1. Inventory Management – Locations & Processes
Core LIMS Training:
Inventory Management – Locations & Processes
Welcome to Core LIMS Training. This is the second chapter of Inventory Management.
This chapter will focus specifically on the topics of container locations the Inventory processes that relate with containers.

2. Course Topics Locations Inventory Processes Location Definition
Viewing Locations
Creating Locations
Moving Locations
Inventory Processes
Process Sample Request
Inventory Consumption
Printing Barcodes
This lesson will begin with a definition of Locations within Core LIMS. Then the lesson will introduce some of the common ways container locations may be viewed and created. Finally the lesson will cover how to move objects between locations.
The lesson will then continue with a look at some common inventory processes. First, we will show the workflow for requesting a sample and some of the common ways it can be processed. The lesson will also cover how to manage inventory consumption and finally the printing of container barcodes.
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3. What is a Location?
A Location is an entity that represents where objects can be put
All objects are associated to a location
Objects may be moved from one location to another
A Location is a Super Type
Just like sample, lot and container - they are related through associations
Examples of Locations
Labs, benches, boxes, shelves, lab equipment
What is a Location? A location is an entity that represents WHERE objects can be placed. So, for example, if I have a vial in my hands, where will I store it?
All objects are associated with a specific location. They do not have to remain in the same location forever. Objects can be moved from one location to another.
In terms of their configuration, a Location is another Core LIMS Super Type like samples, lots and containers. Just like other related records in the LIMS, you can easily navigate to location records through hyperlinks.
Some common examples of Locations are: Labs, benches, boxes, shelves and lab equipment.
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4. Locations: Key Concepts
Core LIMS automatically records locations for any object type in the system
Some objects may prompt you to enter a location (this is configurable)
If you do not provide a location, the LIMS will assign a default location (for example, if not physically relevant, records are often marked as No Location)
Core can further be configured to track the detailed location history of key object types (for example, containers)
You should be tracking the physical location of Containers (plates, vials, bottles, etc.) and NOT the contents directly (samples or lots are linked to container records)
Every location type will have its own unique identifier (TD#, BN#, BOX# - prefix codes indicate the location type)
Locations can be located within other locations (Freezer1 can be within Lab2, etc.)
An object can only be assigned to a single location at a time (it can be moved to different locations over time)
Before we jump into the lesson, let’s first look at some of the key concepts or properties relevant to Locations.
CORE LIMS will automatically record the location for any object type in the system. This ensures that all objects will always be assigned to some type of location. Some objects may be configured to prompt the user for a location. This allows the user to specify the location directly. If it is not desired or not relevant to have the user set a location, CORE LIMS will assign a default location to the object. Usually the default location assigned is called NO Location. This will ensure the location of the object is always defined.
Not only is the current location of the object tracked, but CORE LIMS can also be configured to track the detailed location history of key object types such as containers. This allows the user to view where the object has been, if it has moved throughout the lab.
It is important to understand that CORE LIMS should be tracking the location of Containers (specifically, items like plates, vials and bottles for example) and NOT the contents of these containers (meaning NOT samples or lots – which are linked to containers). However, in rare cases the LIMS can be configured to track locations of lots directly if required by your corporate workflow and you never have more than one physical container for a given lot. You will have more powerful functionality though if you track locations of containers instead of lots.
Every location type has its own unique identifier that consists of 2 or three characters (aimed at representing the location), followed by a sequential number which ensures each Location Type ID is unique.
Locations can be located within other locations. This means that Freezer1 can be located within Lab2 and Rack1 can be on Shelf1 within Freezer1….and so on.
Even though you can have locations residing within other locations, an object can only be assigned to a single location at one time. For example, you might assign an object to Rack1 location (which you know is on a shelf and within a freezer), but you would NOT assign an object to the rack, shelf, and freezer location records at the same time. Objects can also be moved from one location to another location at any time.
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5. Common Ways to View Locations
Tree Viewer – folder hierarchy shows parent-child location relationships
Location Details – lists objects and has hyperlinks to parent and child locations
Container Details – shows container contents and current location, has a link to location history
Sample or Lot Details – View Inventory hyperlink to all current locations of all containers
Now that we have a bit of a background on Locations, lets see how a user can view the location that an object currently resides in. There are various ways to view locations:
Through the Tree Viewer Panel– this is a folder hierarchy which shows the parent-child location relationships
Through Location Details – this page lists all containers stored there and provides hyperlinks to parent and child locations
Through Container Details – this page shows container contents along with the current location of the container. This page also provides access to the location history of the container
Or Finally, through Sample or Lot Details – these pages provides the user with a View Inventory hyperlink to all of the current locations of all containers.
