Get Started with Inventory 🧪

Overview

RSpace Inventory is a flexible, customizable sample management and item tracking system that is fully integrated with the RSpace ELN. You can learn more the newest features and roadmap for this new and rapidly evolving module at the RSpace Inventory Hub. You can use RSINV to manage and track ANY large set of real or conceptual materials or items located in simple or complex nested containers or storage areas of any kind.

First steps & initial setup

The following video steps you through the initial setup of Inventory. A written version of the steps is provided below.

1. Before you start setting up Inventory:
   1. Ensure you can access the system through the Inventory tab:

      

   2. Decide who is responsible for setting up and keeping Inventory organised: this could be the PI, lab admin, RSpace system admin, inventory manager, or an RSpace power user.
   3. Watch the full overview video (also available below). You can also browse the Inventory documentation.
   4. You can schedule Inventory training for your lab by contacting us.
2. Create your top-level, lab-owned containers such as rooms, major storage areas, freezers and shelving units (see Create a Container). It is recommended that you set these top-level containers to only contain containers.
   Individuals can then create their own containers inside those top-level containers (see Move Samples and Containers). You can use photographs of your actual containers for visual containers or preview images to help users recognise them (see Edit Locations in Visual Containers).
3. Work with your colleagues to design and create the lab's most important sample templates (see Create and Use Sample Templates). Encourage your colleagues to make their own personal sample templates too.
4. If you have legacy sample data from other systems, convert that data to CSV and import the samples (see Import Samples into Inventory).
5. Use the system and encourage your colleagues to use it too. Cooperation & collaboration between individuals is crucial to the creation of consistent conventions, best practises, and definitions of samples and subsamples that will make your lab more efficient and organised.
6. Give us feedback on your experience, especially with respect to the roadmap. We need your help to prioritize new features added in future releases.

Full overview video

The following video overviews the main features of Inventory:

All Inventory videos and release updates can also be found on our YouTube playlist.

Documentation

All Inventory help articles can be found in the Inventory category, or through the in-app support panel.

The following articles are a good place to get started with using Inventory:

• Create a Container
• Create a Sample
• Create and Use Sample Templates
• Edit a Sample or Container
• Navigate Inventory
• Search Inventory
• Move Samples and Containers
• Import Samples into Inventory
• Use Benches in Inventory
• Using Inventory Lists of Materials in the ELN
• Exporting inventory data in .CSV format