Electronic Chain of Custody and Matching Bar Code Sample Bottle Labels. Arriving Summer 2014!

Electronic Chain of Custody and Matching 
Bar Code Sample Bottle Labels. 
Arriving Summer 2014!

"Innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways 
or calling each other at 10:30 at night with a new idea, or 
because they realized something that shoots holes in how 
we've  been thinking about a problem" - Steve Jobs

In our endless - and I do mean endless - pursuit of improving our application, we have begun work on the "next big thing." We call it our electronic chain of custody (ECOC). I mentioned this concept about a year ago and now we have begun programming work on this new feature.

Here's how it works: The project manager defines the project sampling scope, just as they have done in the past. Once the scope is agreed upon by the pertinent parties, the scope will be finalized, and at that point sample bottle labels with unique identifying bar codes can be printed along with an associated preliminary chain of custody. Once sample bottles are filled and sample bottle labels with the bar code are applied, the ECOC can be completed online using a laptop, tablet, or cell phone. At this point, any changes to the sample IDs can be made along with the sample dates, times, special notes etc. Once the ECOC is complete, the data file is automatically e-mailed to the respective laboratory. The lab can then sync this data file with its sample receiving system without having to manually enter sample data from a paper chain of custody. Once the sample bottle arrives at the laboratory the next day, the sample bottles are scanned in using a bar code reader, and the relevant data from that sample is finalized as received within the lab's data reporting system.

The benefits of the system for laboratories are fourfold. 1) It saves labs time and money on data entry, as all data is entered by the field personnel while in the field. 2) It minimizes the opportunity for data entry errors; sampling data is only entered one time. 3) It allows the lab to know exactly which samples are arriving the next day, allowing for staffing and equipment planning. 4) This bar coding ECOC feature is tied to our current sample project management application and allows a smooth transition from project planning to sampling to lab receiving and reporting, and then to completing the final reports with all the tables, charts, graphs, maps, and contouring needed. The entire application from planning to reporting can be uniquely customized and licensed for use directly by the laboratories themselves and can be re-offered to their clients as a customer service enhancement and source of additional lab revenue if desired. This allows the lab to take data reporting to the next level and beyond. Don't just give them the data - allow them to complete the entire report.

If you represent a laboratory and are interested in talking about this new application, please contact Russell Schindler at 231-218-7955 or by e-mail at schindler@sampleserve.com.

- Russell Schindler

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Groundwater Elevation and Contaminant Levels, Correlation, or Causation.How can you tell?

Image
Groundwater Elevation and Contaminant Levels, Correlation, or Causation.    How can you tell? "The obvious is that which is never seen until someone  expresses it simply." -Kahlil Gibran Over the years I've heard a lot of explanations regarding groundwater elevations and subsequent increases and/or decreases in contaminant levels and the presence and disappearance of free product. I've heard people argue that increasing water levels increase contamination, and I've also heard the opposite. Some people believe that increasing water levels causes free product to disappear and that decreasing levels cause it to re-appear (which is counter-intuitive to a lay person). The question or debate is (all other things being equal): does groundwater elevation have an effect on contaminant levels? Furthermore, does groundwater elevation have an effect on the presence or absence of free product? These are a question of correlation or causation. I've been d
Read more

Game Changer - Remediation May Be Over Rated

Image
"You can't help but... with 20/20 hindsight, go back and say,   Look, had we done something different, we probably   wouldn't be facing what we are facing today." - Norman Schwarzkopf Selecting a remedial approach can be a complicated task. The process is based on identifying desired clean-up goals, sensitive issues that could affect a remediation strategy (e.g. proximity to drinking water wells, surface waters, other sensitive receptors or public perception/relations), and  costs. Each site presents different decisions and uncertainties regarding remediation options. However, the process of deciding which corrective action to take should be relatively the same at each site. The four main steps are 1) delineation, 2) risk evaluation, 3) feasibility, and 4) cost.  The individual parameters and details of each step will differ for each site, but the process will be the same.The companies that understand the process and also work to keep it simple end up selec
Read more

Multi-Parameter Meter Comparision - 6 meters compared, which one is best?

Image
Multi-Parameter Meter Comparision   -   6 meters compared, which one is best?      " After all, the chief business of the American people is business. They are profoundly concerned with producing, buying, selling, investing and prospering in the world." - Calvin Coolidge   Multi-Parameter Meter Comparison As a long time and daily user of multi-parameter water quality meters, I've used almost every kind of meter on the market with just a few exceptions. When you use a meter as much as I do you become intimately familiar with the meters and subtle nuances of each brand and model. Not only have I used the meters, I've also had lengthy conversations with many of the manufacturer's representatives discussing the things I liked about the meters and the things I don't like. In this article, I will summarize six of the top multi-parameter meters and tell you what   I know about each, the things I like and the things I don't like. Every one of th
Read more