In the first part of Lesson 3, we'll start by explaining how the Inventory module is structured– the three levels of Inventory that you can have on Labstep. The Inventory module in Labstep is a powerful tool for managing your lab's resources. From tracking the general Category of items to a particular batch, Labstep enables you to meticulously record what you have in the lab and connect it to your research, so you can even automatically add samples created within an experiment to your Inventory!

Items

Items 101

The most granular level of the Inventory module is Items. These represent the physical items you have in the lab. You can specify their location, amount remaining, and other metadata specific to the item. Each item also has a unique QR code that you can print and scan, which will help with stock checks.

How to Create an Item

To create a new Item, follow these steps:

Go to the Inventory module
Click on "Item View"
Click on "New Item"
Select a Resource
Name the new Item (or it'll automatically take the Resource's name and add #1, #2, #3...)

You can also create items from the Resource page by clicking the "New Item" button.

How to Delete an Item

To delete an Item, follow these steps:

Go to the Inventory module
Click on "Item View"
Click the vertical ellipsis next to the Item's name
Click on "Delete"

If you're looking to delete or edit in bulk, you can select the boxes next to the Item's name and then click on the relevant action. You can also delete and edit an Item from the Resource page. Please note depending on your permissions, not all actions will be available to you.

Resources

Resource 101

Resources can be used to group functionally identical items, such as different aliquots of the same sample or different batches of the same product e.g. Acetone or Cryopreserved Rat Kupffer Cells. If a Resource is not added to a Category, it will automatically be added to Uncategorised.

Resources are the best way to manage your Inventory in Labstep. You can also attach Resources to protocols/experiments, so you know exactly what to use to reproduce a protocol or experiment.

Within Resources, you can share/duplicate a resource, see who created a resource, attach images, create items/lots/batches of this Resource to attach in experiments, add customisable metadata, add comments, and view the full activity of the Resource.

How to Create a Resource

To create a new Resource, follow these steps:

Go to the Inventory module
Click on "Resource View"
Select a Category
Click "New Resource"
Rename it

How to Delete a Resource

To delete a Resource, follow these steps:

Go to the Inventory module
Click on "Resource View"
Click the vertical ellipsis next to the Resource's name
Click on "Delete"

If you want to delete or edit in bulk, select the boxes next to the Resource's name and then click on the relevant action. Please note that not all actions will be available to you, depending on your permissions.

Resource Categories

Resource Categories 101

Resource Categories are the highest level of the Inventory module. They work like Collections and can be used to group resources into broad general buckets such as "Reagents," "Samples," and "Chemicals".

To access Resource Categories, click on the Inventory module and then click on "Resource View". You will see a list of all your Resource Categories. You can also search through categories by clicking the search icon.

To manage categories, click on the cogwheel next to the category name. Please note that your ability to manage categories will depend on your permissions at the workspace level.

How to Create a Resource Category

To create a new Resource Category, follow these steps:

Go to the Inventory module
Click on "Resource View"
Click "New Resource Category"
Rename it

How to Delete a Resource Category

To delete a Resource Category, follow these steps:

Go to the Inventory module
Click on "Resource View"
Click the vertical ellipsis next to the Category's name
Click on "Delete"

Typical Item-Resource-Category Structure

Example 1

Item: Acetic Acid Batch #324

Resource: Acetic Acid

Category: Stock Chemicals

Example 2

Item: Gibco™ Mouse (ICR) Inactivated Embryonic Fibroblasts #1

Resource: Gibco™ Mouse (ICR) Inactivated Embryonic Fibroblasts

Category: Cell Lines

Example 3

Item: NR4-XYZ

Resource: 240325

Category: Sample Database

Conclusion

Labstep's Inventory module offers a comprehensive solution for managing your lab's resources efficiently. With its structured approach across three levels – Resource Categories, Resources, and Items – Labstep provides a powerful organisational framework. By utilising Resource Categories, users can group resources effectively, streamlining resource management. Resources allow for detailed tracking and attachment to experiments, enhancing reproducibility. Meanwhile, Items provide granularity, enabling tracking of specific batches or bottles with unique identifiers.

Labstep's Inventory module empowers users with tools for creating, deleting, and bulk managing resources and items, all while maintaining control through customisable permissions. With Labstep, researchers can seamlessly integrate resource management with their workflows, optimising efficiency and productivity in the laboratory.