QEST Platform 4.91
Applies to QESTLab

This article describes how to add and configure work templates that can be applied to work orders.

Overview

A Work Template is a structural template for a work order that allow all the necessary samples, tests and reports to be automatically registered for a work order.

A work template may include:

The number of samples and the type of each sample.
The number and type of tests, reports or other documents added to each of the samples and the work order itself.
Predefined field values for any document, sample or the work order. e.g. a different predefined material for each sample.

Templates can be created for tests which are commonly performed together to save time during the sample registration process. Work Templates can be created either manually or from an existing work order which allows the data entry screens to be used to set up a template. These templates can then be used to create a Work Order and its samples and documents with initial values, all in one go.

Work Templates can only be created and modified by users with the Manage Work Templates permission.

Adding Work Templates

Work Templates can be created either from an existing work order, existing work template, or from scratch. Using existing work orders or templates allows the user to quickly setup a large number of work templates which relate to commonly done work. When there is not appropriate existing work, a new work template can be created and manually configured.

Copying from a Work Order

The easiest way to create a Work Template is from an existing Work Order.

Load or create a work order with the structure and starting values desired for the template entered.
From the Tools menu, select Work Templates -> Create from Current Work Order.
Choose when prompted whether to create this new work template as a global work template. If no is selected, the template is associated with the laboratory of the work order the template is being created from.
Enter a name for the work template. The names do not have to be unique, but should be descriptive enough to tell all the different templates at this laboratory apart. If no name is entered or the Cancel button is clicked then no template is created.
After clicking OK the template is created and the Edit Templates form displayed with the laboratory containing the new template selected. The new template can then be manually modified as required.

Copying from a Work Template

A template can be copied such that an existing template can be used as the basis for a new template. The entire contents of the template are copied including all samples, documents and field defaults.

From the Tools menu, select Work Templates -> Manage Work Templates.
Select the laboratory (or global) which has the work template in the top right.
Select the work template you wish to copy in the Work Templates list on the left-hand side.
Click the Save Work Template As... () button above the Work Templates list.
Enter a name for the new work template and click OK.
The template is then created and selected. The new template can now be further configured as required.

New Work Template

A new work template can be created from the Manage Work Templates form

From the Tools menu, select Work Templates -> Manage Work Templates.
Select the laboratory (or global) to which the work template should be added in the top right.
Click the New Work Template () button above the Work Templates list.
Enter a name for the new work template and click OK.
The template is then created and selected. The new template can now be configured as required.

Configuring Work Templates

To configure work templates:

From the Tools menu, select Work Templates -> Manage Work Templates.
Select the laboratory (or global) which has the work template in the top right.
Select the work template you wish to configure from the Work Templates list on the left-hand side.

Adding Samples, Tests and Reports

Click the document in the central Document tree which the sample, test or report is to be added to. When creating a new template only the Work Order document is available here and should initially be selected.

In the dialog, ensure the Add Samples/Tests/Reports tab is selected on the right-hand side then select the Work Order in the Document tree (the middle pane of the dialog).

The samples and work order reports that can be added to the work order will be displayed. To add samples and tests, select the appropriate sample and expand it to display the available tests and reports for that sample.

Test Reports

Note that reports will not be automatically added for the selected tests, the appropriate reports must also be selected as part of the sample structure if a test report is desired.

Availability

If an expected sample type, test or report does not appear in the list of available documents in the right hand pane, it is likely that access to this document has not been granted to the laboratory that the work order is in. Ask an administrator to double check the Regions & Laboratories configuration in the QEST Administrator Console.

Check the required samples, tests and reports and then click the Add Documents to Template ( ) button. The structure of samples, tests and reports to be added to the Work Order will be displayed in the document tree. Click the OK button. The number of samples can now be entered on the work order.

Search, Grouping and Ordering

To assist in finding the correct test, this dialog provides searching, grouping, and ordering capabilities.

Search

The search bar can be used to enter the partial name or method of a test in order to restrict the available documents only to those that partially or fully match the text entered in the search bar.

Grouping

The Group checkbox will group tests and documents by type.

Ordering

By default, documents are ordered by name, they can be ordered by method instead in order to group tests by standards body.

Modifying Added Structure

Once a structure has been defined in the middle pane of the dialog, but before the dialog has been closed, it can be modified. Care must be taken, however, to modify the correct level of document. Consider the following structure that has been defined on the dialog:

If there is a desire to also add a CBR test to the sample structure, the Aggregate/Soil Sample (Repeating) node in the middle panel must first be selected. This will ensure that new documents are added under the appropriate part of the work order hierarchy.

Clicking the Add Documents to Template ( ) button will add the new test to the sample appropriately.

If the Aggregate/Soil Sample (Repeating) node is not selected in the middle pane and the selection remains on the Work Order node then another, Fixed, sample will be added instead.

This will cause QESTLab to add a single sample with a CBR test, rather than adding a CBR test under each added sample.

Repeating Samples

Samples added to a work template are repeating samples by default.

Repeating samples allow the number of samples to be entered into the bulk entry after the work order has been added. Each sample has the structure defined in the work template.

Fixed Samples

Samples can be fixed, meaning that only the number of these samples defined in the template will be added to the work order, without the possibility to add more. They are displayed in blue to differentiate them from the other samples.

To change the state of samples:

Click on the sample in the Document tree that you wish to set the state on.
Click the Set Sample Repeating () button to toggle the state of the sample.

It is possible to have both repeating and fixed samples in the same work template but there can only be one repeating sample definition on any work order. The repeating samples will show below fixed samples of the same type in the work template when configuring it.

Optional Tests

Tests in the template can be set as optional. These are displayed in green to differentiate them from the other tests.

Optional tests are not added to their samples when the samples are created. Instead a row for the test is shown in the bulk entry grid where the user may add the test against samples as desired.

To change the state of the test:

Click on the test in the Document tree that you wish to set the state on.
Click the Set Document Optional () button to toggle the state of the sample. (This is the same button used in Repeating Samples, described above)

Predefined Field Values

Predefined values (defaults) can be set for the fields of each document that is part of the work template.

Select the document from the central Document tree to which predefined values will be added.
Select the Predefined Values tab on the right-hand side.
Scroll down to the appropriate field and enter the predefined value.
Repeat these steps for as many documents and fields as required.

Free-entry fields are provided for predefined values in the template. This makes them flexible, but it should be noted:

The entered values are not formatted or validated so only appropriate values should entered otherwise they may cause errors.
Generating the work template from an existing work order is the easiest and best way to create a work template with predefined values.
After changing the predefined field values, the template should be tested by using it to create a new Work Order and opening each of the created documents to ensure there are no errors and the correct predefined values are displayed.
System fields and fields with counters configured are not shown and cannot have predefined values.
Predefined values can be removed by deleting the value in the grid and saving the work template.

Products described on these pages, including but not limited to QESTLab®, QESTNet, QESTField, Construction Hive, and associated products are Trademarks (™) of Spectra QEST Australia Pty Ltd and/or related companies.

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