Take Product Sample

Overview

Select the Status Update drop-down in the left-hand panel.

Mark product as sampled for quality assurance or inspection by government authorities. Serialized Operations Manager does not decommission or destroy sampled serial numbers. If a compliance organization requires reporting of a sample event before a decommission or destroy event, sample the serial number in this function.

Product samples can be taken at various times between a product's production and its dispensation by both regulatory agencies and the product's owner.

A serial number that already has the Sampled attribute set can be set to Sampled again. TraceLink updates the attribute a second time.

Getting Started

Have easy access to the sample product's serial number.

When scanning, entering, or uploading a file to populate serial numbers, each number must be:

  • On a separate row.
  • Without any special characters.
  • In one of the formats below:

Used for:

  • Items
  • Innerpacks
  • Bundles
  • Cases and Shippers

The format is the AI(01)(21) serial number in barcode format:

  1. First is the 01 Application Identifier
  2. Followed by the GTIN-14 number
  3. Followed by the 21 Application Identifier
  4. Followed by the serial number

    Example: 010088202401033921725368249416

Used for:

  • Pallets
  • Mixed cases

The format is the AI(00) serial number in barcode format:

  1. First is the 00 Application Identifier
  2. Followed by the SSCC-18 code

    Example: 00008820200000050254

Used for:

  • Items
  • Innerpacks
  • Bundles
  • Cases and Shippers

The format is the full 20-digit China serial number, as in this example: 81102302020117515452

Watch how to preserve leading zeros!

Take Product Sample

  • Serial Numbers - The serial numbers of the sample product(s).
    • Scan Serial Numbers – Scan or type the serial numbers in the text box.

      Maximum of 30,000 characters.

    • Upload Serial Numbers From File – Upload a file with the serial numbers.

      The file must include only the serial numbers, no headings. Limit of one file per session. File size limit is 50 MB.

  • Inspection Country Code - The country the product is inspected for.
  • Sampling Entity - The company or location sampling the product (required if Inspection Country Code is Russia).

  • Sampling Reason Code - The reason a product is sampled (required if Inspection Country Code is Russia):

    • Archival Sample - The product is sampled to store as a record.

      • Serialized Operations Manager records this Reason Code as Sampled.

    • Conformity Control - The product is sampled by health authorities when imported to ensure quality standards.

      • Serialized Operations Manager records this Reason Code as Sampled by Authorities.

    • Selective Control - The product is sampled by health authorities at random to ensure quality standards.

      • Serialized Operations Manager records this Reason Code as Sampled by Authorities.

  • Reason Description - Description of the reason for the sampling (maximum 100 characters).

Some optional fields may be mandatory per a country's regulatory requirements. Select a country to view mandatory fields for that country.

These are not the only mandatory fields. See the "Mandatory Fields" drop-down for other requirements.

  • Sampling Entity - The company or location sampling the product.

  • Sampling Reason Code - The reason a product is sampled:

    • Archival Sample - The product is sampled to store as a record.

      • Serialized Operations Manager records this Reason Code as Sampled.

    • Conformity Control - The product is sampled by health authorities when imported to ensure quality standards.

      • Serialized Operations Manager records this Reason Code as Sampled by Authorities.

    • Selective Control - The product is sampled by health authorities at random to ensure quality standards.

      • Serialized Operations Manager records this Reason Code as Sampled by Authorities.

Available Actions

  1. Select the desired entity in the Show Data From drop-down at the top of the screen.
  2. Enter an Inspection Country Code in the type-ahead field.
  3. Enter a Sampling Entity in the type-ahead field.
  4. Select a Sampling Reason Code from the drop-down.
  5. Enter a Reason Description in the text field.
  6. Enter the Serial Numbers by selecting one of the following:

    • Select Upload Serial Numbers from File:
      1. Select the Choose File button.
      2. Browse for and select the desired CSV file.

        The CSV file cannot contain headers.

    • Select Scan Serial Numbers:
      • Enter the serial numbers in the text field.

        or

      • Scan the serial numbers in the text field with an Edge device.

  7. Select the Submit button.

    TraceLink disaggregates the sample product if the serial number is aggregated to a parent container serial number or parent serial number. The confirmation message "The status of the [Number of Serials Numbers] serial numbers you entered has been updated to Sampled." displays at the top of a blank Take Product Sample screen.

Error Messages

Errors either display at the top of the screen or are found in Info Exchange (may vary):

Error Message Description
Serial number [Serial Number] does not exist. The Serial Number does not exist
Serial number [Serial Number] is not commissioned. The Serial Number is not commissioned, which is a requirement for sampling.
Serial number [Serial Number] is not associated with Location [Location Name]. The Serial Number that relates to a company or location differs from the company or location that displays in the Show Data From menu.
Cannot update the status on serial number [Serial Number] with UOM [PackagingLevelUOM]. Serial numbers must be Eaches. The Serial Number is not an Each/unit-level which is a requirement to perform this function.
Operation could not be performed because serial number [Serial Number] is not empty. The container Serial Number is not empty, which is a requirement of this function.
Serial number [Serial Number] not Available. The Serial Number is not in an Available state, which is a requirement for sampling.