Samples
What is a Sample?
A sample represents an individual item or material being tested in LabHQ.
Every sample belongs to a job and can contain one or more tests. Samples are used to track the specific item being analysed, its testing requirements, results and progress through the workflow.
Samples can represent different types of material depending on your organization, such as a product, raw material, environmental sample or other item submitted for testing.
How Samples Are Structured
Samples sit between jobs and tests in the main testing structure in LabHQ:
Job → Samples → Tests
A job can contain one or more samples, and each sample can contain one or more tests.
Information that relates specifically to an individual sample is recorded against the sample, while test results and other testing information are recorded against the tests within it.
Information Recorded Against a Sample
A sample brings together the information needed to identify, test and track an individual item through the lab workflow.
Depending on your organization's configuration, this can include:
- Sample ID - the unique identifier for the sample.
- Product - the type of item or material being tested.
- Sample details - information recorded when the sample is submitted, such as batch, reference or description information.
- Custom fields - additional information your organization has configured to record against samples.
- Specification - the specification being used to assess test results.
- Tests - the testing that needs to be carried out on the sample.
- Status - where the sample currently is in the lab workflow.
- Disposition - the final decision recorded when a sample is completed (Approved or Rejected).
- Attachment - files associated with the sample.
- Certificates - documents generated for the sample.
The information available may vary depending on how your organization has configured LabHQ.
Samples & Products
Each sample is linked to a product.
The product identifies the type of item being tested and can help determine the testing and specification requirements that apply to the sample.
Products can be configured with test suites and specifications so that the appropriate tests and limits can be applied when a sample is submitted.
See Products, Test Suites and Specifications for more information.
Samples & Tests
Each sample can contain one or more tests.
Tests represent the individual analyses that need to be carried out on the sample. These may be added automatically based on the selected product and test suite, or added separately where needed.
Each test has its own results, while the sample provides the overall view of the testing being carried out on that item.
See Tests for more information.
Sample Status & Workflow
A sample progresses through the workflow as work is carried out.
This will include stages such as receiving the sample, carrying out testing, entering and verifying results, and completing the sample.
The sample status shows its current stage in the workflow.
Samples within the same job can progress independently, so they may be at different stages at the same time.
Working With Samples
Depending on your permissions, you can use samples to:
- View and update sample information
- Receive samples into the lab
- View and manage the tests assigned to a sample
- Follow the progress of testing
- View test results and specification outcomes
- Add and manage sample attachments
- Generate and manage certificates