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Location Structures, Part I

By Archive User posted 06-05-2015 07:10

  

One of the primary functions of software like BSI is to provide tracking for the specimens that move through the workflows of specimen handling facilities. BSI does this by providing users with a virtual platform to record all actions and tasks performed on these specimens, in a linear and intuitive way. BSI can be thought of as a real-time, virtual copy of everything that is being done to materials at each point in a workflow process. From the time they are packaged up in a shipment and sent off to a lab, until they are processed and moved to permanent storage, or even sent out to a new facility, BSI provides users with the tools to customize the virtual processing of specimens to mirror their step by step procedures as closely as possible.

An important part of mimicking this physical process, is capturing the storage architecture of a facility. It is highly important that specimen tracking software be able to represent the position of specimens within a container structure. But in order to do that, the software must also be flexible enough that users can create a location structure that identically matches the physical setup of their rooms, freezers, racks, boxes, and so on. Furthermore, users must be able to configure the kinds of containers they are using to construct these locations frameworks.

BSI provides users with the tools to first create customizable containers with specifications that mirror those actually in use, and then configure those containers in the hierarchy that physically exists. Users can also name these containers to either match actual containers, or to indicate the kinds of materials that should be stored there. Individual specimen spaces or entire containers can then be reserved for particular specimen sets (For example, specimens from a particular study), and specimens can be added at the users’ discretion according to these reservations.

Within the Locations manager itself, multiple additional tools are available to help with everything from expediting the location construction process, to performing tasks on the specimen records stored there. We will take a closer look at these tools in the next BSI Feature Focus.

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