Let’s move on to look at these viewing methods in greater detail.
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6. Tree Viewer Location Hierarchy
Locations and their hierarchy can be easily viewed from the Tree Viewer panel on the left side of every page
Open the Core LIMS section to see locations
Any child locations that are contained within a location are in the folder
Click on a + sign to open a folder
Double click on a folder to open the location record in the main panel
Tree Viewer panel can be minimized and reopened using arrow icons between panels
One way to view locations is through the Tree Viewer Panel. This is a panel located on the left of every page within Core LIMS that can be expanded or collapsed. Once the Tree Viewer panel is expanded and visible, you can open the location section by expanding the top pane labelled ‘CoreLIMS’. When opened, it provides the user with a list of all of the existing locations within a visual hierarchy. All child locations contained within another location are displayed underneath the parent location folder. Simply click on the + sign to open a folder.
The Tree Viewer can also be used to navigate to a Location Details page. Double click directly on any folder to open the location details record in the main panel.
Once you are done viewing the location hierarchy, simply click back on the left facing arrow to minimize the tree viewer and allow maximum space back on the CORE LIMS Main Panel.
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7. Location Details Show Contents
Locations have barcodes just like container records
Links to parent and child locations
Containers are the contents of a Location
Click on hyperlink to view container details
A second method of viewing locations is through the Location Details page. The Location Details Page contains a lot of helpful information that might be useful to a user. The location Barcode will display at the top of the page, as we saw with container records in the last lesson. It also provides the user with links to parent and child locations that can also be helpful.
The container(s) that reside within that location will display in the details section at the bottom of the page. Simply click on the hyperlink provided to view the details of the container.
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8. Container Details Show Location
Click on the Locate Icon to get more details about the history of physical locations
Look at Current Location section on the Container Details page
The Container Details page contains a Current Location section, which displays the present location of the container, along with the current container amounts, concentrations and other important details.
It also contains a Locate button, found within the Action Toolbar section of the page. This button allows the user to see a report on the history of the physical locations of that container. Note that all record types will have a Locate button, but only objects like Containers that have been configured to track location history, will have any information in this report.
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9. Locate Icon Shows Location History
Locate Icon on all Details pages gives detailed history report - sample and lot records should have been assigned no location which is different than the containers so be sure you click Locate from the correct record!
Let’s take a closer look at the report from the Locate button of a Container Details page. The report is labelled Chain of Custody Report. The Chain of Custody page gives a detailed history report of the container location. It shows information such as the current location of the container, along with all of the past locations that the container has been and the length of time it resided in each location.
Remember, the location concept only applies to containers, and not to samples or lot records, so be sure you are clicking on the Locate icon for a container, if you are looking for Chain of Custody location information.
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10. View Inventory Report Has Locations
View Inventory shows all containers, but also all Locations for the containers
Finally, the View Inventory Report is another way for a user to view location information.
The Samples Locations Inventory Report is accessed by the View Inventory hyperlink of a Sample Details Record.
This report will display a list of all of the current containers, along with their current amounts and locations for all lots of a single sample within the LIMS. The report is grouped by containers and can be sorted by any column in the table by clicking on the column header. This will set the column to sort ascending or descending as determined by the user. The All button will select or unselect all boxes for that container, and any rows selected can be forwarded to the List Functions Page when the List button is pressed.
A similar Lot Locations Report exists also, which displays to the user a list of all of the containers, amounts and locations for a single lot of a sample.
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11. Creating New Locations
In the Inventory Management application, select the type of location you need and select Create
Your administrator can create new location types for this menu if you need them
Locations can usually be created from within the Inventory Management application from a Create menu underneath the Locations main menu. Your system will have location types that are specific to your business and will be different than these exact ones shown here. If you have a new location type that you need create many location records for, your administrator can add a menu to give you easier access if needed.
Let’s move on to look closely at how locations are created within Core LIMS.
