How to organize Storage Browser? - LabCollector
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How to organize Storage Browser?

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SUMMARY:

The “storage browser” and “manage storage” options in LabCollector help the user to store the location of each record in a precisely defined place. Research labs deal with several samples, chemicals, etc. that they need to store in a specific location with specified temperatures, etc. All this can be done using the storage browser.

You can define the rooms, storage equipment, and boxes/racks/drawers/bags, etc. using the manage lab storage.

Follow these steps to configure the storage for your lab:

1. Setup storage 

2. Organize Storage Tree

3. Rules/Tips of organization

1. Setup storage 

  • To configure your storage, go to ADMIN -> STORAGE -> MANAGE STORAGE.
    *Please read KB how to set up storage.
  • For example, we have created a equipment (Freezer) in facility (Storage Room).

  • Note: When facility location is “No facility assigned” the equipment then goes to “Main location” in the storage tree.
  • To give an example please consider the below image and we have created the drawers, racks, boxes according to the below example.
    Images from: https://profilab24.com/fr/laboratoire/refrigerateur-systemes-de-refroidissement/congelateur-de-laboratoire-national-lab-labstar-sirius-lssi-7525-avec-porte-vitree

2. Organize Storage Tree

  • We have created an example based on above freezer.
  • To see the freezer created above, go to ADMIN -> TOOLS -> STORAGE BROWSER.
  • To create Stages/Racks and boxes simultaneously in Freezer click on .
    *Read our KB on add new drawer or rack with the box.
  • Now you can create Boxes inside the racks. See section 3 before creating racks.
    *Please read our KB to know more about how to create a box.

  • Like the same way above, you can create different facilities (rooms) and different equipment and racks and boxes inside them.

3. Rules/Tips of organization

  • Storage browser arranges racks and boxes according to alphabets and name size (number of characters including spaces). Make sure to name the racks, boxes keeping this rule in mind.
    *NEW: In LabCollector v6.01 automatically replaces spaces with underscore.
  • If you assign position to your racks then they will be arranged according to the position and not alphabetically or name length.
    *Box with no position are considered as 0 hence they are assigned first, but according to their name/numerical in the name.

  • Storage tree takes into account the character length. Small names are arranged first and bigger latter.
    *Characters counting include spaces, numbers, alphabets and special characters.

  • Take care not to create boxes inside racks before carefully adding all racks. Because once the boxes are added the racks/drawers cant be deleted.
    In the below image the rack with no drawers has a delete button but racks or drawers with boxes have a lock button and cannot be deleted.
    *It is possible delete boxes and then delete racks.

Tips/Hints

 – It is better to replace the spaces by underscore _ or a dash – sign. Stage_A-Rack_01
 *In LabCollector v6.01 automatically replaces spaces with underscore.
 – Avoid using special characters in the front of the name of racks or drawers or boxes. For example,  *Rack 1.
– If you have 100 racks in your lab then its better to start from Rack 001, as it will keep all your rack/drawers/boxes number in double digits and the length of the characters same throughout. 
 – First add all the racks to see if they are arranged properly and then add boxes inside racks.

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