One of the challenges faced by specimen handling facilities, particularly those with a large specimen handling staff, is keeping work organized. Fluid and efficient workflow often requires many moving parts, with some specimens being received while others are being processed, and still others are being prepared for shipment. Often, different steps in a specimen processing workflow are done by a different set of staff, with specimens changing hands multiple times throughout their lifetime. It is important that specimen tracking software, like BSI, is not only able to capture this flow, but is able to make the process as clear and straightforward as possible to users.
The Assign To functionality is one way that BSI achieves this. Anywhere in the system that a ‘batch’ can be created it can also be handed off to the next user by assigning it to them. ‘Assign To’ is an easily accessible field, editable from Batch properties or a manager tab of the main system window. Clicking on this field in association with a particular batch will generate a list of users that belong to the active user’s repository. By selecting any user’s name from this list, the batch in question will be given an ‘Assign To’ field value of the selected name. Users can then filter a batch manager on this field value to display the batches assigned to themselves or other users.
Users can also see a list of batches assigned to themselves directly from the BSI Dashboard via the ‘Assign To’ widgets. There are individual Assign To widgets for each manager in the system that handles batches and is available to the active user. By adding the Assign To widget to the Dashboard, a user can quickly and easily see the full list of batches assigned to them without the need for filtering. It’s particularly helpful to have this information provided on the Dashboard as it gives users an idea, immediately upon login, of the work they need to complete.
While batches can only be assigned to one user at a time, they can be assigned from one user to the next as many times as workflow dictates. Once one user has completed their work on a batch, they can either remove their name from the Assign To field, or assign it to the next user. As such, BSI facilitates the forward momentum of work. It also provides users with a clear understanding of the distribution of batches among users, and subsequently indicates pain points or areas where efficiency could be increased. The Assign To functionality is available to any user with the appropriate permissions and can be utilized at any time. Give it a try to see how your workflow moves.