How to Use Location-Specific Analyses

A LIMS project defines the analyses to be performed for samples logged for the project. Project default analyses are those added to the project without a location so they may apply to any sample collection location. Location-specific project analyses include a designated location and are only assigned to samples collected from that location.

Location-specific analyses enable an alternate set of analyses or alternate analysis specifications (i.e. result and warning minimum and maximum) for samples collected at a specific location. An LIMS project can have one of the following configurations:

· Default analyses only

· Default and location-specific analyses

 · Location-specific analyses only

While you can create any number of projects, understanding project default and location-specific analyses will help you define appropriate projects and minimize the number of projects needed in your implementation. Let’s look at each of these configurations through simple examples below.

Default Analyses Only

The image below shows a project with only default analyses. Regardless of the sample location specified during sample login with this project, all samples logged will automatically receive all of the project’s analyses. Use a project with only default analyses when a list of analyses is frequently performed for samples collected at many locations.

Default and Location-Specific Analyses

A project can also use a combination of default and location-specific analyses for added flexibility. In the example in the image below, all samples logged for the project will normally receive the same three analyses. However, when a sample is logged for the project with location “Site 1” the solids analyses will receive different specifications.

A project with default and location-specific analyses can also be configured to assign different analyses to project samples as shown in the example below. Here, if a sample is logged with location “Salmonella Only” a single salmonella analysis is assigned, otherwise the four default analyses are added to the sample.

Location-Specific Analyses Only

Finally, a project may include only location-specific analyses as shown in the example below. Note that the “Only Project Locations” option is enabled to limit sample login for this project to only the locations included in the project. If this option were not enabled, selecting any other location at sample login would result in no analyses added to the sample since the project has no default analyses. To avoid confusion at sample login, always enable the “Only Project Locations” option when a project has only location-specific analyses.

The combination of default and location-specific analyses offers considerable flexibility when defining your projects. Put these options to work and make sample login more intuitive and more productive.