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12. Create Location Page Name will appear as a folder in the Tree Viewer
Capacity is the maximum number of objects a location can hold
From the Inventory Management application, select the type of location you need, and then select Create.
This will open the Creation Page. Enter the name for your new location. Remember, this will appear as a folder in the Tree Viewer, so make sure it clearly describes a distinguishable location.
The capacity field specifies the maximum number of objects a location can hold. We will explain this in more detail in a minute.
The project field is next, and behaves as it does for all other records.
If this location will be located within another location, you can enter the location barcode of the parent location. If you don’t know the barcode, it is easy to drag and drop the folder of the parent location from the Tree Viewer. The LIMS will automatically convert the location name to the barcode for you.
Click on the Create New button when you finished to create the location record. This will automatically direct you to the Location Details page for the record you just created.
If you know the barcode of the parent location, type it here (or drag/drop from Tree Viewer)
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13. Capacity & Count Capacity Count
Users will be required to set some integer to indicate the maximum number of objects a location can hold
The capacity is only for information purposes and is NOT enforced – you can still move more objects into a location even if it is above the capacity set
Capacity can be edited if desired
Count
The LIMS will automatically keep track of the number of objects that are stored at a location
You can not manually edit the count, but you can edit the location record to have the count recalculated
Tree Viewer displays available capacity (= maximum capacity – count)
A negative available capacity means you currently have more objects than your maximum capacity for that location
We previously said the capacity field defines the maximum number of objects a location can hold. This is a required field. The user will need to enter some integer in this field to save the new location. It’s important to note, however, that this maximum limit is not programmatically set, meaning the maximum limit is not enforced. It serves as an indication to the user, that there is a limit set for that location, but the LIMS will not prevent new objects from being added to a location if that location is already filled to capacity. This capacity field can be edited if needed.
There is also a count variable, that Core LIMS maintains, that keeps track of the number of objects stored at a given location. This count variable automatically increments as each object is added, and decrements as each object is removed. The count can NOT be manually edited, however, you can edit the location record to have the count recalculated, if needed.
The tree viewer nicely displays the current number of containers that can be added to that location. This represents the maximum capacity integer entered for the location, minus the current count of items placed into the location. A negative number is a quick visual indication that you have exceeded the maximum capacity set for the location record.
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14. Can Create Child Locations
Select View Child Locations from the Location Details record
Let’s return to the Location Details page for the record we just created earlier. Here we can see that child locations can be easily created from a parent location by simply clicking on the View Child Locations link on the parent Location Details page.
When you click on the View Child Locations link, you will see any current child locations listed as well as an option to create a new child location. To create a new child location, select the type of location desired to place under the parent and click the Submit button. You will then be directed to the Create Location page just as we saw earlier. Notice that since the LIMS already knows what the parent location is, it has prepopulated the barcode for you. Fill out the other fields as before and click the Create New button to create the new child location.
On the Location Details page of the child location we just created, you can click on the View Parent Location record to view the original parent location we created earlier. Click on the hyperlink to navigate to the parent location record. Now when we click on the View Child Locations hyperlink we can see the child location we just created listed in the table.
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Enter a new location type that will be stored at the parent location

15. Special Locations No Location Trash
Default for all records when a location is not specified at creation
Implies that either a location is not relevant for the object type or the location is unknown
Trash
Used to remove unwanted containers
Note: Do NOT remove No Location or Trash records!!
There are two special location records that need to be specifically mentioned: No Location and Trash.
When no location is specified at creation time, most records will be assigned to No Location by default. No Location is a generic record that is used to indicate that either the location is not relevant for the object type, or that the location is simply unknown.
Trash is another location that can be used to remove unwanted containers. It may be used if a sample is consumed, contaminated discarded, or destroyed in the lab and will never be needed again. This is equivalent to using a Deplete hyperlink on a Container. The records will exist in the LIMS and retain the information of what used to be in the container, but will be filtered from lists of active containers. If a container was used in an experiment, the information will still be displayed in reports.
Do not deactivate or rename the No Location or Trash records. The LIMS has code that requires the existence of these records in order to function correctly.
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16. Multiple Ways to Move Objects
Enter objects into destination location
Edit container record
Containers List Functions page
Now that we know how to create new locations, and we can navigate to and view those locations that have been created, let’s move on to see the various ways to move objects between location entities throughout Core LIMS. This can be done either by moving objects into a destination location, editing existing container records or by taking advantage of the Containers List Functions Page. Let’s take a look at these options now.
