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Managing Sampling in CATS
This section has information on adding and reviewing sampling results, including attaching specific traffic marks to the samples, creating Sampling Orders from a sample entry, and running reports of sampling results.
Sample entries allow you to record details about the sampling of specific traffic material. You can record key dates, sampler notes, and the overall status of each sample. This information can be tied to specific traffic marks, making the sampling results for any material quickly available from the corresponding traffic screen.
Adding Sample Entries
You may add received or outgoing samples. Received samples are sent to you to test and buy. Outgoing samples are sent out to a perspective buyer to test.
To add a received sample go to, Traffic > Sampling > Add Sample > Received Sample.
Or to add an outgoing sample, go to Traffic > Sampling > Add Sample > Outgoing Sample.
This is the grid to add the batch process entries. Enter criteria for the received sample you are adding.
- Status, Sample Reference and Date are CATS generated.
- Sample Type, Supplier, Product and Units and Measure must be filled in.
- Purchase Number, Customer Reference ect. are optional.
Click in any box and start typing to add a sample.
For example, click in the sample type box. Type in the sample type code. Or you can type in one letter, press enter and then select your sample type form the pop up box. Select your sample type and press Continue.
Once you have added the samples, select Saveon the top menu.
CATS will save the samples.
Sample Management Screen
You can review or edit a sample at any time. Select Traffic > Sampling > Review Samples.
Select the sample entry to review and press Continue.
On the sample management screen, you can see the status of the pre-shipment sample entry you have added.
From the the top menu bar you can Add, Edit or Delete the sample.
Choose Edit to make any changes or add additional criteria to this sample.
Once you edit a sample, choose Save on top menu bar.
Your changes will be shown on the sample management screen.
Working With Sample Marks
A sample can be designated for one or more sample marks and each mark can have its own result. (This allows the sampler to apply different results to different material from the same sample). Every sample added should have at least one mark.
To attach traffic marks from an existing traffic screen to the sample select Get Marks. CATS will display the marks for the contract specified on the sample entry.
Rather than selecting by traffic screen, you can also search for existing material using the Cargo Number, Container, ICO Marks, Lot Number, or Warehouse Rcpt numbers.
CATS will present a list of the material with matching identifier.
For traffic marks added using the Get Marks feature, you can also pull up the traffic mark itself by selecting Marks > Traffic Marks from the menu. This will bring up a list of all the traffic marks that are on the current sample entry.
Select a traffic mark and Continue.
CATS will display a dialog with the traffic mark information for the selected record.
Finally, you can add line item to the sample manually by selecting Marks > Add from the menu.
Enter info and press Apply.
This entry will not be tied to any traffic material, so is best used for situations where you're sampling material without a purchase contract or if you want to enter a multiple results for the same sample.
Review Existing Samples
You can review or edit a sample at any time. Select Traffic > Sampling > Review Samples.
Select the sample entry to review and press Continue.
Once you select your sample, the sample management screen will show. From here you can edit the sample details, enter a sampling result, delete the sample entry, or modify the sample marks.
Forward a Sample (Child Link)
You can send a sample you are sampling to others to try as well. Go to, Traffic > Sampling > Review Samples.
From the sample management screen, go to Forward on the top menu bar.
Select sample type and press Continue.
Add the sent sample entry and press Apply.
Sample has been added and will show on screen. Press Exit to return to the scan sample page.
The sample you have forwarded will be listed under the column labeled Child Link. Press Exit to return to the main menu.
When you go in to review the sample you have forwarded, you will see that it is now linked to the original sample.
Exit to return to main menu.
Scanning the List of Sample Entries
To see a list of all samples go to, Traffic > Sampling > Scan samples.
The list of samples will show. You can Add, Review or Edit the scans from the top menu bar.
- Add - To add a new sample.
- Edit - Choose edit to make any changes or add additional criteria to this sample.
- Delete - Will delete this sample entry.
Press Exit to return to main menu.
Creating a Sampling Order from a Sample
To create a sampling order, open the sample that you want to create an order. Once the sample screen is open go to SO on the top menu bar and choose Add Sample Order.
Enter an order number and press Save.
Enter an account code and press Apply.
The sampling order is complete. Go to Prn on top menu bar to choose a print option.
Scanning Marks
Use the scan marks tool to see detailed records of all traffic marks attached to a sample. Go to Traffic > Sampling > Scan Marks.
Here is a list of all marks.
Adding Sampling Results directly to Marks
You may want to show something has been sampled without creating a sampling order. You can add the sampling result directly to the mark. You can also approve or reject the sampling result from here.
Go to Contract > Purchase > Location.
Choose the contract specific to the mark you are adding to.
Double-click on the mark.
Add in the sampling results on this page.
Once you add the sampling results you can leave it as pending, or approve or reject it.
Working with a Sampling Order
Once a traffic form (SO) is created, you can add a sample to the order. Go to Sample on the top menu bar.
Choose to add a received or outgoing sample.
Select the sample type and then Continue.
Next, add the details to the sample entry. Press Apply to continue.
The sample has been created. Press Exit to return to the traffic form.
Run a Sampling Report
The sampling report allows you to generate reports of all the sample information entered in CATS. For more information on creating and working with reports in CATS see Creating a report.
To run a sampling report select Traffic > Sampling > Sampling Report.
Select the report format. You can modify and print report from this screen.
Choose Modify to change order or columns.
Choose Print to print the report.
Sampling report.