LIMS User Manual Project Materials Certification Module

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LIMS User Manual

Project Materials Certification Module

PROJECT REVIEW

Logging In the Sample (Sample Log-In)

The sample log-in is the first step of the process and signifies the beginning of the project review. The following screens will illustrate a step-by-step procedure for entering a sample into LIMS

After logging onto LIMS, you will need to click the ‘Single Routine Sample Login’ button on the “Login” tab.

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To start the process, you will need to populate the key fields in this screen. The easiest and most error free method is to allow LIMS to do this itself. Typing a portion of the Project FIN you are reviewing in the ‘Project ID’ box (*wildcards* are acceptable) will reduce the number of project in the search screen. You will need to click the button beside the ‘Project ID’ after typing the project ID.

Once the search screen comes up, look for the “101 _ 1” Pay Item Number. This is where the “PROCER” Material ID has been associated and is necessary to continue with the log-in. Click on “101 _ 1”, then click ‘OK’ to continue.

At this point, the LIMS will automatically fill in the top two rows of information; complete Project ID, Pay Item No. Mat’l ID, Level of Testing, and Resolution Sample. LIMS will also fill in the Destination LabID. Check to be sure that this number is that of your own lab or you may send your review away.

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The ‘Date Sample’ is a critical entry. LIMS will not let you proceed without this

information. This will be the date that you started your review. For convenience, you may type, “CDCT” and press “Enter”, a short-cut for “Current Date-Current Time”. This is also the “Begin Review” date for the Certification Key Performance Measures (KPM).

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Press the “Tab” key twice to take you to the ‘Batch No.’ field. Enter the date (in mm/dd/yyyy format) that you were notified of the “Final Acceptance” of the project. NOTE: This is not necessary if you began the review prior to the project being Final Accepted.

You may want to enter a sample number. The process is set up with the idea that you only need to enter one sample per project review. If, in the process of the review, you have created additional samples (see the flowchart in the APPENDIX), you can better manage the process if you know which samples are which.

At this point, you will need to “Initiate” the sample by clicking the ‘Initiate’ button. This starts the Sample Life Cycle and assigns a LIMS Sample ID to the sample. You may want to record this number so you can go back to the sample easily.

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5 Using the Notepad

You can now open the “Notepad” function and begin recording your findings. As you review the project data, production reports, etc. you can place your findings, questions, and thoughts as they come up. Simply click the ‘Notepad’ button and then type your notes.

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Processing (Saving) the Sample

You will need to “Process” the sample (by clicking the ‘Process’ button) before you close LIMS. If you fail to do this, your sample will be lost!

LIMS will prompt, “Are you sure?”; click “Yes”.

You do not have to be complete with the review to “Process” the sample. You can come back to the sample as many times as necessary, adding items to the Notepad as you wish. The sample only ‘closes out’ after you “Approve” the sample, which we will discuss later.

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7 Accessing the Sample

Once you have “Processed” (saved) the sample, you can return to it and add more findings to the Notepad at any time. Simply click the “Status” tab and then click the ‘Sample Status by Sample ID’ button.

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This is where you need the LIMS Sample ID that was assigned by the system at the ‘Initiate’ stage. You can use *wildcards* in the Sample ID. The ID always begins with the year (ex. 2004 = 04). Or, you can remember the last three digits (*007). Remember to click the ‘Search’ button after typing in the Sample ID.

When the Sample comes up, you can click on the Notepad and enter additional findings. Remember to click the ‘Save’ button to save the notes.

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9 Approving the Sample

Once the review is complete, that is all of the issues have been looked at and the findings are noted, the sample is ‘Approved’. This is important to the KPMs. The date the sample is ‘Approved’ is the date the review ends and the response time officially begins.

To access the sample, click the ‘Approve’ tab and select ‘Approve One Sample’. Enter the Sample ID and click “Search”.

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This will be the last time you can enter information into the Notepad. Since ‘Approving’ the sample comes at the end of the review, you will not be able to add any more details to the Notepad. The Notepad is deactivated once the sample is ‘Approved’.

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To Approve the sample, click the ‘Approve’ button. The code, “AC”, is automatic and need not be changed. LIMS will prompt, “Are you sure?”; click “Yes”.

If during the review of the responses, an issue comes up that could lead to an exception and needs further investigation, we can create another sample to track the process of the additional review. (See the flowchart in the Appendix for details.)

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Closing the Review (Sample) out

Sample Post Approval Disposition

When the responses are accepted, the Project Materials Certification Letter can be issued, and the Sample is closed out.

This is done by clicking the “Approve” tab and clicking the ‘Post Approval Disposition’ button. The samples are accessed on a project basis. Enter the project ID and click the ‘Search’ button.

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You will need to scroll down to your sample and click the button beside the sample.

A box will open with the Disposition Codes available for use. For our purposes, click the “AT” code and then click “OK”. This is simply to indicate that action has been taken concerning this sample.

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Once the “AT” shows up beside the sample, you will need to click the ‘Enter Data’ button. This tells LIMS to process the sample and close it out. You will not be able to modify this sample now.

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Exception Screen

Writing Exceptions

The Exception screen is accessed by clicking on the “Maintenance” tab and clicking the ‘Exceptions’ button.

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The ‘Exception Title’ field comes with a drop-down menu contains four categories and can be accessed by clicking the ▼ button. You will need to select the category that the exception falls into per Materials Manual, Chapter 5.4.

A word on the categories:

“Non-Standard Material” is for those discrepancies involving failing pay tests or composite pay factors < 90%.

