.
 Port Number – Identify the internal port number used by the mail server. You can
get this value from your email administrator.
 TLS/SSL Settings – Transport Layer Security and Secure Sockets Layer protocols
are used to authenticate servers and client and then encrypt messages between the
authenticated parties. Options for this field are as follows:
• utNoTLSSupport (default) – no TLS/SSL SSL/TLS encryption will be used.
• utUseImplicitTLS – The connection activates SSL/TLS encryption as soon as it
connects, before any other commands are exchanged.
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• utUseExplicitTLS – The connection is initially unencrypted and then SSL/TLS
encryption is activated after a specific command ("STARTTLS" for NNTP) is
sent to the server and it replies with a success response.
• utUseRequireTLS is a hybrid of the Use Implicit TLS and Use Explicit TLS
options. It does not activate SSL/TLS itself, but when a sensitive operation such
as authentication needs to be invoked, it checks to see if SSL/TLS has already
been activated from some prior operation. If it has not, it will return an error.
 User Name – Identify the e-mail account that will send the Batch Watcher alerts.
 Password – Enter the password for that e-mail account.
 Reply to E-mail Address – If you want replies to a Batch Watcher alert email to go
to a recipient other than the sender, enter that recipient’s e-mail address here.
 Enter a Location of a temporary folder for COMMANDqc E-mail Service to
extract attachments.
 The Test Connection button uses the current settings to test the connection
between COMMANDqc and the e-mail server. A dialog bog will display success or
failure.
 The Send Test Email button will send a test email using the existing configuration.
 The Delete temporary email folders immediately after mail is sent checkbox
gives you the option to delay the purging of email folders for one or more days. By
default, this setting is flagged and temporary email folders are deleted immediately
after mail is sent. Ensure that this setting is not flagged in order to delay the deletion
of temporary email folders after mail is sent.
 You can choose to Delete emails from the database that are older than a
specified number of hours.
 In addition to using the Service Controller tab to manage your services, you may
also manage how often the email service polls the COMMANDqc database using
the Email Service Polling Frequency field.
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• The Export File Locations tab allows you to specify the file folder where files exported
from COMMANDqc in the Concrete QC Result Export are stored.
Clicking the Edit Record (F2) button opens up the Network Location to Deposit Concrete QC Result Export Files field up for editing;
the Browse for the temporary folder location button also becomes available.
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 Clicking the Browse for temporary folder location button launches the Browse for Folder
dialog that allows you to specify a folder location for storing Concrete QC Result
Export Files.
Once you have selected a folder, click the OK button.
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 After selecting a folder location and clicking the OK button in the Browse For
Folder dialog, your folder file path will populate the Network Location to Deposit
Concrete QC Result Export Files field.
Ensure that folder location file path displayed in the Network Location to Deposit Concrete QC Result Export Files field is correct.
 Click the Save (F12) button to save your changes, or, click the Cancel (Ctrl+Z)
button to specify a different folder location.
System Licensing
{Tools > Application Manager > System Licensing}
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This module contains COMMANDqc licensed feature and software item records.
Code, Description, Status, Quantity, Start Date, and Expiration Date columns are available under the Licensed Features tab.
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The fields displayed in the upper portion of the System Licensing module are non-editable
and populated by default.
Description, Status, Active Features, Inactive Features, and Features columns are available under the Software Items tab.
System Message Log

{Tools > Application Manager > System Message Log}
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This module contains COMMANDqc licensed feature and software item records.
You must select a User Name in order to load exception errors.
Select a User Name using the dropdown box and then click the binoculars button
displayed in the upper left hand corner of the module to display exception errors.
Data Utilities
Setup and configuration of COMMANDqc can sometimes be tedious and time consuming
because of the number of parameters that must be decided on and entered into the system.
To alleviate this problem, COMMANDqc provides certain baseline data and configuration
tools to reduce the implementation effort described above and provide an improved startup
experience for everyone.
Install Default Settings

