Configuring Versions of a Scheme

• Configuring Versions of a Scheme
  • Overview
  • Process
    • Scheme Version Details
    • Method Details
    • Status
    • Priority
    • Holding and Warning Times
    • Waiting Times
    • Batching and Subcontracting
    • QC and Racking Details
    • Weight and Volume Targets and Limits for Unknown and QC Samples
    • Reporting
    • Publishing Scheme Versions
    • Enabling Org-scope Scheme Versions for Use in the Laboratory
    • Registering Scheme Versions on Samples
    • Promoting Entities to Use the Latest Scheme Versions

Overview

A scheme version is the generational portion of a scheme, and allows for various aspects of the scheme, including the analytes, to vary from version to version.

New scheme versions are created when significant changes are made to the methods or operational procedures. Specific rules exist, that once the scheme version is enabled for use by a laboratory, then the latest active scheme version is used when the scheme is registered on a sample.

Process

Scheme versions are created using the CCSCHM—Scheme application and maintained using the CCSCHMVER—Scheme Version application which is accessed from within the Scheme » Scheme Versions tab in the CCSCHM—Scheme application.

Maintain scheme versions

Scheme versions are scoped by their parent scheme.

Schemes with a Scheme Type of Sample Preparation and Miscellaneous can only have one scheme version. Schemes with a Scheme Type of Analytical Preparation and Analytical can have more than one scheme version.

When a new scheme version is created for an analytical preparation or analytical scheme, two analytes of Analytical Type of Preparation Weight and Preparation Volume are created automatically, with the codes of WEIGHT and VOLUME, respectively. These analytes allow for the entry of weights and volumes with are subsequently used for raw-to-final calculations.

Refer to the section below on Enabling Org-scope Schemes for Use in the Laboratory regarding which enabled-scope scheme version DTO properties are editable.

A scheme version's Version Number cannot be updated.

Each scheme created is an original scheme—it is given a specific code and is considered the master scheme. Master schemes are always allocated a version of 1. New scheme versions are created when significant changes are made to the methods or operational procedures. Any new scheme version created from that scheme is a version of the master scheme, and is allocated a version number iterated from the original. For example, if it is the first version copy of the original scheme, it is version 2, if it is the 10th iteration, it is version 10.

When a scheme version is created, its Approved Date and Approved By User are empty.

Whenever a scheme is copied to a new scheme, the system always takes the highest version and create this as version 1 in the new scheme.

Scheme Version Details

The following table shows where particular properties or entities can be defined for a scheme version based on its Scheme Type.

Field	Sample Preparation	Analytical Preparation	Analytical	Miscellaneous
QC Mask Code	Y	Y	Y	N
Analytes	N	Y	Y	N

Method Details

Scheme versions can be associated with a Method Code, allowing the accreditation body to be determined, however it is not mandatory to do so. It is recommend to associate a scheme and method when:

• A method can be used across multiple schemes, or
• The laboratory wishes to give more information to their technicians on how to analyse the samples for a particular scheme.

Scheme and method associations can be established using the Scheme Version Criteria tab in the CCSCHM—Scheme application.

Where new schemes are created from existing schemes, they inherit the method from the original scheme.

For sample preparation, analytical, or analytical preparation scheme types, if the method already exists, the new scheme uses that existing method. If the method does not exist, a new method can be created using the scheme code of the new scheme.

The SCHEME_AUTO_CREATE_METHOD application preference is used to create a method automatically when a scheme version is created, and link it automatically to the scheme version.

Set the SCHEME_AUTO_CREATE_METHOD Preference

Status

Scheme versions go through a validation process:

• Draft—The default status when the scheme version is created, covering the phase in which the scheme version is developed.

• Published—The status given to a published scheme version. The scheme version may be added to org-scope template samples, or enabled for use by laboratory managers for inclusion in local template samples and specifications (for product and QC limits), or registration on live samples.

• Suspended—The status given to a suspended scheme version. The scheme version can no longer be used for registration on samples. An org-scope scheme version cannot be enabled for use by a laboratory, even if it is the highest scheme version.

Priority

A sample scheme's Priority defaults to the scheme version's Priority, and is used to determine the sample scheme's Required Date.

Holding and Warning Times

Holding and warning times are used to determine sample scheme expiry.

The sample scheme's Holding Time defaults to the scheme version's Holding Time and is used to determine a sample scheme's Expiry Date.

The scheme version's Warning Time is used to determine the sample scheme's Warning Date from the sample scheme's Expiry Date and is used to determine a sample scheme's Warning Date.

Waiting Times

Waiting times are used to determine ready date-times.

A scheme version's Waiting Time determines that, even after a sample scheme is completed, its sequel sample schemes can only be located for batching after the waiting time has elapsed.

If a scheme version's Waiting Time is defined, when a sample scheme's Workflow Status becomes Started, then the sample scheme's Ready Date is set to the sample scheme's Started Date + the scheme version's Waiting Time . Note that this calculation does NOT take into consideration holidays or a section's non-working time periods. If a scheme version's Waiting Time is not defined, then the sample scheme's Ready Date is left empty.

Batching and Subcontracting

A job scheme's Include in Job QC flag defaults to the inverse of the scheme version's Batch Across Jobs flag.

During an append or overwrite QC process on a job scheme, the job scheme is processed for QC if the job scheme's Include in Job QC is selected, so the scheme version's Batch Across Jobs flag is a way of having a job scheme's Include in Job QC flag cleared so that any QC samples are added only during batching.

A scheme version's Auto Subcontracted flag is not used in core CCLAS 6 but could be used in script for creating subcontract batch jobs.

