Sharing physical laboratory space optimizes resource use among research departments, improves collaboration, and reduces costs. Universal inventory management is essential to successful space sharing, item tracking and availability, and data mining; therefore, our lab was interested in a tool for these purposes. Different research groups have differing needs, priorities, and considerations. We investigated prebuilt inventory management programs, and we found a custom Microsoft (MS) Access reference database to be optimal. We designed a custom MS Access abstract inventory data model around previously established needs with information gathered in staff interviews and meetings. We performed a physical inventory of all cryopreserved samples to allow uniform data entry when migrating to the database. We created manuals and protocols, and the staff was trained on entering data. Using a universal inventory system allows for quick report generation of physical inventory, which in turn preserves sample quality by reducing redundancy as well as time locating vials. Users can run queries to report a wide range of sample characteristics. Storage information can be easily analyzed for statistically significant trends, samples have reliable traceability, and data are auditable for accuracy.

共享物理实验室空间可以优化研究部门之间的资源使用，改善协作并降低成本。通用库存管理对于成功的空间共享、物品跟踪和可用性以及数据挖掘至关重要；因此，我们的实验室对用于这些目的的工具很感兴趣。不同的研究小组有不同的需求、优先事项和考虑因素。我们调查了预先构建的库存管理程序，我们发现自定义 Microsoft (MS) Access 参考数据库是最佳选择。我们设计了一个自定义的 MS Access 抽象库存数据模型，围绕先前建立的需求以及在员工访谈和会议中收集的信息。我们对所有冷冻保存的样本进行了物理清点，以便在迁移到数据库时实现统一的数据输入。我们创建了手册和协议，工作人员接受了输入数据的培训。使用通用库存系统可以快速生成实物库存报告，从而通过减少冗余和时间定位小瓶来保持样品质量。用户可以运行查询来报告广泛的样本特征。可以轻松分析存储信息的统计显着趋势，样本具有可靠的可追溯性，并且数据可审计以确保准确性。