For the most part, here we are primarily describing moving Containers to different locations. The same basic principles can also be applied to moving Location entities. One thing to note when you are moving a location, all child locations and objects underneath will be moved in tact as a whole unit. For example, if you move a freezer from one lab to another, all of the racks and shelves within will be moved automatically too.
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17. Moving Objects in a Location Record
Type or scan the barcodes of the containers you want to move and then select the Move Here button to add them to the location
The previous location and container records will automatically be updated
One way to move location objects within Core LIMS, is by simply moving the object within a location record. To do this, navigate to the appropriate Location Details page from which you want to move the item INTO. Remember an easy way to find a Location Details page was to double click on the desired location folder in the Tree Viewer panel to open it up in the main center pane.
Locate the barcode section in the lower left section of the page. Type in or scan the barcodes of the containers you want to move into this location. Next, select the MOVE HERE button at the very bottom of the page to physically move all the items to this location.
Core LIMS will automatically update the prior location and container records reflecting to the move. You should now see the containers you added displayed on the right in the Containers table. You can easily navigate to the Container Details page from the hyperlink to verify that the current location has been updated.
Note that you can also move a child location into a parent location using this method, but the locations will not be displayed in the Containers table on the right. You will see those relationships updated in the View Child Locations hyperlink or in the Tree Viewer Panel.
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18. Move Object via Container Record
Edit a container record and you can type a barcode for a New Location OR drag and drop a folder from the Tree Viewer panel
To move a single container, objects can also be moved from within a Container Details page. Click on the Orange Edit Icon to make the container record editable. You will not be able to edit the current location, but there will be a New Location field just below it where you can type in the destination location barcode. If you do not know the barcode, you can also scan in the new location, or drag the new location from the Tree Viewer. When you save the changes, the new location will be visible in the current location on the Container Details page. The location details pages of both the old and new locations will also be updated automatically.
Similarly, you can move a location into another location by editing the Location Details page of the child location record and entering the new parent location into the New Location field.
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19. Move with Container List Functions
Every Container Type will have a List Functions page. You can also be sent here from a Query or from other tables.
Users can also move items by use of the Container List Functions Page. Every Container Type will have a List Functions Page available. This page will allow the user to enter a list of containers to move, and then set the location barcode to the location on which to move all of the items. This is very useful when moving a large number of items to one single location. On a Container List Functions page you can either scan containers using the tabbed individual text boxes on the far left or you can paste a long list of pre-typed barcodes in the large open textbox on the right. If you have forwarded a list from another page in the system, this list may already be pre-populated with the desired barcodes.
Note that other List Functions pages such as Samples and Lots do NOT have this Move option.
Once you have selected the Move option and clicked the Submit button, the Containers Barcodes in the list will disappear on the left and the List Functions page will be reset when the action is completed. You will need to navigate to one of the container records or the destination location record to verify the change.
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Type or scan in barcode of location to move to
Paste a list of containers to move

20. Verifying Objects at a Location
Select Reconcile on a Location Details page to verify which objects are at a location
Scan or type all objects currently at the location and press Move Here button at the bottom of the page
What happens if your users physically move containers to new locations, but they forget to tell the LIMS?
Core LIMS has a Reconciliation Summary Page to help reconcile moved objects if the information in the LIMS needs to be checked for accuracy and updated.
Navigate to the Location Details Page and click on the Reconcile link, located in the links section. Scan or type in the objects that are currently physically at that location and click on the Move Here button. The LIMS will check with the inventory it is supposed to have and will provide a summary highlighting any missing or extra objects within that location. You can then update the LIMS by confirming that the extra objects have been moved to this location and mark any missing items as moved to the No Location if you do not know where those containers are any longer. The LIMS will not automatically make the corrections.
Reconciliation Summary will highlight any missing or extra objects, but will not change original locations. You will need to edit the relevant Container Details page to change the locations if they are incorrect
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21. Inventory Processes
Now that we understand the Container and Location concepts, let’s look at some common functions an inventory manager might perform to understand how it all fits together…
Now that we have a better understanding of both containers and locations, let’s take a look at some common functions that an inventory manager may have to perform.
