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Alcoa is an acronym that is attributable, legible, contemporary, original and accurate. Alcoa then expanded to Alcoa Plus (Alcoa +), adding a few more concepts which are; Complete, consistent, permanent and available.
Over time, the Alcoa Plus concept has been adopted by various industries, as a framework to ensure data protection and integrity (data protection) is observed and maintained. Alcoa Plus has been implemented and is being used by various major organizations such as FDA, WHO, and GAMP. ALCOA is about data quality.
To better understand the concept, below we’ll break down Alcoa Plus and define each part of the acronym:
1. Attributable
Attributable indicates that any data should be easily identifiable to the person collecting the data, including the place of origin and time of data collection. In case of information changes, the person making the corrections should also be mentioned.
2. Legible
Legible data means the data can be read easily. This feature should be ensured both in the short and long term, so the materials used in data recording and collection should be durable.
3. Contemporaneous
The data recorded should be contemporaneous in nature. This indicates that the time of data collection should exactly correspond to the time of data recording. Any data collection should have a date and time and should be confirmed in case of subsequent revisions.
4. Original
To preserve the meaning and integrity of the data, original records should be preserved, i.e. the material used should be durable. In case of duplicates, the originator of the original record must certify the authenticity of the copies.
5. Accurate
For any data to be useful, it should be error free. In case of any amendments, there must be accompanying documents to support the changes. Data should be complete and valid. Data quality must be maintained.
6. Complete
When the data is complete in nature, it means there has been no deletion since the date of documentation. This includes any changes made during the lifetime of the data.
7. Consistent
The data should be arranged chronologically, including time stamps for any additions to the original data. Compliance should be ensured by applying various audits over the life of the data.
8. Enduring
The material used to record the data should be such that it will last for a long time without losing readability.
9. Available
Data should be accessible whenever needed throughout the lifetime of the data. Availability ensures that the data meets its use, since it can be applied when the need arises.
