Signing and Locking Result Sets in OpenLab CDS

Answer

This Information Applies to: Agilent OpenLab CDS

Issue

Locking results sets upon signing, and its effect on the E-sign process.

Background:

Check the articles on:

• How enforced signatures affect the E-sign process
• What happens if you do not lock results upon signing or enforce a signature order?
• How to define signatures and signature levels in the OpenLab Control Panel.
• How to create and edit roles in the OpenLab Chromatography Data System. 

Signatures can only be set up for an OpenLab CDS that requires a log-in username and password.
eSignature is only supported for Result Sets, not for single samples.

Signature levels and users/group are defined as such in Figure 1 and Figure 2, respectively:

Figure 1: Signature Levels

Figure 2: Users/Groups setting for signature

Requirements

Users will need specific Roles and Privileges for eSignature.

• To sign a Result Set, users will need the privileges: Project Management > Edit content of project and eSignature > eSignature Sign Data Files.
• Depending on the eSignature workflow, users will also need the privileges: Project Management > Edit content of project, Lock > Lock Results, and Lock > Unlock Results.

Steps to Follow

1. Define the result locking pattern that users require for data:
   
   1. Click Lock results on the signing (Figure 3).
      

      
      
      Figure 3:Lock result on signing"
      

   2. Choose one of the three options on how to lock results:
      
      • Always: 
        This option locks results after every signature.
      • At level:
        This option only works if users do not check the enforced signature order box.
        • Selecting At level > 2 will lock the results after the first two steps in the enforce order are completed.
          The result will lock after someone with a Technician role level 1, followed by someone with the Shift Supervisor role level 2, both E-sign the result set (Figure 4).
          

          
          
          Figure 4: "At level" option 
          
          

      • At step:
        This option only works if users check the enforced signature order box.
        • Selecting At step > 2 will lock the results after a Lab Manager level 1 and a Technician level 2 E-sign the results (Figure 5).
          

          
          
          Figure 5: "At step" option
          
          

   3. Click OK.
2. When the locking conditions are met upon signing, the result set is unavailable for either linking methods, reprocessing or requantifying (Figure 6). 
   • • The only way to unlock them is to have a user with Unlock results privileges unlock the result.
     • Before unlocking, the eSignature need to first be revoked, otherwise the Unlock option remains inaccessible (Figure 7). After revoking signatures, the Unlock option becomes available. 

       
       
       Figure 6. Processing method options are unavailable
       
       

       
       
       Figure 7. Revoking signatures
       
       

Confirmation: Users now have correctly set up the E-sign process that requires locking results after a signature (at a particular desired step or level )

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