“Minimum Frequency” is for missing tests, both ‘Q’ and/or ‘V’ level.

“Documentation” is for missing documentation. This should not become a catch-all category. If there is a pending approval, it does not belong in the document category (unless, of course, the approval is for a document discrepancy).

“Qualification” is for those discrepancies involving technician, laboratory or producer qualifications.

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The next field is the ‘Project ID’. This ties the exception to the correct project and can be typed in or searched using *wildcards* and pressing the button. Select the correct Project ID and click “OK”.

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The ‘Specifications’ field has a drop down menu in which it is accessed by clicking the button. Once you select the Mat’l, the other fields will populate automatically. You can have up to four Materials on an exception.

The ‘Exception Description’ is a blob field, which means you can type free-form. By clicking in the blob field, you can enter information similar to the Notepad.

Some points which need to be made:

1. The blob field does not cut & paste well. You can lose some of the pasted text if it falls outside the limits of the table width.

2. The blob field does not wrap text. It is not a word processor. In the example above, you can see that the word ‘Factor’ was broken. As an up-side, insert does work, just be aware of pushing the line of text out of the limits.

3. The blob field will scroll as it fills. It seems to be nearly unlimited in line length. We were able to type 150+ lines into the table and retrieve them.

4. However, due to a print limitation, you should only type 60 lines per exception. If you have more than 60 lines (straightedge is the only exception where you should approach 60 lines), you will need to split the exception.

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19 Support Documentation

You can attach data (from the Production reports) by first left-clicking (to activate) and then right-clicking on the ‘Attach Support Documentation’ icon.

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A dialog box will open to allow you to locate and select the document to attach. NOTE: The file you attach MUST be in Adobe (*.pdf) or Hypertext (*.html) format for LIMS to open. Since the MetaFrame® platform does not support MS-Office® programs, these files can not be accessed. However, they may be stored in *.html format by selecting ‘Web Page’ in the “File Type” field when you save the file.

Select the document you wish to attach and click the ‘Open” button.

We need to talk about this…Since you are accessing LIMS from the MetaFrame® platform, you may be limited in the places you can retrieve your documents from. It is strongly suggested that you take some time to determine if you have access to your network drives or even your local PC. If you have questions, direct them to your local Help Desk.

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You now need to click the ‘Add Entry’ button. This creates the exception in LIMS and assigns an “Exception Code”, similar to the LIMS Sample ID.

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Returning to a Previously Entered Exception

Occasionally, you will need to modify an existing exception. [In the process of writing the exception, additional information was obtained changing some of the details.]

To do this, you type in the ‘Project ID’ where the exception exists and click the ‘Search’ button.

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The screen will populate with the first exception. To choose the proper exception, you can click the ‘View Entries’ button.

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Select the exception by the ‘Exception Code’ assigned when the exception was created. You can then load the information into the screen by clicking the ‘Details’ button.

Now you can add or modify the ‘Exception Description’ as necessary.

Once you are satisfied with the exception, click the ‘Update’ button. Be very careful about this. If you click the ‘Add Entry’ button, you will add another exception to the database.

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Because you are changing the contents of the database, you will need to enter a reason. This actually helps to keep track of what is going on.

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Using a Previously Entered Exception as a Template

There will be times when you would like to use a previously entered exception as a template for a new exception. This can be easily accomplished. To do this, you type in the ‘Project ID’ where the exception you wish to use exists and click the ‘Search’

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Click the ‘View Entries’ button to get a list of all of the exceptions to choose from.

Here is where it can get tricky, you will need to know which exception you want. Select the entry and click ‘Details’.

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Modify the details as needed, then click ‘Add Entry’. Remember, if you are click ‘Update’ you change the existing entry. Clicking ‘Add Entry’ create a new exception.

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29 Printing the Exception Letter

The exception letter is a Crystal® report. Click on the “Maintenance” tab and click the ‘Exception’ button. Select “Exceptions by FIN Report”.

Or, Click on the “Report” tab and click the ‘Contracts Reports’ button. Select “Exceptions by FIN Report”.

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A Crystal® report will open prompting for a Project FIN. Enter the Project FIN you wish to report and click ‘OK’.

The report will look like this.

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You can save (export) the report in a variety of formats by clicking the ‘Envelope’ button. In this example, we will save the report as an Adobe® file, select the format you wish the report in, click ‘OK’.

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You will need to identify the page range you wish to save. Generally, you will select ‘All” and then click ‘OK’.

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To retrieve the file for attaching, etc. you may use the Explorer function to go to the location you saved the file. Simply click on the file. In the above example, it should open with Adobe® Reader. [NOTE: You will need to have the free Adobe® Reader installed on your computer.]

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This is what you will see when you open the reader.

The only paper copy reports needed are those going to the FHWA and the only thing needed is the cover letter which can generated from a form letter in Word®.

Allen Hughes February 27, 2004

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Sample #1

Sample #2

Exception Screen

Sample #3…

APPENDIX

Certification Process in LIMS

Review Begins Sample Log-In Take Notes

Use Note Pad for recording findings Review ends – Contact PP Sample Approved Exceptions written Review responses New findings Post Approval Disposition Approval & Post Approval Disposition Log-in + Notes + Approval + Cert Letter issued Sample Log-In Exceptions written

Use Note Pad for recording findings New responses Exceptions written (Date Sampled) AC AT

LIMS User Manual Project Materials Certification Module

LIMS User Manual

Project Materials Certification Module

Table of Contents

PROJECT REVIEW

Closing the Review (Sample) out

Exception Screen

APPENDIX

Certification Process in LIMS