How to Create and Use Worksheet Templates in Bika LIMS

Worksheet Templates are one of the most powerful features in Bika LIMS. They enable you to create reusable templates that automatically apply the correct analyses, QC samples and instrument, method when generating worksheets for your samples. In this tutorial, you will learn how to create, configure, and apply Worksheet Templates to streamline your daily laboratory operations.

Manual, Creating Worksheet Templates, Worksheets from templates

Use Case

The Lab has an Agilent Triple Quad Instrument with sample tray of 25 - the lab uses the instrument for analysing water Sample for Anions using the ISO 10304-1:2007 (F) Method

The Lab uses a 25 position Worksheet to represent the tray

The lab includes a Blank Sample in Position 1 on the worksheet, followed by a Control - a Bika Reference Sample with known specification - in Position 2. In the last position they put a Duplicate of the Sample in Pos 3

The laborious process to compile these Worksheets can be automated by using a Worksheet Template, WST, when creating them

Creating a Worksheet Template

Navigate to WSTs in the Setup

Press [Add]

A page with three tabs, Default, Layout and Analyses open

Default tab

Give the WST a name and description, in the tutorial we use Anions

To restrict the Analyses the WST will include, on can limit it them to a specific Method and Instrument

Because resetting the number of Samples on the layout tab, causes the form to reload, it is best to [Save] the WST after completing the tab

Layout tab

Here you tell Bika how many positions to include on the Template, and where to put QC Samples

Enter the number of positions and press [Set], not [Save]

The page will reload, click the Layout tab, it displays all positions. Note the empty Reference and Duplicate columns

Prerequisites 1

Allocating the QC samples, assumes that the Reference Definitions for the ones you'll be using do exist. Manual, Reference Definitions

Here we'll be using demonstrative examples, A Blank with all values 0 mg/L, and A Control 5 with all values 5 mg/L

At runtime, for the WST to work you need to have the actual Reference Samples based on the Definitions in stock, more about that later

Worksheet Template QC Samples

Back on the Layout tab, under Analysis Type, select Blank for position 1, and Control for position 2. Next to the entries fields in the Reference column will open up, select A Blank and A Control 5 accordingly

Analysis, is short for the routine Analyses that'll make up the rest of the worksheets positions

For the Duplicate of the Sample in position 3 in the last position, select Duplicate as Analysis Type, and 3 in the Duplicate of column

Analyses tab

On the Analyses tab you must select the ones to be included in the template. Only Analyses set up with the Method and Instrument the WST demands, will be offered for selection

Press [Save]

Using Worksheet Templates

Prerequisites

Valid Reference Samples. You need to have unexpired stock of the reference material prescribed by the Template
Enough routine Samples with anions requested for them to fill the new Worksheet with

Creating a Worksheet from a Template

Use any of the 2 methods to create the Worksheet with

Manual, Worksheets from Templates, Creating Worksheets from Sample Lists

From a Sample list, e.g inside a Batch:

New Worksheet:

In transposed layout, it is possible to also get the routine Samples into the screenshot

In position 25, the Sample in position 3 is duplicated

From here the Worksheet enters the standard Bika workflow. It can be exported to the Instrument if an interface for that exists, and when testing is completed, the results can be imported. Or the results can be captured manually, say after it has been printed for manual results capturing

All results out of range, beyond QC or product Specification, will be highlighted

Manual, Export Worksheets to Instruments, Results Capture, Result Spreadsheets import, Instruments Results import