Composite QC Cascade

This section explains the cascade engine with respect to the cascading of composite QC status:

From sample scheme analyte to sample scheme
From sample scheme to sample
From sample to job
From sample scheme analyte to job scheme analyte
From sample scheme to job scheme.

SSA.WFS →	SS.WFS →	S.WFS
↓	↓	↓
JSA.WFS	JS.WFS	J.WFS

QC Assessments

A SSA's Composite Specification Status and Composite QC Status are set to Not Tested upon creation or when the result is cleared.

The following statuses, or some thereof, can be set for a composite QC status at various levels in the job:

Composite QC Status	Definition
Not Tested	No assessment is made as yet.
Not Required	No assessment is required for the result.
Pass	The result passes assessment limits.
Ignore Warning	An assessed warning is ignored.
Ignore Failure	An assessed failure is ignored.
Ignore Lower Failure	An assessed lower failure is ignored.
Ignore Upper Failure	An assessed upper failure is ignored.
Ignore Trend Failure	An assessed trend failure is ignored.
Warning	The result passes assessment limits with a warning.
Lower Warning	The result passes assessment limits with a lower warning.
Upper Warning	The result passes assessment limits with an upper warning.
Trend Warning	The result passes assessment limits with a trend warning.
Failure	The result fails assessment limits.
Lower Failure	The result fails assessment limits with a lower failure.
Upper Failure	The result fails assessment limits with an upper failure.
Trend Failure	The result fails assessment limits with a trend failure.

When a SSA receives a result, the result is assessed against all QC-related assessments: scheme limit, standard, precision and product assessment), to set the SSA's Scheme Limit Status, Standard Status, Precision Status and Specification Status:

SSA's Scheme Limit Status	SSA's Standard Status	SSA's Precision Status	SSA's Specification Status	Primary Spec's SpecSVA Is Critical for Validation	Resulting SSA's Composite QC Status
Not Tested	Not Tested	Not Tested	Not Tested	<any>	Not Tested
Upper Failure, Lower Failure, Trend Failure, Failure	<any>	<any>	<any>	<any>	Failure
<any>	Upper Failure, Lower Failure, Trend Failure, Failure	<any>	<any>	<any>	Failure
<any>	<any>	Failure, Trend Failure	<any>	<any>	Failure
<any>	<any>	<any>	Upper Failure, Lower Failure, Trend Failure, Failure	Yes	Failure
Upper Warning, Lower Warning, Trend Warning, Warning	Any statuses except Upper Failure, Lower Failure, Trend Failure, Failure	Any status except Failure, Trend Failure	Any status except Upper Failure, Lower Failure, Trend Failure, Failure	<any>	Warning
Any status except Upper Failure, Lower Failure, Trend Failure, Failure	Upper Warning, Lower Warning, Trend Warning, Warning	Any status except Failure, Trend Failure	Any status except Upper Failure, Lower Failure, Trend Failure, Failure	<any>	Warning
Any status except Upper Failure, Lower Failure, Trend Failure, Failure	Any status except Upper Failure, Lower Failure, Trend Failure, Failure	Warning, Trend Warning	Any status except Upper Failure, Lower Failure, Trend Failure, Failure	<any>	Warning
Any status except Upper Failure, Lower Failure, Trend Failure, Failure	Any status except Upper Failure, Lower Failure, Trend Failure, Failure	Any status except Failure, Trend Failure	Upper Warning, Lower Warning, Trend Warning, Warning	Yes	Warning
Not Required, Pass, Ignored Upper Failure, Ignored Lower Failure, Ignored Trend Failure, Ignored Failure, Ignored Upper Warning, Ignored Lower Warning, Ignored Trend Warning, Ignored Warning	Not Required, Pass, Ignored Upper Failure, Ignored Lower Failure, Ignored Trend Failure, Ignored Failure, Ignored Upper Warning, Ignored Lower Warning, Ignored Trend Warning, Ignored Warning	Not Required, Pass, Ignored Trend Failure, Ignored Failure, Ignored Trend Warning, Ignored Warning	Not Required, Pass, Ignored Upper Failure, Ignored Lower Failure, Ignored Trend Failure, Ignored Failure, Ignored Upper Warning, Ignored Lower Warning, Ignored Trend Warning, Ignored Warning	<any>	Pass
Not Required, Pass, Ignored Upper Failure, Ignored Lower Failure, Ignored Trend Failure, Ignored Failure, Ignored Upper Warning, Ignored Lower Warning, Ignored Trend Warning, Ignored Warning	Not Required, Pass, Ignored Upper Failure, Ignored Lower Failure, Ignored Trend Failure, Ignored Failure, Ignored Upper Warning, Ignored Lower Warning, Ignored Trend Warning, Ignored Warning	Not Required, Pass, Ignored Trend Failure, Ignored Failure, Ignored Trend Warning, Ignored Warning	Upper Failure, Lower Failure, Trend Failure, Failure, Upper Warning, Lower Warning, Trend Warning, Warning	No	Pass

