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Orders & SamplesOrder Lifecycle

Order Lifecycle

Every order in SeqDesk moves through a defined set of statuses. Understanding the lifecycle helps researchers know when they can edit orders and helps admins track progress.

Status Flow

DRAFT → SUBMITTED → COMPLETED
StatusWho Sets ItEditableDeletable
DRAFTCreated automaticallyYes — all fields and samplesYes
SUBMITTEDResearcher submitsLimitedAdmin only
COMPLETEDFacility adminNo (read-only)Admin only

Status Details

DRAFT

The initial state for every new order. The order is a work in progress.

  • Researcher can edit all order fields
  • Samples can be added, modified, or removed
  • The order is only visible to its creator (and facility admins)
  • No facility notifications are sent

SUBMITTED

The researcher has finished preparing the order and sent it to the facility.

  • The facility sees the order in their queue
  • The researcher sees any post-submission instructions configured by the admin
  • Sample data becomes read-only for the researcher
  • The facility admin can still edit fields if needed
  • A STATUS_CHANGE note is recorded automatically

COMPLETED

The facility marks the order complete when sequencing is finished and data is available.

  • All fields are read-only
  • Sequencing files can be assigned to samples
  • Samples can be added to studies for analysis
  • A STATUS_CHANGE note is recorded automatically

Status Notes

Status notes are an audit trail attached to each order. They are created automatically on status changes and can be added manually by facility admins.

Note TypeCreated ByDescription
STATUS_CHANGESystemRecords every status transition with timestamp
SAMPLES_SENTResearcherMarks when physical samples were sent to the facility

Notes appear on the order detail page, sorted newest first.

Department Sharing

When department sharing is enabled in admin settings, researchers can see orders from all members of their department, not just their own. This is useful for collaborative labs.

  • Enabled at Admin → Settings → Extra Settings → Department Sharing
  • Facility admins always see all orders regardless of this setting