MasterControl Quality Management system

MasterControl has allowed us to replace book shelves of policy binders, file cabinets of employee training and competency forms. Staff can all access the same document at the same time instead of waiting for the binder to be free. Regulatory requirements are easy to track within the system.

Pros

This system is flexible enough for a any regulated industry. It includes a document management module, employee training module, Quality module that included Deviations, CAPA, Change Control, non-Conformance; Quality, risk management, etc.

Cons

The suite of modules has not been certified as HIPAA compliant, except for the Documents module. Full HIPAA compliance is on their timeline for 3rd quarter 2020.

Diligent and Reliable system

Pros

I really like that it is so easy to use and that it is reliable. Getting audited a lot, it is important to have a system that is robust and takes care of all your documents. The support is a big component about why it is reliable. They are always available to troubleshoot in times of need

Cons

A lot of patches, but like any software that is normal. They do a great job in getting bugs fixed quickly.

Powerful, but steep learning curve for users

Overall, it does what it is supposed to do. Once you get rolling, it's good. I wish documentation was better. I wish more control was given over individual document types. UI and bugs are annoying, but not show stoppers (though there is potential for the uninitiated). For the price, I would expect better UI/UX and fewer bugs, but it fills a niche, and the price reflects that accordingly.

Pros

The system is definitely a powerful system. There are a lot of great features just in documents and process modules. There are plenty of controls in place to control quality. Does everything you would expect of a quality management system.

Cons

Overpriced, IMHO. Has some bugs, and occasionally, they have caused quality issues. UI could definitely use some work - way too many additional clicks and navigations to get to get where you're going. New users have a difficult time adopting the system. There is a steep learning curve for both users and admins. Documentation leaves a lot to be desired in my experience. Would much prefer roles/rights be based on infocard type, not the vault they live in. Blanket rights on a vault cause unnecessary complexity in configurations. Not all users in a vault (e.g. geographical location, department, etc.), should have access to every document type in that vault, as recommended in MC best practices pptx...

MasterControl Documents

I am responsible for all of the documentation for Quality Control for the company I work for. MasterControl works well for maintaining documentation, but the user interface could be greatly improved and simplified for new users.

Pros

It has a lot of functionality for creating, collaborating on, editing, and storing documents. The system works well for these purposes.

Cons

The user interface is often not intuitive. Button icons are sometimes used reused for very different purposes which causes confusion for new users.

UX and Reporting Falls Short

Pros

The best thing about MasterControl is the integration of the various modules. It is great to be able to have Documents, Training, a Process Form suite, Audit & Supplier Suite (and other modules) all in one centralized system. The Documents linking is great.

Cons

I feel that the system falls VERY short on ease of finding information and Reporting (getting data out) and overall GUI organization making the End-User Experience way more complicated than it needs to be.