The COAs of the bika.coa add-on

Installation

To use these COA templates, be sure to have bika.coa installed

Three basic layouts are currently available for further customisation by cloning them

Configuration

Navigate to Impress Settings in the Site Setup. Impress is the Senaite add-on used by bika.coa

Configure COA writer in Bika Open Source LIMS

A number of COA templates are available. Select the ones you are likely to use andset a default one, its page size and orientation

Default COA templates in in Bika Open Source LIMS

General

As many possible objects on the COA are hyperlinked to their pages in the LIMS, e.g. Sample IDs, Batch IDs that recipients can access directly. They will be prompted to go on if not already

Clicking email addresses kicks up a new email addressed to it in the user's default email program

Batch Reports

Some of the COAs are rendered per Batch and certain information is only repeated once in the header if all the Samples on the COA share the same values, e.g. the same Batch, Verifier, Sample Type and Date s Received and Verified

These COAs are coded to warn the user when these conditions are not met and then not proceed with rendering the COA

Layout

All the COAs have data blocks that are present in one form or another, not always all of them, but including

COA ID

Each COA has an unique ID an this is printed prominently at the top of the COA

Addresses

The Client address and the Contact recipient's Name and contact information appears business letter style at top left of the document

In the same style the lab's address and contact information is rendered at top right, preceded by the lab's logo and accreditation seal if applicable

Subject

If necessary, the COA might carry a subject line, e.g. a Batch Title and Description for Batch reports

Important Dates

Dates Sampled, Received, Verified and Published are grouped together in a block for COAs where all the Samples on the COA conform to them, or per Sample where they differ

NB Because the results are public already after Verification, the Verification date (and Verifier), and not the Publication date and Publisher, that are the important pieces of information for ISO 17025 purposes to appear on the COA

Sample Information

Per Sample - Sample ID, Client Sample ID and may include Sample Type and Point, Sampling Deviation and Sample Condition , appearing once on single Sample COAs and per Sample on multi Sample COAs

Specification

The Publication Specification used on the COA to alert recipients of out of range results

Note Bika has options for both Analysis Specifications and Publications Specifications per Sample. The former is applied in Sample and Worksheet views, and the Publication Specification on the COA only. This allow users to publish COAs to different Specifications

The COA code will first look for Publication specifications when publishing, and if none found, default to the Analysis Specification

Results

Results are tabled per category in the order they were found on the list they are published from. With Method, Unit, Verifier, Date Verified and Uncertainty

Results are iconised for:

• Results out of specified range

• Accredited methods. <Lab> is a laboratory accredited by <Accr. body> and complies with the requirements of <Accr. Standard> for the methods indicated, as indicated in the scope of accreditation of the Laboratory at <Accr, body>

• Subcontracted methods

Verifier

Bika results become available to clients upon their verification and the Verifier, and not the Publisher, must sign the reports, adhering to ISO 17025

The Verifier is also listed per Analysis and if it is not the same user for all the Samples, the COA renders an error message

QC Results

Some COA templates also included all the QC results associated with the routine samples on the COA

Signatories

These can include any of the Lab Supervisor, Department managers and most of the Verifiers (the best for ISO 17025) accreditation and Publisher

Each is list with full name, job title, hyperlinked email address and if desired a signature graphic

Disclaimers. Terms

As required by ISO 17025, and can include any of

• Unless indicated otherwise, all samples were collected by <Client>
• The results apply only to the samples / items as received, tested, and described above
• Where customer-provided details will affect the validity of the results, <Lab> cannot be held liable if this information is not received, or supplied incorrectly
• This test report shall not be reproduced except in full, and not without written approval of <Lab>
• Our interpretation of the results is for your benefit as guidance, for which we cannot be held liable if misinterpreted or misapplied
• D = Detected / ND = Not Detected

End of Report

ISO 17025 expects a clear indication of the end of the COA. We use a single line sub header End of Report

Page Numbering

Each page is numbered as page number / total pages, e.g. Page 3/6

Watermark

A watermark based on the lab logo may also be used