ABSTRACT
An extremely useful function is the ability to schedule samples in the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Not all laboratories have the luxury of knowing which samples will arrive for what testing and when: but for those who do, automatic scheduling reduces workload and ensures that no samples are overlooked. Two types of samples can be entered into the LIMS: login and pre-login. Samples that arrive at the laboratory for analysis are logged into the LIMS, termed ‘‘login samples.’’ Routine samples that the laboratory expects to receive can be prelogged in, termed ‘‘pre-login.’’ These samples are then entered in the LIMS as pre-login or ‘‘pending,’’ tests are assigned, bar code labels are generated for collection containers, and work lists printed. Once the laboratory receives the samples, the status is updated to login. This functionality is ideal for routine monitoring, such as that often encountered in wastewater testing.
