Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A data processing system comprising:a) at least one Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (102; 302, 302′, . . . ) having:means (124, 126) for storing s set of test method keys,means (108, 118) for generating a test order (174) for testing a production sample (120), the test order carrying a method key selected from the set of method keys,b) a server computer (104) having:means (142, 150) for storing method definitions to be performed for carrying out test methods, each sequence being retrievable using a respective method key,means (132) for retrieving one of the method definitions using the method key of a received test order and for instantiating a retrieved method definition to provide method steps,means (132) for generating a tubular representation (156) of the received test orders showing the method steps,database means (140) for storing intermediate results received from a client computer (158, 160, . . . ) obtained by performance of one or more of the method steps,processing means for performing calculations in accordance with one or more of the method steps using the intermediate results,means (148) for generating a test report (176) for the ERP system,c) the client computer (158, 160, . . . ) having:user interface means for viewing the tabular representation (156) and for selecting one of the test orders,laboratory instrumentation interface means for communicating with a laboratory instrument (166, 168, . . . ), the laboratory instrument being adapted to perform at least one of the method steps on the production sample; andwherein the ERP system further comprises a logistics component (116) for controlling the distribution of a plurality of the production sample to client computer locations. 2. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the logistics component is adapted to assign an identifier (122) to the production sample, and the client computer has means (164) for reading the production sample identifier. 3. A data processing system comprising:a) at least one Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (102; 302, 302′, . . . ) having:means (124, 126) for storing a set of test method keys,means (108, 118) for generating a test order (174) for testing a production sample (120), the test order carrying a method key selected from the set of method keys,b) a server computer (104) having:means (142, 150) for storing method definitions to be performed for carrying out test methods, each sequence being retrievable using a respective method key,means (132) for retrieving one of the method definitions using the method key of a received test order and for instantiating a retrieved method definition to provide method steps,means (132) for generating a tabular representation (156) of the received test orders showing the method steps,database means (140) for storing intermediate results received from a client computer (158, 160, . . . ) obtained by performance of one or more of the method steps,processing means for performing calculations in accordance with one or more of the method steps using the intermediate results,means (148) for generating a test report (176) for the ERP system,c) the client computer (158, 160, . . . ) having:user interface means for viewing the tabular representation (156) and for selecting one of the teat orders,laboratory instrumentation interface means for communicating with a laboratory instrument (166, 168, . . . ), the laboratory instrument being adapted to perform at least one of the method steps on the production sample; andwherein the server computer further comprises a filter component (134) for filtering the tabular representation. 4. A data processing system comprising:a) at least one Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (102; 302, 302′, . . . ) having:means (124, 126) for storing a set of test method keys,means (108, 118) for generating a test order (174) for testing a production sample (120), the test order carrying a method key selected from the set of method keys,b) a server computer (104) having:means (142, 150) for storing method definitions to be performed for carrying out test methods, each sequence being retrievable using a respective method key,means (132) for retrieving one of the method definitions using the method key of a received test order and for instantiating a retrieved method definition to provide method steps,means (132) for generating a tabular representation (156) of the received test orders showing the method steps,database means (140) for storing intermediate results received from a client computer (158, 160, . . . ) obtained by performance of one or more of the method steps,processing means for performing calculations in accordance with one or more of the method steps using the intermediate results,means (148) for generating a test report (176) for the ERP system,c) the client computer (158, 160, . . . ) having:user interface means for viewing the tabular representation (156) and for selecting one of the test orders,laboratory instrumentation interface means for communicating with a laboratory instrument (166, 168, . . . ), the laboratory instrument being adapted to perform at least one of the method steps on the production sample; andwherein the server computer farther comprises an authentication component (136) for authenticating a user of the client computer. 5. A data processing system comprising:a) at least one Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (102; 302, 302′, . . . ) having:means (124, 126) for storing a set of test method keys,means (108, 118) for generating a test order (174) for testing a production sample (120), the test order carrying a method key selected from the set of method keys,b) a server computer (104) having:means (142, 150) for storing method definitions to be performed for carrying out test methods, each sequence being retrievable using a respective method key,means (132) for retrieving one of the method definitions using the method key of a received test order and for instantiating a retrieved method definition to provide method steps,means (132) for generating a tabular representation (156) of the received test orders showing the method steps,database means (140) for storing intermediate results received from a client computer (158, 160, . . . ) obtained by performance of one or more of the method steps,processing means for performing calculations in accordance with one or more of the method steps using the intermediate results,means (148) for generating a test report (176) for the ERP system,c) the client computer (158, 160, . . . ) having:user interface means for viewing the tabular representation (156) and for selecting one of the test orders,laboratory instrumentation interface means for communicating with a laboratory instrument (166, 168, . . . ), the laboratory instrument being adapted to perform at least one of the method steps on the production sample; andthe server computer further comprises means (144) for generating an audit trail and an approval component (148), wherein the approval component excludes users that are reported in the audit trail from providing an approval to a result obtained from the testing of the production sample. 6. A method for data processing comprising the following steps:generating a test order (174) by an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (102; 302, 302′, . . . ) for testing a production sample (122), the test order carrying a method key selected from a predefined set (126) of method keys,transmitting the test order to a server computer (104),using the method key of the test order for retrieval of a method definition,instantiating the method definition using the test order to provide method steps,generating a tabular representation (156) of the received test order and the method steps for selection from a client computer (158, 160, . . . ) that is coupled to the server computer in order to perform the method steps using laboratory instruments (166, 168, . . . ) being coupled to the client computer, and further comprisingcontrolling the distribution of a plurality of the production sample to client computer locations using a logistics component (116) of the ERP system. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising filtering the tabular representation by means of a filter parameter. 8. A method for data processing comprising the following steps:generating a test order (174) by an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (102; 302, 302′, . . . ) for testing a production sample (122), the test order carrying a method key selected from a predefined set (126) of method keys,transmitting the test order to a server computer (104),using the method key of the test order for retrieval of a method definition,instantiating the method definition using the test order to provide method steps,generating a tabular representation (156) of the received test order and the method steps for selection from a client computer (158, 160 , . . . ) that is coupled to the server computer in order to perform the method steps using laboratory instruments (166, 168, . . . ) being coupled to the client computer, and further comprisingfiltering the tabular representation by means of a filter parameter, which provides showing to a user only a test order associated with the user. 9. A system for processing data for managing test orders for testing of product comprising:means for generating a test order (174) by an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (102; 302, 302′, . . . ) for testing a production sample (122), the test order carrying a method key selected from a predefined set (126) of method keys,means for transmitting the test order to a server computer (104),means for using the method key of the test order for retrieval of a method definition,means for instantiating the method definition using the test order,means for generating a tabular representation (156) of the received test order and the instantiated method definition for selection from a client computer (158, 160, . . . ) that is coupled to the server computer in order to perform the method steps using laboratory instruments (166, 168, . . . ) being coupled to the client computer, and further comprisingmeans for controlling the distribution of a plurality of the production sample to client computer locations using a logistics component (116) of the ERP system. 10. A system for processing data for managing test orders for testing of product comprising:means for generating a teat order (174) by an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (102; 302, 302′, . . . ) for testing the production sample (122) the test order carrying a method key selected from a predefined set (126) of method keys,means for transmitting the test order to a server computer (104),means for using the method key of the test order for retrieval of a method definition,means for instantiating the method definition using the teal order,means for generating a tabular representation (136) of the received test order and the instantiated method definition for selection from a client computer (158, 160, . . . ) that is coupled to the server computer in order to perform the method steps using laboratory instruments (166, 168, . . . ) being coupled to the client computer, and further comprising filtering the tabular representation by means of a filter parameter for showing a subset of the test order to a user which is relevant to the user and/or the client computer used for carrying out the test order. 11. A method for data processing comprising the following steps:generating a test order (174) by an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (102; 302, 302′, . . . ) for testing a production sample (122), the test order carrying a method key selected from a predefined set (126) of method keys,transmitting the test order to a server computer (104),using the method key of the test order for retrieval of a method definition,instantiating the method definition using the test order to provide method steps,generating a tabular representation (156) of the received test order and the method steps for selection from a client computer (158, 160, . . . ) that is coupled to the server computer in order to perform the method steps using laboratory instruments (166, 168′, . . . ), being coupled to the client computer, and further comprisingfiltering the tabular representation by means of a filter parameter, which provides a subset of the test order to a user that are relevant to the user and/or the client computer used for carrying out part of the test order.