A diary, a whiteboard and a driver on the phone
Clients call or email to ask for a collection: two cool boxes from a food factory, water samples from a site, a batch from a clinic. The customer services team writes each request in the collections diary. At the end of the day, someone builds tomorrow's runs on a whiteboard and prints a list for each driver. During the day, extra requests are phoned through to drivers, who scribble them on the list.
When a collection is missed, the client phones, annoyed. When samples arrive, reception did not know they were coming, and there is no record of when they were collected, which matters for samples with holding times.
Why collections go wrong
- Requests arrive by phone and email, with details missing.
- Cut-off times for same-day collection are not enforced consistently.
- Runs are planned by hand from a diary.
- Drivers work from paper, and changes during the day are passed by phone.
- Collection times are not recorded in a way the LIMS can use.
Holding times add pressure. For some sample types, the time between collection and the start of analysis matters, and a collection made late in the day, or left in a van overnight, can make a sample unsuitable. Without a recorded collection time, reception has only the client's word for when it was taken and collected.
What it costs
Missed collections upset clients and can mean resampling. Samples arrive without the lab knowing, so the morning peak is harder to plan. Holding-time questions cannot be answered because collection times are not recorded. Customer services spend time on the phone with drivers.
| Step | Diary and paper | Booking and runs |
|---|---|---|
| Request | Phone or email | Online booking with required details |
| Cut-off | Applied inconsistently | Enforced by the booking form |
| Run planning | Whiteboard | Runs built from bookings, adjusted by a planner |
| Driver list | Printed, changed by phone | On a phone app, updated live |
| Proof of collection | Signature on paper, if any | Time, signature and count recorded |
| Reception | Surprised by arrivals | Expected-arrivals list |
How we build it
- Clients book collections online, choosing a site, date and number of boxes, with your cut-off times applied automatically.
- Regular collections are set up once and repeat.
- A planner sees tomorrow's bookings grouped by area and builds runs, with suggested orders by route.
- Drivers use a phone app that shows their run, updates live when a booking is added, and records each collection with time, box count and a signature or photo.
- Missed or failed collections are recorded with a reason, and the client is notified.
- Reception sees what has been collected and is on its way, with collection times that can pass to the LIMS on registration.
Clients who book regularly, such as a factory with daily production samples, can set up standing collections that appear on runs automatically, with a simple way to skip a day. That removes a large share of the phone calls without anyone having to remember.
After the change
Bookings arrive complete and on time. Drivers work from a live list. Clients get confirmation when their samples are collected. Reception can plan the morning, and collection times are on record for every sample.
Managers can see collection volumes by area and day, which helps decide whether runs and vehicles match demand.
Does your collection service work like this?
- Collections are requested by phone and email.
- Runs are planned on a whiteboard or in a diary.
- Drivers work from printed lists.
- Collections are sometimes missed.
- Reception does not know what samples are on the way.