Samples Entry: Part 1
Watch as we demonstrate how to enter Samples and Aliquots on the Web Client. Learn how to use the Entry Forms to add and modify data.
Introduction – 00:00
Hi there, and welcome to the Freezerworks 2021 Learning Series, your visual guide to our sample management software. Today, we’re going to start talking about Samples Entry on the Web Client, specifically the use of forms: how you can finally create and modify Samples and Aliquots on the Web Client using entry forms designed by and for your organization. If you’re familiar with Samples Entry on the Desktop, then hopefully you’ll notice how much we emulated that process on the web and this video may feel like a simple refresher, but there are some new features that we’ll be going over today too. Before we get started, if you’d like a rundown of all the new features found in Freezerworks 2021, check out our latest What’s New video.
Now, to begin, we’re going to imagine that we have a set of 10 vials of blood that all came from two different Samples, and we need to add these to our database remotely. We will also imagine that we, or our administrators, have already set up Samples Entry Forms on the Web Client to use. We’ll talk about how to create entry forms in part two of this series, so if you don’t have entry forms yet, you may want to watch that video or check out our Help documentation on the subject first. Just note that any Entry Forms created on the Desktop will not be usable on the Web.
Getting Started – 01:31
Alright, with that disclaimer out of the way, let’s log into the Web Client and enter our Samples. From the Web Client’s homepage, we start by hovering over the Inventory Management tile and selecting Add New Sample. Immediately, a blank Samples Entry Form will appear. The form being used by default is dependent on your User Preferences. So, if your form isn’t right from the start, you may want to change that later. Of course, you can always change your entry form on the fly with the Change Form dropdown.
Now, every Samples Entry Form, no matter how it’s configured, is broken up into four pages.
Sample
Aliquots
Transactions
Audit Trail
Add and Modify Samples – 02:11
You start on the Sample page, where you’ll find fields of data pertaining to the Sample as a whole. For instance, on my form, there are three panels of fields: Collection Data fields, Sample Data fields, and Aliquot Summary Data fields. If you recall, I’m entering data for two samples, so I’ll begin by entering data associated with the first one. When and where it was collected, who collected it, The ID number, and, of course, what it is, to name a few examples. You’ll notice that the different field types behave a little differently. Date fields have a calendar tool, time fields have a time tool, some fields are choice lists, others are unique and required, and others only accept numbers. Some fields won’t even be enterable for a variety of reasons. They are auto-incrementing, auto and read-only, they’re calculated fields, or there’s some type of count. Whatever the reason, you’ll tell these fields apart by their dark gray entry boxes, and your cursor will change when hovering over them. Remember that if you don’t have the right fields on the form, you may want to use the Change Form dropdown. Finally, your Sample page may contain multiple tabs of data. In ours, we have a second tab called Notes, which just contains a single field for miscellaneous information.
With all the Sample data filled out, I may choose to log my second Sample before doing anything else. To quickly save this record and start working on the second one, I’ll check on Create Another and click Create Sample. I can then fill out all the information for my second Sample, check off Create Another, and then click Create Sample again. This time, I’ll be taken to the Inventory List View with both Samples I just created listed. Double-click the Sample on the list view and you’ll open its Entry Form again, only this time in a read-only state. This prevents accidental data entry and ensures that records won’t be locked when you’re simply viewing Samples. Of course, to do any more work on the Sample, we’re going to need it to be editable. To switch the Sample back to edit mode, click Edit Sample in the bottom right. You’ll see the edit button throughout the Web Client, click it to modify records.
Add and Modify Aliquots – 04:36
Let’s keep moving through the form now, shall we? The second page of every Samples Entry Form is the Aliquots Page. This page is where you will add and modify all of the individual Aliquots for your Sample. Our list is blank right now, so let’s create some Aliquots, and then I can show you the rest of this page. Click Add Aliquots and the Aliquots Entry Form will appear. With the Aliquots Entry Form, you can choose to create multiple aliquots at a time, as many of your Aliquots will probably have duplicate information. Use the Number of Aliquots field to determine how many Aliquots you’ll be creating with all the data you enter on this form. My first Sample will have five Aliquots, so I enter five. Enter data into the rest of the fields just as you did on the Sample page. There are a few special fields we should go over, though. You’ll probably store your Aliquots in a freezer, which is where this big Freezer Assignment box comes in. Select the name of the Freezer, Section, or Alias, and fill in the Position fields that appear with where you want to begin assigning all the Aliquots. Of course, these fields will be pre-filled with the next assignable position by default. When you have a position entered, click the View Box button to see a visual representation of the location you’ve chosen. Any Aliquots that are already in the box will appear with their Aliquot Status pictured. Speaking of Aliquot Status, remember that this field controls what can and can’t be done to Aliquots, so set the status wisely and confer with your admin about which ones your team uses. Finally, if you see this icon, the field is an enterable unique field. Since you can create multiple Aliquots at a time, these fields will allow you to enter (or scan) multiple values, usually IDs, for the Aliquots you’re creating. We’re creating five Aliquots, so we need five values. When you’re finished entering data, click Create Aliquots.
When you return to the Aliquots page, all of the Aliquots you created will now be listed. The data that’s listed is dependent on what was on the Aliquots Entry Form itself, so it’s determined during configuration. If you need to look at or edit different data, use the Change Form dropdown back on the Sample page. Anyway, with your Aliquots list, you can sort or filter the data like you would on any other list view, you can export all of its information, and you can perform a number of tasks with the Aliquots. You can run Workflows, you can print labels, you can add transactions, and you can delete. Just be sure to highlight all the Aliquots you want to work with before clicking a button. Of course, you can also modify the Aliquots one-by-one by double-clicking them.
Transactions – 07:22
Let’s quickly go over these last two pages, Transactions and Audit Trail. The Transactions page will be empty unless Transactions have already been created for the Aliquots in the Sample. This could have been done beforehand if you’re modifying a record, or you can do it from the Aliquots page now. Transactions are basically activities for your Aliquots that you’d like to keep special track of, such as check outs, check-ins, thawing, freezing, etc. Once your Aliquots have Transactions, they can be viewed, edited, deleted, and exported on the Transactions page.
Audit Trail – 07:53
The Audit Trail page will track everything about your Sample, its Aliquots, and their Transactions, from creation through modification and to deletion. The page is divided into three tabs: one for the Sample, one for the Aliquots, and one for the Transactions. Everything on the Audit Trail page can be exported too. It is important to note that each individual aliquot has its own Transactions and Audit Trail pages, which display the same basic information, just without any records unassociated with the individual aliquot opened.
Conclusion – 08:26
And that does it for today’s deep dive into adding Samples and Aliquots on the Web Client. I still have to add the Aliquots to my second Sample, but I think you get the gist of the process now. In part two, we’ll cover how to get the Entry Forms to the usable state that you saw today. It’s a lot simpler than it may look. If you have any more questions regarding Samples Entry, consult our User’s Guide or contact Freezerworks Support Staff. As always, thanks for watching, and see you next time!