How a lab registers a received sample, from the box to the clock
A sample is registered as received when someone at the lab confirms it has arrived, and that one action should do three things: tie the physical sample to the right order through its code, record where it was received, and start the delivery clock. In Milva Lab, staff find the sample by its code, order number, case number or customer name, mark one sample or the whole order as received, and the system sets the start time that every deadline is counted from.
A box arrives. Inside are four samples, one with a smudged label, and the order they belong to is somewhere in an inbox or a folder. Until someone has matched the box to the order and noted when it arrived, the lab cannot say what it owes the client or by when.
What does it mean to receive a sample in a LIMS?
Receiving is the step where responsibility moves to the lab. The sample is matched to an order and marked as received, and from then on every status, deadline and report refers to that record. On paper, that match is a signature on a form and a line in a spreadsheet. In a LIMS it is one action that leaves a time stamp.
How do you find the right order when the box is on the bench?
Every sample gets a short, readable code when the order is created, for example L-13-3: the order's number in the lab's own sequence, then the sample's number within the order. The code is written on the container, so it works without relying on barcodes or internal IDs.
The receiving screen searches across order number, case number, customer name and sample code, so whichever of those is on the paperwork or the container finds the order.
Can you receive a whole order at once?
Yes. From the order, one action marks every sample that has not yet arrived as received. Alternatively, the receiving screen lists the orders still waiting for samples. Pick an order, select the samples that arrived and mark them as received in bulk. The screen stays open after each action, so the next order is a search away, and a mixed selection never blocks: each action simply applies to the samples it is relevant for.
What happens to the delivery date when samples arrive on an unexpected day?
Deadlines are counted from the time the first sample is received, not from the day the client says it was sent. If the sample arrives on the day it was handed in, the start time is set automatically. If it arrives on another day, the lab confirms: use the current time, or pick another date and time. The start time can still be corrected from the order until the invoice has been sent, so a mistake at the counter does not become a wrong deadline for good.
What goes wrong without a clear receiving step?
- A sample is in the building but not in the system, so nobody knows it is waiting
- Deadlines are counted from the wrong day, and the client is promised something the lab cannot keep
- The same sample is entered twice, or under two order numbers
- Nobody can say afterwards when a sample actually arrived
A useful test: take last Friday's deliveries and check how long each one took to become visible to everyone in the lab. If the answer is "when someone got to it", receiving is the place to start.
Receiving is one step in the path from intake to invoice that Milva Lab covers for environmental and building testing labs. See the Commercial LIMS service page for the full flow.
Related: how a lab with several sites forwards samples and how a LIMS calculates delivery dates.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to receive a sample in a LIMS?
It means confirming that a physical sample has arrived at the lab and matching it to its order. The record then shows when it arrived, and the delivery deadline is counted from that moment.
How are samples identified when they arrive?
Each sample carries a short, readable code written on the container. The receiving screen finds the order by that code, or by order number, case number or customer name.
Can a lab receive several samples at once?
Yes. One action can mark all samples on an order as received, or a selection of samples can be received in bulk from the receiving screen.
What starts the turnaround time?
The time the first sample on the order is received. If it arrives on another day than expected, the lab confirms or sets the start time, and can correct it until the invoice has been sent.
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Martin Mikkelsen
CCO, Milva Lab