Like all LIMS, the Bika UIX sucks
I think I can do better using spreadsheets in my labAm I missing something?Because no two labs are the same, developers keep adding functional options over time, while any given lab might use only half of them. The trick is to disable as much possible and find your lab's critical path through the swamps until the murk settles. Then maybe bring some nice to haves back. Not all LIMS are that configurable nor intuitive Practically speaking
Scanning Sample IDs into instruments manually, or at any other sample handling node in your lab's flow, use mounted barcode scanners in presentation mode to free up both the analyst's hands
If you have to use spreadsheets - in some instances you need them for Bika too - best is to do them online using browsers only to avoid maintenance of benchtop PCs, there'd be no disruptive installations and upgrades First prize: Wall mounted touch screen tablets All user interaction with their data should be via their browsers, LIMS, email, spreadsheets. Currently, shared Google sheets, documents and mail are leading the pack Working on shared documents online improves efficiency by a lot
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Bika Tips and TricksSome of which you might've missed
If most sample registrations are done at reception, not remotely, configure Bika to register them in Received state and skip Sample due and its transition Immediately after Registration or Receipt in the same order they are displayed for easy labelling Select collections of tests frequently ordered together at once Don't create recurring worksheets manually, configure a WST, worksheet template, once, including of their reference controls
Grouping Samples logically belonging together in Bika Batches, helps to remove irrelevant data from Analysts' views and workspaces. Batches can be Samples grouped per experiment, project, survey, work orders, production run or lot, tank or field, river etc.
As with batching, chemistry worksheets not important to microbiologists in the same lab, can be hidden from them by giving analysts access to their own worksheets only
Clients never ordering microbiology testing, don't have to see Microbiology in their UI either
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Xtra ISO 17025Inhouse production and small labs with restricted resources and not having to adhere to ISO 17025 specifications, may also: Analysts may verify test results they captured themselves. Not recommended, but essential for small labs and skeleton staff on night shift at hospital labs PerformanceWe experience actual system performance with Sample Registration and further state transitions for big analysis requests, e.g. 120 tests in a full-house Cannabis profile, a little slow These better be diverted to asynchronous background processing again. Light weight Covid samples absolutely fly. In a 500 sample batch, using Sample import sheets. Got Samples processed and results captured in just over half an hour of processing time, very light sample objects.
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