If you are not an inventory manager, and are not interested in learning about some additional functions of the Inventory Manager application, then please feel free to skip this section.
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22. Sample Request Workflow
Users can request samples or lots from a centralized inventory group or manager
The inventory manager can view all the combined requests as a single task list
Samples or lots can be converted to containers and locations with an Inventory Report
Containers can be physically pulled and processed
Request is marked complete
To begin, let’s take a look at a common example of a Sample Request workflow.
The main steps within the Sample Request workflow are as follows:
First, users can request samples or lots from a centralized inventory group or manager through the LIMS.
The LIMS will combine all of the requests into a single task list, or queue, that the Inventory manager can then view.
The samples or lots can then be converted to containers and locations through the Inventory Report.
The containers can then be physically pulled and processed.
When all processing is done, the request is then marked as complete to remove it from the list of active tasks.
Let’s move on to look at these steps in closer detail.
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23. User Requests Samples for Use
Active list can be pasted or transferred from a query
Requesting samples adds them to a Queue
Step 1 – Requesting the Samples to Pull
The first part of the Sample Request Workflow requires the User to request existing samples to be pulled out of the stockroom for use within the lab.
The easiest way for a user to make the request is to submit a list of samples or lots via a Samples Request page. Alternatively, the same request can also be submitted from the Sample Request option on a Samples or Lot List Functions page.
Once a user has found the Sample Request page or section, the requestor can select an existing queue, set the priority level, add any comments needed, and select the project. They can also specify the Assay the samples are intended to be used for. Select the radio button for the Sample Request Section and click on the Submit button to formally submit the request. This will add the samples or lots to the selected Queue to be reviewed by the inventory manager.
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24. Inventory Manager Looks Up Queue
Select a queue to view – your administrator can set up as many queues as your business needs
Step 2 – Inventory Manager manages the Queue of Requested Samples
Now let’s view the workflow from the inventory manager’s point of view instead of the requestor. Many different users may be submitting requests at any time. The inventory manager can check the composite list of samples or lots that have been requested from the Queue Details page.
There may be multiple types of tasks for an inventory manager to perform on any given set of samples. This can easily be handled by creating a different Queue for each type of task. For example, you might have one queue to handle new sample processes and a different queue for archiving older samples.
To check the work for a specific task, the inventory manager needs to navigate to the appropriate Queue Details page. One way to do that is to locate the desired queue from the list of all of available sample request queues in the system. This can usually be found within the Inventory Management System, under the Queue tab. Select Sample Request and then List All. The inventory manager can then select a specific Queue to check for a combined work list to view by clicking on the Name or Barcode hyperlinks. This will open the Queue Details page.
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25. Select Samples to Report
Can add your comments that requester can view
Select batch and send to List Functions page
Can change priority
Can add new requests to queue from s or verbal requests
The Queue Details Page allows the inventory manager to monitor and manage those samples to be pulled. The oldest, highest priority items will be listed at the top of the table. The inventory manager can modify the Priority level if appropriate. They can also add comments that the requester can view.
The inventory manager can also add new samples to the queue if they receive requests from external sources outside of the LIMS. For example, if an inventory manager receives an or a verbal request, they can add these requests to this centralized list by using the bottom section of the page to enter the request information.
Once the list has been reviewed and edited as needed, the inventory manager will select either ALL of the samples on the list to be pulled, or they can cherry pick some specific samples to pull. When the samples have been selected, the List button will forward those selected samples into the Sample List Functions Page.
The Sample List Functions Page is used to create an Inventory Report, which will show the exact locations of the containers that the selected samples reside it.
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26. Inventory Report Shows Locations
Select Inventory Report on the List Functions page
Find the containers and pull the samples
Step 3 – Running the Inventory Report to find Containers of Samples and physically pull these samples
If all samples reside in the same type of container, and that container type is known, then the user can select the Inventory Report (Sample Based), select the Container Type and click on submit. This will pull up a report displaying the exact location or locations of the samples, along with the amounts within each container. From this report, the inventory manager can physically go into the stockroom and find the samples to give to the requestor.
Additionally, this report also allows the inventory manager to select samples to forward on to the Container List Page for further tasks, such as container transfers. This is done again by clicking on the List Button, which will pass the selected samples onto the Container List Page. We will move on to look at the Container List Functions shortly, but for now, lets look at other options within the Inventory Report.
