#3: Worksheet 'Template Engine'

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Bika 2 - Worksheet Template maintenance. Functional specification and use cases. Version 0.2 , lemoene, 24 January 2007

Proposed by

lemoene

Proposal type

User interface, Functionality

Assigned to release

State

ready-for-merge

Definitions

Key to understanding the concept, the WS Template 'Engine' sits at the top of a 3 tier hierarchy: Daily Worksheets are created from Worksheet Templates that were created earlier in the Worksheet Template Engine

The current Bika 1.2 worksheet creation flow, searching  for analyses
requested on samples already received per analysis and/or client, would
in Bika 2 only be one of many available Worksheet Templates

Click |Worksheets|, the [add new worksheet] button, then [new analysis]

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please  send us an e-mail requesting a logon

Motivation

Bika 2 provides Worksheet Templates (WTs) for the creation of Worksheets made up of requested analyses logically grouped together, eg the analyses destined for the same instrument and analyst

These templates include QC controls such as Standards and Duplicate samples

Raw results are captured, where applicable, also catch weights & volumes

Correction factors based on Calibration samples, as well as catch weights/volumes, are calculated and applied to the raw results and reported as corrected values

The challenge is to design a Worksheet 'Template Engine' (TE) for lab managers to create new worksheet templates when the lab add new analyses, methods or sample types to their repertoires

WITHOUT having to 'hard code' the required templates

Assumptions

A good starting point would be to identify common worksheet attributes and build those into the Template Engine

These would include

1. Sample type

2. Analysis. More than one for multi-analysis instruments

3. Method

4. Instrument

5. Size of WS. Maximum number of samples. Normally restricted by instrument tray size

6. Calibration sample positions, and the Standards to be used

7. Position of QC control samples, and the Standards to be used

8. Position of duplicate samples

9. Position of blank samples

Proposal

To refine the design for Bika's WS Template Engine presented here

Deliverables

Development and Implementation arising from the functional description here:

Using the TE

When the manager needs a new WS template, she creates it by providing the above attributes in a management template page and save the changes. WS Templates can be edited from the same page

Using the WS Templates created by the TE

Lab technicians create new Worksheets from templates created earlier

They ensure all control samples go into the required positions and select analyses from 'in_the_lab' samples onto the WS, download the WS to the indicated lab instrument, execute the analysis and import the results into the LIMS where normal validation and eventual verification continue

All QC rules set-up in that module for analysis and sample type are applied and the exception workflow raised if the results are out of order

Correction factor

When the results are submitted, but before the WS itself is submitted for verification, the lab technician has the option to apply a correction factor calculated from the calibration analyses or manually provide a correction factor or use no correction

Weight and volume calculations

Some analyses require weight or titration calculations. These are set up for the analyses and incorporated in the WSs as is currently done

Exception workflow

Worksheets transgressing QC rules may be submitted for verification - the lab manager is alerted - but never verified

The Exception alert is raised when there's too big a difference between

results for duplicate samples
expected values for Standards and results
0.000 and results for blank samples

And any result out of the instrument's range

The labmanager may decide to reject all of the results

the WS gets status “rejected”
the labtechnician creates a new WS and workflow

The lab manager may decide to repeat individual analyses on the WS

the problematic samples are removed from the WS
when all analyses remaining on the WS are valid, the WS may be submitted for verification

WS and instrument interfaces

Bika's text based bi-directional lab instrument interfaces in certain instances may require fixed worksheet formatting, especially to download the worksheets to the instruments

The system ensures that these Worksheets cannot be modified

Risks

There is a possibility that this is a bridge too far - Complex Worksheet templates would be possible through the Engine

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