Bulk Sample Import with voice-over
Channel: Bika Open Source LIMS
Date: 2023-05-15

Video steps are listed here, from beginning to end:

The Sample information is imported using a CSV spreadsheet format that is not friendly to complete

Copy the online Google sheet that is better formatted and can be populated from validated data ranges uploaded from the LIMS earlier 

It has three parts
1. Client information

2. Batch Information
Either an existing or new Batch. The samples will be created there

3. Sample Information
Client Sample ID, Sample Date, Sample Type etc.

Followed by the Analysis Profiles and Tests requested per Sample

It is good practice to save a copy of the sheet per Client for re-use

Start with the Client
If you populated the Lookups sheet you’ll be able to select them and prevent typos

On the 2nd sheet, Lookups
Capture the lists required for the lookups, Clients, Contacts, Sample Types etc.

Capture the Client Name and ID, Contact on row 2

Capture the Batch the samples will be created in’s Title, Description and Client Batch ID

In this example we are going to create 10 samples
Increase the Sample counter in column A

Capture the Client’s Sample IDs

Capture the Sample Date and Time

Capture the Sampler, Sample Point, Sample Type and Container

Repeat for all Samples

On the green row, select the Analysis Profiles and individual tests to request for the Samples

Capture “1” in the cells where Sample IDs  and their requested Analyses intersect

Save the sheet as CSV

Go to the LIMS and navigate to the Client’s Imports folder

Previous Imports are listed here

To add and Import, click [+ Bulk Import File]

Select the CSV to Import

Click [Import]
The LIMS read the file and scans it for errors and displays what it found

If there were any errors in the file they’ll be listed with a row number  at the bottom of the page

The user may then navigate to the Import’s edit page to fix them (or fix the file and import it again)

When everything is in order, write the data to the database by clicking [Import] on its state drop-down

This action may take a while

The user is returned to the Import’s view page

The Import is in Imported state

He/she can navigate from here directly to the Batch

The Samples now enter standard lab workflow