It’s worth mentioning at this point, that this specific Inventory report is a canned report, meaning it is a hard coded report and the report format cannot be modified. If there is additional data that needs to display on this report, it can be customized by an administrator. A customized report can then be selected as an option from the Report Format Options available.
Back on the Sample List Functions Page, if the container type is NOT known, the user can run the Sample Inventory Summary Report (either to the screen or in an EXCEL format if needed) before running the main Inventory Report. This report will indicate the different types of Containers the samples reside in. With the Container type now known, the Inventory Report (Sample Based) report can then be run against those samples within the same container type.
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27. List Functions to Process Samples
Can check samples out to scientist, location, or array samples into child plates or vials
Step 4 – Check samples into new locations or array them into child plates or vials.
By forwarding selected samples from the Inventory Report, the user is now on the Container List Functions Page, where they can specify what is to be done with the samples in the containers that were pulled. The sample can be processed in many different ways, depending on your business needs. We will just discuss the two most common options here.
As we learned earlier this lesson, you can change the locations of the containers you are working with by using the Move option on the Container List Functions page. If you are providing the requester with the original container directly, then you would need to indicate that handoff to the LIIMS to keep the location information accurate.
If you are dispensing an aliquot of sample into a daughter container from the parent inventory container, then you might want to use the Perform Transfers option on the Container List Functions page. This will allow the user to make a transfer (such as a liquid to liquid transfer). Review the previous lesson for details on container transfers.
Again, these are just the two most common operations an inventory manager might perform. If you are performing other tasks, such as arraying samples into plate, cherry-picking wells, pooling, or consolidating plates, see the documentation for more details.
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28. Mark Queue Tasks Complete
View History to see completed requests
Select completed samples and Update Queue Members
Step 5 – Update the Queue and View the History
At the end of the cycle, the Inventory manager can go back and re-run the Inventory report to confirm the movement or transfer of samples.
Once all tasks for the set of samples have been completed, the inventory manager needs to mark the original sample request as completed for that sample set.
Navigate back to the Queue Details page as you did earlier. Check all the completed samples in the Remove column on the right and select the Update Queue Members button. The page will refresh to remove those samples since they are no longer actively need your attention.
To view completed samples, click on the View History button. Here you will see samples you removed with the Fulfill date and Fulfill user fields populated. Since this page will grow large over time, you can filter the completed list of samples to a specific date range.
Click on the View Members button to return to the list of uncompleted open tasks.
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29. Tracking Inventory Consumption
Core automatically corrects changing amounts in transfer operations
Parent container reduced
Transfer amount added to child container
No physical loss due to transfers calculated
Need to record containers that are removed from inventory
Expired solutions
Experiment plates that can’t be reused
Physical spills
Lost bottles
Now let’s take a look at some other inventory processes. Inventory managers also need to keep track of consumption of materials. How do we keep track of amounts in the LIMS?
When performing any transfer operations in the LIMS (such as a liquid to liquid transfer for example), Core LIMS will automatically track and correct changing container amounts during the transfer. If material is taken from the master container and added to a child container, the parent container will automatically be reduced to the appropriate amount, and the transfer amount will automatically be added to the child container. Since this is automatically managed, the inventory manager does not need to modify any records manually. However, keep in mind that the LIMS will assume that there is NO physical loss due to the transfer itself.
However, if any containers have to be removed from inventory or have unforeseen events, it is the responsibility of the Inventory Manager or scientist to manually update that information. For example, containers of expired solutions, experiment plates that cannot be reused, or any lost containers that cannot be located need to be marked in the LIMS. You will also need to modify container amount manually when there is
a physical spill that may occur in the lab.
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30. Editing Amounts in Containers
Deplete moves the container record to “Trash” location; it does not empty the contents automatically
Edit Icon will allow you to edit any container attributes NOT amounts or contents
Click on Empty to remove the contents (amount and which sample lot); you can add new contents to the vial
Let’s take a closer look at some of the ways that you can update amounts in containers.
From the Container Details Page, the container can be edited using the Edit Icon in the Action Toolbar to modify the container attributes, just like you can modify the attributes of any record in the LIMS. Editing here will NOT allow the user to modify amounts within the container, nor the contents of the container, it will only allow for modification of Container attributes.
