As product batches or lots are manufactured and ready to be released commercially, organizations test them for quality control. This testing is performed on one or more samples of each produced batch, up to many samples.
Sample & Test Creation in Vault LIMS
In Vault LIMS, the Lab Sample is a record, associated with a Spec Execution record, to which Lab Tests are associated. The Spec Execution record is associated with a Batch record.
When a Batch is created for a given Material and either Country or Organization (Supplier), Vault LIMS selects the Spec Data associated with that combination through the Spec Data Mapping. From the Spec Data, Vault LIMS identifies the Sample Plan, the combination of the Spec Data and the Sample Plan dictates how many samples should be taken, and the Lab Tests that should be run against those samples. Vault LIMS creates those Lab Sample and Lab Test records automatically, basing the Lab Tests to be run against each of them on the associated Test Definitions specified in the Spec Data. You can also add Lab Samples manually, add Lab Tests as needed, or create them from an existing Lab Sample Definition on a Sample Plan.
Adding Lab Samples & Lab Tests Manually
To add a new Lab Sample on an existing Spec Execution record:
- Navigate to the Spec Execution record of interest.
- Within the Lab Samples section, click Create.
- Optional: If a name for the record is not automatically generated and the Name field is editable, enter a Name.
- Optional: If the sample is to be created from a specific Sample Definition, populate the Sample Plan and Sample Definition field.
- Populate any required fields. Required fields may vary depending on your configuration.
- Populate any optional fields as necessary.
- Click Save.
To add a new Lab Test on an existing Lab Sample record:
- Navigate to the Lab Sample record of interest.
- Within the Lab Tests section, click Create.
- If a name for the record is not automatically generated and the Name field is editable, enter a Name.
- Populate the Test Definition field.
- Populate any required fields.
- Populate any optional fields as necessary.
- Click Save.
The lifecycle of a Lab Sample is tracked in states. For example, once all Lab Tests in a Sample have entered the Testing Complete state, the Sample record enters a Testing Complete state. Then, once all Lab Tests in a Spec Execution have entered the Testing Complete state, the Spec Execution record enters the Testing Complete state. Vault LIMS also tracks where a Lab Sample has been using location tracking.