Stable identity
Use the sample number, external reference, source, sample type, and receipt details as the durable identity that every related record points back to.
Identity, location, and status
Know where each sample is, who has it, and what happens next
Track laboratory samples through receipt, movement, handoff, assigned work, exceptions, review, retention, return, or disposal without copying status between disconnected logs.
Opens the populated Jodoo example after sign-in. Start with the Free plan for up to five users; no credit card required.
The example provides operational location and handoff history. Legal chain-of-custody, evidence handling, and regulated records require your own qualified review and controls.
- Keep the sample number and external reference stable across every related record
- Record each move or handoff with time, locations, person, and container condition
- Show current work, overdue steps, exceptions, and final disposition beside location history
One IDacross receipt, work, and reviewEvent historyfor moves and handoffsLive queuesfor overdue and blocked work
Keep identity separate from changing location, work, and status
A tracking system needs a stable sample record plus event and work records that can change over time. If the current location, owner, and result are repeatedly overwritten in one row, the earlier path disappears.
Current operational state
Show the latest sample stage, storage location, coordinator, technician, required-by time, priority, and disposition on the sample record.
Movement history
Create an event for each receipt, move, handoff, check-out, return, or disposal so the route is preserved rather than replaced.
Work and exception history
Keep assignments, results, blockers, exceptions, reviews, and decisions as separate related records with their own dates and owners.
Capture enough context without turning every move into a long form
A useful event explains what moved, when, between which locations, who handled it, and whether the container or seal condition changed. The form can stay short on mobile while the sample record retains the wider context.
Select the sample
Use a lookup or scan to identify the correct sample and bring its external reference and type into the event.
Choose the event
Distinguish received, moved, handed over, checked out, returned, and disposed events so history can be filtered and interpreted.
Record from and to
Store both locations and the event time. A move should not leave the previous and new location ambiguous.
Confirm condition and handler
Add the person, container or seal condition, handoff note, and evidence when they matter to the operating process.
Combine a current-state view with the underlying events
Users often need the latest location immediately, but managers and reviewers also need to understand how the sample arrived there. Jodoo can show both the current sample fields and the related movement list.
Current sample view
Filter by storage location, sample stage, priority, required-by time, coordinator, or technician to answer where attention is needed now.
Event timeline
Open the related movements in order to see each from location, to location, event type, time, handler, condition, and note.
Work beside location
Display assignments and due dates with current location so technicians do not chase a sample that is held, returned, or moved.
Disposition and retention
Keep release, retain, return, or disposal decisions visible after active work ends, including the retention-until date when used.
Treat wrong location, damaged receipt, overdue work, and unexplained handoffs as owned exceptions
The app can turn a tracking problem into a record with severity, immediate control, action owner, due date, review comments, and closure state. That is more useful than changing the sample status to a vague warning.
Sample not where expected
Open an exception with the last known location, expected location, latest handler, affected work, and the action to locate or replace the sample.
Container or seal concern
Preserve the event and condition, hold the sample if required, attach evidence, and record the control and review path.
Work blocked by location
Keep the assignment blocked with a clear reason while the location exception has a separate owner and due date.
Unexplained status change
Use the movement and assignment histories to reconcile who changed what and restore the correct current state without deleting the earlier record.
Reduce lookup and typing without removing the controls people need
A phone-ready form can scan or select the sample, record the move, confirm condition, and save the event close to the work. The implementation should also provide a manual lookup path and clear feedback when a code is unreadable or wrong.
Scan or search
Use barcode or QR-code fields when labels and devices are available. Otherwise, search by sample number or external reference.
Short event form
Show only event type, time, locations, handler, condition, note, and evidence on the common mobile path.
Conditional questions
Ask for a reason, immediate action, photo, or reviewer only when the event or condition requires it.
Immediate visibility
Save the movement to the shared sample history so the receiving desk, technician, coordinator, and reviewer see the same latest event.
Use operational measures that lead to a record and an action
Counts are helpful when each count can be opened. A manager should be able to move from the summary to the exact sample, event, assignment, or exception that needs attention.
Samples without a current location
Find accepted or active samples whose current storage or work location is blank, invalid, or inconsistent with the latest movement.
Overdue handoffs or work
Compare the required-by time and assignment due time with the latest status and owner.
Open location exceptions
Monitor age, severity, affected work, action owner, due date, containment, and verification state.
Receipt-to-assignment time
Measure how long accepted samples wait before work is assigned, then inspect the samples behind long delays.
Built for current-state visibility and traceable history
See where each sample is, who owns it, and what happens next
The tracking view keeps the latest operational state easy to scan while related movement, container, assignment, exception, and review records preserve the history behind it.
A strong fit: Teams that have outgrown a single spreadsheet row because samples move, split into aliquots, change hands, or carry several assignments.
What the opening view proves: Current location, custodian, stage, next action, deadline, container hierarchy, and recent handoffs all lead back to the same sample identity.
Set the required controls: Legal chain-of-custody, evidence handling, retention, identity labels, and regulated access rules should be designed and validated for the intended use.
Practical questions about sample tracking software
What is the difference between sample tracking and sample management?+
Sample tracking focuses on identity, current location, custodian, status, movement, and handoff history. Sample management covers the wider lifecycle, including receipt, assignments, results, exceptions, review, retention, and disposition.
Can Jodoo provide a chain-of-custody record?+
Jodoo can record operational custody and location events with time, people, locations, condition, notes, and evidence. Legal or regulated chain-of-custody requirements must be defined, configured, and validated by qualified stakeholders for the intended use.
Can staff scan a sample on a phone?+
Yes. Jodoo supports barcode and QR-code use in mobile forms. The code format, label printing, device behavior, error handling, and fallback lookup should be tested in the real work environment.
How does the app handle several tasks for one sample?+
Each task is a related assignment with its own method, technician, due time, work state, result, blocker, and evidence. The sample record can show the current stage while retaining every assignment.
Can tracking data be imported from a spreadsheet?+
Yes. Clean the identifiers, locations, statuses, owners, dates, and duplicates first. Import stable sample records separately from movement history and work records so the relationships remain clear.
Explore the populated laboratory workspace
Explore the sample tracking appFollow a sample across receipt, work, handoff, exception, and review
Open the populated workspace to see how stable sample identity, event history, current queues, and linked decisions work together before adapting the fields and labels to your operation.