How do I create alerts with lots? (v6.0) - LabCollector

Search Knowledge Base by Keyword

How do I create alerts with lots? (v6.0)

You are here:
← All Topics

LabCollector offers two possibilities to create alerts for reagents & supplies. The options 1 and 2 are explained in detail below.

1. Storage Alert
2. Availability Alert

To create alerts for reagent & Supplies (for options &  )  you have to go to Preferences > Alerts

In Alerts, you have to select the below options.
When you select to activate alert for storage location it is only available for the shelf part, boxes (without grid) & Bags.

This means in a shelf, in the storage room with only 10 lots (boxes or bags) in the shelf (or part of the shelf) store capacity, the alert will be generated if the items in the lot reach minimum quantity.

The “SUM of all lots” means that if you have more than one active lot (boxes) and you are de-stocking them, the remaining number of lots will be the addition of the different lots. (See details below)

The alerts will be visible under the “Alert” icon.

When you click on it, the page below will appear with the list of reagents and supplies that are running low. You can do CTRL+F to search your regent from the list.
.

STORAGE ALERT – MIN & MAX!

Once you have assigned the secondary storage location (Main Storage) for a particular reagent, you can assign the minimum and maximum quantity of the product. (click the link to see the KB)
Note:  This min and max are just used for a specific type of product. It cannot be used for products that are in very low quantities like antibodies or reagents in micro or milligrams.
The min /max works for the storage location for a shelf (or a part of the shelf), Box (without grids like a big carton box) & bags.


Bags picture source for the box & bags:
https://www.marketlab.com/color-coded-specimen-bags/p/ColorCodedSpecimenBags/
https://www.genaxxon.com/shop/en/shop-all-products/consumables/cryo-boxes/5689/freezer-storage-box-without-grid

To assign min and max, go to the reagent and click on the edit button of its storage location.

 

The pop-up below will appear. Click on the position of the box.

When you click on position of the box, v6 allows you to insert a minimum and a maximum number of the product.
For example, you order some reagents or supplies, let’s say culture medium DMEM for cell culture.

You order them in the bulk of 50 bottles, for example.
So you receive all 5 bottles in a box.
Let’s say you ordered 2 boxes (10 bottles for the entire lab or research institute)

Now in your storage room, you have a shelf that has the storage capacity of only 2 boxes (that means 5 bottles in each box= 5×2=10).

For example, we have added min as 50 and max as 500.
So to keep a check on inventory you can add the min and the max number to see if the products (eg. culture media DMEM) are running low OR there is no more space to order more.

The explanation of min is explained in detail below.

NOTE: To re-update, the min & max just click on “Update” without entering any values. The min and max will be set back to zero.

NOTE:  The MAX does not generate an alert. It is just for the user to know the maximum number of the product that can fit in a storage shelf. 

Now you go to the reagent and supplies module and select a product (eg. Culture media DMEM) that you have set the min & max for.

generally, you will no alert or the min-max number on the right-hand side of your storage until you generate lots for the reagent.

For example:-
Let’s say you receive a new Box of a reagent, for example, DMEM culture media. You will add them in the “Current active lots” section.
Go to reagent and supplies and select the product you received (for example Culture media DMEM).
Click on the “Display lots” icon and click on add a new lot.

You can add the lot number or barcode of the received box.
The expiration date of the product.
Any comments for the product.
How many units you received. (example if you received 2 boxes each containing 5 bottles of DMEM. Therefore, 5X2=10 units) In this case bottles is units. Quantity refers to items inside the box.

Note:  Alerts only work with UNIT by default not custom units.
Note:  It is very important to add the storage location of the lot.

Save it after you are done. You will see it in the list of “Current active lots”

Click on the record name.
On the right hand side you will see the min and the max (2-10) and total quantity of the items you recieved in the box with the storage location (example Room B as seen in the image).

Lets say you want to use the items in the lab. You can remove the quantity of used products from the lots by destocking the lots.

Go to the icon of “Display lot” and click on this icon   “Remove 1 unit”

A Quick destock pop-up will appear, where you can deduct the number of quantity of the items used. 

For example if you remove/ destock 9 units (units this case DMEM bottles) from the storage, then out of the 10 units only 1 will remain.
NOTE: Units=items

The number of remaining product is the min (2) value that we entered before for MIN. 

Hence, an alert will be generated an you will see this alert icon in front of the total quantity. You will also see a yellow circle in front of the reagent when the quantities are running low.

====================================================================================================

SUM OF THE LOTS

This is the option that comes under Preferences–>Alerts 

Explanation:-

If you have 2 current active lots and you are destocking from both the boxes.
For example, you are removing/destocking DMEM from 2 boxes. We have 5 bottles in 1 box.
The remaining number of units (bottles) will be shown below. (that means 4+1=5 remaining quantity of product)

The total number of remaining quantity of products will be taken as the sum of the products/items in 2 lots.

When you go back to the record you will see the total quantity of remaining product (5). So no alert will be generated as the number of the remaining items is more than the minimum number. (min=2)

 

NOTE: The storage location of the lots can be different. Imagine you are storing the same reagent at two different locations (highlighted in green in the below image).

NOTE: However, you must remember that the alert will be generated for the specific “lot” whose items are reaching minimum quantity. 
When you go to Alerts–> Some batches are running low  
You will have the alert for the particular batch/lot that has a minimum quantity of items.
The batch# is the same as the Lot# under the “Current active lots”

  AVAILABILITY ALERTS!-MINIMUM QUANTITY 

This is another possibility to generate alert.
When you create a record for an reagent item or when you edit an record.

You find the below option.

You can add the quantity as required.
After saving it, this number will be shown under Availability: minimum quantity.

For example, you are using/destocking the reagent (DMEM Culture media) items from all your lots.

So now the remaining number of items is 10+4+1= 15 is the total stock of items.
This is less than the minimum quantity, so an alert will be generated and you will see a yellow circle before the Name of the reagent.

 

To see the alert, got to Alerts–> Some batches are running low

You will see all the lots (Lot#=Batch#) under the alert.

NOTE:  Remember that the alert for this case will also be generated when the total stock number is approximately close to the minimum quantity.
If the minimum quantity is 100 and the total stock number is 120 the alert will be generated and you will see a yellow dot before the reagent name. 

You will see one of these 3 colored dots in front of the reagents & supplies:-

  • Green: When you have 20% more than the minimum quantity. 
  • Yellow: When you have equal to or less than 20% of the minimum quantity 
  • Red: When you have used up all the lots
    *NOTE: Remember a newly made reagent or supply, without the creation of any lots, will have no dot in front of it. Dots only represent the consumption of the lots.