A sample scheme's Subcontract Laboratory Code is inherited from the scheme version's Default Subcontract Lab Code. This laboratory can provide subcontracting services to analyse samples for the scheme when the analysis cannot be done in-house. Selected from the active laboratories contained within the laboratory group defined by the SUBCONTRACT_LABS application preference, excluding the current laboratory.

QC and Racking Details

A sample scheme's QC Mask Code defaults to the scheme version's QC Mask Code . This affects how QC samples are appended to job schemes and laboratory batch jobs.

The SCHEME_AUTO_CREATE_QC_MASK application preference is used to create a QC mask automatically when a scheme version is created, and link it automatically to the scheme version.

Set the SCHEME_AUTO_CREATE_QC_MASK Preference

When samples are initially registered, the sample scheme's Rack Number is determined by using the scheme version's Default Rack Size. Note that a sample scheme's Rack Number could change after an append or overwrite QC process.

Weight and Volume Targets and Limits for Unknown and QC Samples

Sample Target Weight, Sample Weight Tolerance, Sample Minimum Weight, Sample Maximum Weight and Sample Weight Allowance set the weight targets and tolerances for unknown, duplicate and replicate QC samples.

Standard Target Weight, Standard Weight Tolerance, Standard Minimum Weight, Standard Maximum Weight and Standard Weight Allowance set the weight targets for blank, standard and spike QC samples.

Sample Target Volume, Sample VolumeTolerance, Sample Minimum Volume, Sample Maximum Volume and Sample VolumeAllowance set the volume targets for unknown, duplicate and replicate QC samples.

Standard Target Volume, Standard VolumeTolerance, Standard Minimum Volume, Standard Maximum Volume and Standard Volume Allowance set the volume targets for blank, standard and spike QC samples.

Reporting

A report request scheme's Report Name and Report Description are inherited from the job scheme's Report Name and Report Description, which, in turn, is inherited from the interim sample scheme's Report Name and Report Description when adding a group of samples to a job, which, in turn, is inherited from the scheme version's Report Name and Report Description.

Publishing Scheme Versions

Publish a scheme version

A scheme version that has a Status of Draft or Suspended can be published.

Published scheme versions have their Status set to Published.

Master scheme versions which are published for use can be added to specifications to set limits for scheme version analytes and added to samples. The highest-published scheme version of a scheme is added to a sample scheme when the master scheme is registered on a sample.

Org-scope scheme versions with a Status of Draft can only be used in org-scope template jobs for scheme trial work, but you cannot see nor use them in your laboratory for adding to live samples.

If the scheme has org-scope, then the published scheme version can be enabled for use in a laboratory. Refer to Using Organisational Schemes vs Laboratory Schemes.

An org-scope scheme versions must be enabled by a laboratory for it to be available to the laboratory.

If the scheme has lab-scope, then the scheme version can now be registered on a sample.

Suspend a scheme version

A scheme version that has a Status of Published can be suspended.

If the scheme has org-scope, and it is enabled for use in a laboratory, then the scheme version can no longer registered on a sample. Refer to Making Org-scope and Lab-scope Schemes Ready for Registration.

If the scheme has lab-scope, then the scheme version can no longer be registered on a sample.

Enabling Org-scope Scheme Versions for Use in the Laboratory

When an org-scope scheme is selected to be enabled for the laboratory, if the scheme has:

• Org-scope and the highest published scheme version, is not yet enabled for the laboratory, then the scheme version is enabled.
• Org-scope and the highest published scheme version is already enabled for the laboratory, then the scheme version is not re-enabled.
• Enabled scope or lab-scope, then an error returns saying that the scheme is not suitable for laboratory enabling.

If a scheme version is enabled, then:

• A copy of the org-scope scheme record is created and given enabled-scope for that laboratory (other laboratories can enable their own set of schemes).
• A copy of the org-scope highest published scheme version is created and given enabled-scope for the laboratory.
• A copy of the org-scope scheme version analytes in the enabled scheme version are created and given enabled-scope for the laboratory.

Refer to Maintaining Schemes to enabled org-schemes for use in a laboratory.

An enabled-scope scheme can be localised by the laboratory by configuring the ALLOW_SCHEMEVERSION_EDITABLE_PROPERTIES application preference which specified which scheme version DTO properties are editable. This allows properties that are inherited from the scheme version into a sample scheme or job scheme to be tailored to local requirements, but also ensures that those properties which are deemed to be organisation-controlled remain inviolate.

Set the ALLOW_SCHEMEVERSION_EDITABLE_PROPERTIES Preference

Registering Scheme Versions on Samples

When a scheme is registered on a sample, the sample scheme is linked to the actual scheme version that was used.

When an org-scope scheme is registered on an org-scope or lab-scope sample, it is the org-scope scheme version relating to the highest enabled-scoped scheme version in the laboratory that is added to the sample, however:

• For an org-scope sample, the sample scheme details are taken from the org-scope scheme and scheme version, and the sample scheme analyte details are taken from the org-scope scheme version analyte.

• For a lab-scope sample, the sample scheme details are taken from the enabled-scope scheme and scheme version, and the sample scheme analyte details are taken from the enabled-scope scheme version analyte.

The WORKBOOK_OVERRIDE_SCHEME_VERSION_LIST application preferences is used by the system to allow the CCWKOP—Open Workbook application to use enabled-scope scheme version properties.

Refer to the Using Organisational Schemes vs Laboratory Schemes.

Promoting Entities to Use the Latest Scheme Versions

Existing org-scope and lab-scope template jobs, specifications, standards and products can be promoted to use the newly published or enabled scheme versions.