Composite QC Status

After specification and QC assessment occurs, the cascade engine sets the SSA's Composite Specification Status and Composite QC Status:

Assessed against...	...to set	Cascades to...	Cascades to...	Cascades uses...
Scheme limits	SSA's Scheme Limit Status			SSA's Scheme Limit Status	SSA's Composite QC Status
Standard lot specification limits	SSA's Standard Status			SSA's Standard Status
SVA's precision limits	SSA's Precision Status			SSA's Precision Status
Each SampleSpecification's specification limits	SSASpecification's Specification Status	SSA's Composite Specification Status	SSA's Specification Status, by looking at the SSASpecification related to the sample's Primary Specification, and where the SpecificationSVA's Critical for Validation is selected, then sets it to the SSASpecification's Specification Status, and where this check box is not checked, then sets it to *Not Required*.	SSA's Specification Status

Cascading Composite QC Status up through the Job

A Composite QC Status is exactly that—a composite of the Composite QC Status flags at the level below.

When a result is entered in context of a non-laboratory-batch job, the cascade engine cascades to each level of SS, Sample, Job, JSA and JS within the production, proposal or template job.

When a result is entered in context of a laboratory-batch job, the cascade engine cascades to each level of SS, Sample, Job, JSSA and JS first within the laboratory batch job, and then within each related original job.

The following statuses are possible for a Composite QC Status at various levels in a job.

Composite QC Status	Definition
Not Tested	The initial state of QC assessment.
Not Required	The QC assessment is not required for the sample due to its Primary Analytical Type or Secondary Analytical Type or assessment limits not being available.
Pass	The QC assessment has passed. This means no failure exists on the contributing scheme limit assessment, standard assessment, precision assessment nor specification assessment (for the primary specification).
Ignore Failure	Only relevant in context of QC history. If a result underwent QC assessment and achieved a Composite QC Status of Failure, if it is subsequently ignored, then in QC history the QC Status is recorded as Ignored Failure.
Ignore Lower Failure	Only relevant in context of QC history. If a result underwent QC assessment and achieved a Composite QC Status of Lower Failure, if it is subsequently ignored, then in QC history the QC Status is recorded as Ignored Lower Failure.
Ignore Upper Failure	Only relevant in context of QC history. If a result underwent QC assessment and achieved a Composite QC Status of Upper Failure, if it is subsequently ignored, then in QC history the QC Status is recorded as Ignored Upper Failure.
Ignore Trend Failure	Only relevant in context of QC history. If a result underwent QC assessment and achieved a Composite QC Status of Trend Failure, if it is subsequently ignored, then in QC history the QC Status is recorded as Ignored Trend Failure.
Warning	At least one result that underwent QC assessment returned a warning.
Lower Warning	The QC assessment of a result was below the lower warning limit.
Upper Warning	The QC assessment of a result was above the upper warning limit.
Trend Warning	The QC assessment of a result failed trend analysis for warning limits.
Failure	At least one result that underwent QC assessment returned a failure.
Lower Failure	The QC assessment of a result was below the lower failure limit.
Upper Failure	The QC assessment of a result was above the upper failure limit.
Trend Failure	The QC assessment of a result failed trend analysis for failure limits.

The following table defines the meaning of Workflow Status and Composite QC Status at any level in a job. (Of course, SSA can be set to have a Workflow Status of Listed Not Received, Insufficient Sample, Not Analysed or No Result, but this table is to do with result entry.)

Point in analytical process	Composite QC Status	Workflow Status	Impact
No results are entered	Not Tested	Not Started
Some results are entered	Pass, Failure, Warning, Ignored Failure, Not Required	Started (not applicable at sample scheme analyte level)
A critical detection limit failure exists in the set of results which impacts workflow status, and a critical QC failure exists somewhere in the set of results	Failure	Check	Results cannot be released nor validated.
A critical detection limit failure exists in the set of results which impacts workflow status and no critical QC failures exist in the set of results	Pass, Warning, Ignored Failure, Not Required	Check	Results cannot be released nor validated.
No critical detection limit failures exist in the set of results, however a critical QC failure exists somewhere in the set of results	Failure	Analysed	Results can be released but cannot be validated.
No critical detection limit failures and no critical QC failures exist in the set of results.	Pass, Warning, Ignored Failure, Not Required	Analysed	Results can be released and then validated.
Results are released, however a critical QC failure exists somewhere in the set of results	Failure	Released	Results cannot be validated.
Results are released and no critical QC failures exist in the set of results	Pass, Warning, Ignored Failure, Not Required	Released	Results can be validated.
Results are validated	Pass, Warning, Ignored Failure, Not Required	Completed	End state

Example: If a replicate QC sample has all its results, then the Workflow Status is rolled up as Analysed at the sample scheme and sample levels. However, if a QC failure results in the Composite QC Status being rolled up as Failure, this prevents the Workflow Status moving to Completed. This means there is a QC issue that needs to be resolved, before the sample can be considered completed. An ignore QC process changes the Composite QC Status to Ignored Failure, which then allows the sample scheme and sample to move on to have a Workflow Status of Completed.