The sample is the laboratory's entry object, and the entire traceability chain begins here. Incomplete or delayed sample registration compromises the reliability of all subsequent steps.
Scope
Sample acceptance and identification: Unique sample number, barcode or QR code label, source information (batch, order, site location, customer), date and time of collection, and the person who collected the sample.
Automatic sample generation: The system automatically creates a sample when a production batch is opened, goods are received, or the periodic plan is completed. Manual recording might be forgotten; automatic recording is not.
Alicote and subsample management: Maintaining the relationship between the parts separated from the main sample; tracking which alicote goes to which analysis.
Storage and location tracking: Recording the location of the sample in which cabinet, on which shelf, and at what temperature; and for samples requiring a cold chain, the condition record.
Sample chain record: A record of each stage the sample passed through, including who and when.
Storage period and disposal: Samples must be stored for the legally mandated period, a disposal list must be automatically generated when the period expires, and a record of the disposal must be maintained.
Sample status: Accepted, under analysis, pending results, approved, rejected, archived, destroyed. See the location of each sample at any time.
In the real business world
The most common problem in production facilities is that the sample has physically arrived at the laboratory but hasn't been registered in the system. The sample sits on the workbench, waiting for the production result, and nobody knows who's waiting.
The solution to this problem is not a call for discipline, but the creation of the record at the source : when the batch is opened, the sample record and barcode label are automatically generated; the person receiving the sample affixes the label and scans it. The record becomes a byproduct of the process.
Benefit to the customer
The question "Where is the sample?" is answered on the screen.
The number of lost or forgotten samples approaches zero.
Witness sample collection obligations are carried out under record.
The time elapsed from sample acceptance to approval becomes measurable.