Modeling Item Types and Vendors
In this section
This section will help you:
Understand the relationship between Item Types and Items.
Know how to create new Item Types.
Know how to create new Vendors.
Key Terms
Term | Definition |
Item | A resource that is tracked and/or consumed as part of a business process. Items are instances, or occurrences, of Item Types. |
Item Type | Defines the attributes of an Item, including its type (consumable or reagent), units, custom fields, Vendors, and ID Sequences. |
Vendor | Person or place an Item is purchased. |
Terminology Relationship Diagram
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What does an Item look like for the End User?
Items are grouped by Item Type in the Inventory app.
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When an End User selects an Item, they see:
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The Item’s usage history (Inventory Usage tab).
The Worksheets the Item is associated with (Worksheets tab).
Note
Only Worksheets created in L7|ESP version 3.1 or later will appear in this tab.
The Item’s metadata (Data tab).
Experimental data associated with the Item (Process Data tab).
The Item’s relationship to other Entities (Parents & Children tab).
The files the Item is associated with (Attachments tab).
The Item’s history (History tab).
Quantity can be adjusted independent of a business process by adding a usage entry.
Note
L7|ESP will not warn the End User if the deduction results in a negative quantity.
Note
Protocols have a dedicated field for inventory item use.
This includes transferring some or all of an Item to or from another Item of the same type.
Transferring from another Item of the same type adds to the current Item’s quantity.
Transferring to another Item of the same type subtracts from the current Item’s quantity.
The corresponding addition/subtraction is also made to the other Item.
Tip
Transfers should be used to move Items from kits back into available inventory.
L7|ESP will warn the End User if the transfer will result in a negative quantity.
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How to Model Items
Items are at the center of inventory management in L7|ESP, and are accessible by default in the Inventory app and LIMS Worksheets. They can also be submitted to and created during an Experiment for activities like reagent preparation and Vendor qualification.
When to create an Item Type
If you have a consumable or reagent that you wish to register and track as part of a business process.
If two (2) Items have different units.
If two (2) Items have different custom fields.
Design Considerations:
How will this type of Item be consumed?
Whole number (consumable) vs. decimal quantities (stock reagent).
In what units will this type of Item be consumed?
Is there any data that needs to be attributed to this type of Item?
How will this data be collected?
Where can this type of Item be purchased?
Will this type of Item be submitted to an Experiment?
Will this type of Item be created during an Experiment?
What Sequence IDs need to be attributed to this Item Type?
Do these IDs require any contextual data?
What contextual data is available for Sequence IDs?
Are there legacy Items that need to be migrated into L7|ESP?
How to create a new Item Type
Go to: Builders (L7|Master) → Item Types → + New Item Type
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Type - options include:
Consumable - items that can be consumed in whole number quantities.
StockReagent - items that are consumed in decimal quantities.
Kitcomponent - precursor to formal Kit support; consumables and stock reagents can both be added to Kits.
Note
Type cannot be changed after the Item Type has been created. If a mistake was made, archive the Item Type and create a new one.
Units - quantity measurement (e.g., uL, mL, g).
Barcode - primarily used for Universal Product Codes.
Note
Each individual Item will have a separate barcode.
Reorder Threshold - when the sum of all Items in the group is less than or equal to this value, the Item Type and its current quantity will appear in the “Items Requiring Reorder” Dashboard widget.
Reorder Amount - the quantity that should be reordered once the Reorder Threshold is met.
Warning
Orders cannot be placed from the Inventory app. L7|ESP does not manage financial transactions.
How to add Vendors
Go to: Builders (L7|Master) → Item Types → select the Item Type → + Add Vendors
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Note
Vendors are a separate data model in L7|ESP, and must already exist before they can be added to an Item Type.
How to model Vendors
To create a new vendor, go to: Builders (L7|Master) → Vendors → + New Vendor
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Once the Vendor has been created, select its Name to add an optional Billing and Shipping Address.
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How to add Custom Fields
Go to: Builders (L7|Master) → Item Types → select the Item Type → + Add Custom Field
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This process is the same as adding custom fields to Entity Types. Refer to Modeling Entity Classes and Entity Types for more information.
How to add Item ID Sequences
Item ID Sequences are created and managed in the Configuration app, and only apply to Items created in a Sample Protocol. Refer to Configuring ID Sequences for more information, with the following addendum:
Note
New Item ID Sequences are added to the items section of the id_sequences block in the esp Configuration File.