If you have a spill or a data entry error and just want to modify the amounts or concentration of a container, click on the Change hyperlink and you will be allowed to edit those values there.
If you need to mark a container as used up, you have a couple of different options depending on your business process. The user can decide whether to Empty, Deplete or Deactivate the container, thus determining its availability within the lab going forward.
Clicking on the Empty hyperlink will remove all of the links from the container to the sample, lot, and amount, thus completely removing the container contents. This allows the empty container to be used again for another sample. If the container is still linked to an experiment or if a child container still exists, the container will not empty. If successfully emptied, the container will still be linked to the location, therefore the container will still be visible on the location contents and the container can still be found within container searches.
Please note that when using the empty option, you will be unable to Undo the action. Be sure this is what you want to do before clicking on the link.
Clicking on the Deplete hyperlink will automatically change the container location to Trash. The amounts within the container will remain the same, however, this will remove the container from all searches going forward. The only way to find the record after depleting it, is to know the original barcode and use the Quick Find Search to locate it. You are able to Undo a Deplete action. The container location can be edited and moved FROM Trash back to its original location.
One last option for determining the end of the life cycle for a container is to deactivate the container record. Deactivation is done simply by editing the container and deselecting the active checkbox. This will remove the container from most searches (however the user can still locate the container by searching on Inactive containers). Deactivating a container will store the contents and location as they were prior to the deactivation. The user can always undo the deactivation by simply editing the active checkbox.
Click on Change to edit the amount in a container (to an amount >0)
Core will automatically correct for amounts that are transferred from containers through normal processes – editing is for manual processes or to correct errors
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31. Empty, Trash, Deplete, and Deactivate
Empty will empty Container contents
Removes links to sample and lot; Cannot Empty if linked to experiment or child container
Container could be refilled with new contents later
Location is still valid; container still seen on location contents
Container can be found in container searches
Cannot “Undo” to retrieve contents prior to Empty
Deplete link or moving item to Trash location folder
Container record location changed to Trash
Container removed from all searches
If you know the barcode, you can view contents just prior to depletion
You can “Undo” a deplete by editing location
Deactivating a container record
Edit the record and deselect the active check box
Will remove container from most searches (can search for inactives)
Will store the contents and location just prior to deactivation
You can “Undo” by editing active checkbox
This slide summarizes the differences between Empty, Deplete, and Deactivating a container record. Your administrator should be able to tell you which is the appropriate process to use for your business workflow.
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32. Removing Containers in Bulk
Container List Functions allow you to modify and remove multiple containers
Deplete containers by moving them to Trash location
Clear contents = Empty
If there is a large number of containers that need to be removed all at the same time, the prior individual processes may quickly become tedious. Let’s see what options exist for removing containers in large quantities.
Navigate to the Containers List Functions Page, and select the containers to be removed. As done prior, these can be manually typed in, pasted or queried.
To Deplete all of the containers at the same time, locate the Move Function and set the Location Barcode to Trash. This will move all of the selected Samples to the Trash location.
To Empty the samples, locate the Clear Contents function, and select the radio button for this option to execute the Clear.
Finally, if you are looking to Deactivate the samples, locate the function for Activate/In-Activate and select the radio button for this option to execute the Deactivation.
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33. Printing Barcode Labels
Usually, there are options to print barcodes during sample registration or transfer operations
To print a single barcode later, click on the machine readable barcode of the CONTAINER record (not sample or lot records)
To print many barcodes use the relevant Containers List Functions page and find Print Barcodes
Another common inventory process is to print barcode labels that can be put on containers. Many common times that you would need to print barcode labels (such as during sample registration or when you are performing a container transfer to a new container), the LIMS usually includes an option to print barcodes as part of the user interface. However, if you ever need to print a barcode outside of those common operations (such as if a container label becomes physically unreadable and requires a new one), there are ways to do that.
Single barcodes can always be printed out from the Container Details page by simply clicking on the machine readable Barcode on the page. (This obviously assumes you are currently hooked up to a previously configured barcode printer).
To print many barcodes, navigate to the Containers List Functions Page and locate the function Print Barcodes. Select the radio button to execute this option.
This concludes the Locations and Processes chapter on Inventory Management. If there are any topics that you would like to review, please take a few minutes to go back through the materials.
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