This module contains five tabs to organize your default data into five major areas, including
Security Settings, Lab and Plants, Materials, Norms and Classes, and Incidents. In addition
to its intended use of entering default data into the system, this module has the ability to
overwrite existing data. This provides the flexibility of resetting setup data that has been
erroneously entered, but carries the risk of data loss. In other words, you can corrupt a
working database if you attempt to use this tool to fix certain setup data, especially in the
area of material gradings and norms. These risks can be mitigated by limiting security access
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to the tools, by making a database backup prior to resetting defaults, and by adhering to
warning messages.
Use the Install Settings button to install default settings for the selected checkboxes.
In any of the five tabs available, selecting the Install Settings button will erase the current
settings selected and replace these settings with their corresponding defaults.
It is important to note that the Install Default Settings module will display when a particular item
was last applied, the user that applied it and disable that item
• The Security Settings tab includes settings related to security groups.
• The Lab and Plants tab includes settings related to counters, the template lab or plant,
sample comments, sample/specimen screen layout, test defaults and more.
 Existing counters will not be updated when using the Install Settings button in order
to prevent counters from being reset.

• The Materials tab includes settings corresponding to sieves and batch watcher profiles.
• The Norms and Classes tab includes norms, classes and product categories.
• The Incidents tab includes all the configurable lists available in the Incidents module.
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Additional Help and Reference Information
This section is currently being updated and will appear in a later version of the user guide.
Additional Help and Reference Information 429

Appendix
This section is currently being developed and will be included in a future version of the
user guide.
Appendix 430

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COMMANDqc

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CAI HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES EITHER EXPRESSED OR

Command Alkon Incorporated

COMMANDseries (and the names of its components, such as COMMANDconcrete and

Welcome to COMMANDqc ......................................................................................... 6

Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup ................................................................... 8

The Files Icon............................................................................................................ 43

The Concrete Producer Icon ................................................................................. 129

The Setup Icon........................................................................................................ 321

The Tools Icon ........................................................................................................ 393

Additional Help and Reference Information......................................................... 429

Appendix ................................................................................................................. 430

Version Revision Comment Date

COMMANDqc is Your Concrete Quality Control Solution

What does COMMANDqc do?

Features of COMMANDqc include:

Before You Begin

 CMDqc Batchwatcher Assurance

 CMDqc Email Notification Service

 CMDqc Integra Export Service

 CMDqc Integration Service

Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup 8

Installing COMMANDqc Using the Setup Wizard

Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup 9

Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup 10

Suggested components for COMMANDqc will already be selected.

Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup 11

Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup 12

Be sure to review your settings before selecting the Install button.

The setup wizard will display its progress as it installs COMMANDqc.

A progress bar will display as COMMANDqc validates the install.

Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup 13

Here, enter CMDqcProd as the Database Name for new installations.

Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup 14

Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup 15

• COMMANDqc and CMDqcProd database link

Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup 16

Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup 17

Initial Setup of COMMANDqc

Installation, Upgrades and Initial Setup 18

Logging In for the First Time

COMMANDqc gives you several different ways of accessing information.

The Toolbar Menu

The Status Bar

Using Module Features

Refresh Load or refresh the data (Ctrl+F5).

Exit Exit and return to the previous screen / module (Ctrl+F4).

Save Save the current screen, layout, or record (F12).

Cancel Cancel all changes without saving (Ctrl+Z).

Add Record Create a new record (Ins).

Find Search for a saved record (Ctrl+F).

Edit Open the current record for editing (F2).

Delete Delete the selected or current record (Ctrl+Del).

Print Preview Print preview of the current report or grid.

Ellipsis Shortcut to a new screen for adding data to list.

The Save Settings As window for grid layouts.

• Sum - Calculates the sum of the values in a column.

To use more than one summary or statistic function:

The toolbar buttons available on the Print Preview window.

The Report Options window.

To use the new chart wizard:

The header window of the New Chart Wizard.