Sample management success is based upon a whole host of different factors, from the rules set within your organisation through to the sample tracking and laboratory sample inventory management systems you have in place.
Generally, your sample and inventory management processes might be fine, until one day, one of your lab technicians is on leave and you can't find the right sample in the freezer - it's not where they said it would be. Worse still, is that every sample has a scribbled hand written note on, making the identification and search process even more difficult.
It's times like the one above that proper processes and rules make a big difference and it's because of moments like these that we believe the 5 elements below are key to your sample inventory management success!
1) Maintain accuracy of information (aka “know what you have, and how much you have of it")This means that when you plan an experiment, you can do so with the confidence of knowing exactly what samples and reagents are available to you.
2) Track and trace everythingThis means you can trace any experimental result to the originating sample without error, and be able to face regulatory audits with confidence.
3) Make the most efficient use of your freezers
This means not needing to purchase unnecessary additional freezers and making it easier to find space for the samples that matter most.
4) Be able to search for anythingYou should never have to manually look through freezer boxes to find your samples. As well as being immensely time-consuming, it can also have a detrimental effect on your samples and freezers if the freezer door is open for extended periods.
If your sample inventory is described accurately, you should be able to search for samples using any criteria – descriptors, amounts, container type, locations – to find exactly what you need.
5) Barcode and label samples
Barcoding is easy to adopt and brings a host of advantages. Use pre-barcoded labware or label items with software-assigned barcodes – uniqueness is what matters.
Every feature of Mosaic FreezerManagement is designed and built with these five elements (and many more) in mind. From our decades of experience, we know that these elements are: