New Analytical Services Request Form

                   09/07/2000 

 
To:       GS-W All
cc: 
Subject:  New Analytical Services Request Form

In July 2000, the Office of Water Quality announced that a standardized 
Analytical Services Request (ASR) form would be implemented bureau wide, 
effective October 1, 2000. Although October 1, 2000, is the proposed 
implementation date, customers have already begun using the new ASR form 
to submit samples to the National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL). 
Approximately one third of all samples are being submitted with the new 
ASR. It has been a pleasant surprise to see this immediate acceptance of 
the new form. 

Because of the early use of the new ASR, we have observed some things that 
we would like to pass along for future reference.


Mandatory information - User codes, medium code, and sample types have not 
been consistently supplied. These fields are needed to ensure proper sample 
login and routing of all sample data and billing information.

Site/sample/special project information - Comments to the NWQL are being 
placed in the NWQL login comment location. Any comments to the NWQL should 
be included in Site/Sample/Special Project Information under comments to 
the NWQL. This information is input during data entry and is available to 
our analysts prior to the start of the analytical process. 

Analytical work request information - A or D fields are not being circled 
in the analytical work request section to indicate if a lab code is to be 
added or deleted.

Shipping Information - The NWQL login comment field is reserved for 
internal login comments.

Field values/Field comments are reserved for field use only. Information 
will not be entered during data entry or used by the NWQL. 

Altered ASR - Several customers have already altered the new ASR. Because 
the ASR has been designated as mandatory throughout the bureau, no changes 
should be made to the form. 

Insufficient information - Sample bottles are being received with 
insufficient information to match them to the correct ASR.

From our standpoint, the new ASR has been a real success and we greatly 
appreciate our customers working with us to make this transition and 
improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire sample submission 
process.

If you have questions or comments regarding the new ASR, please contact 
Will Lanier at 303-236-3710 or e-mail wdlanier@usgs.gov.





Will Lanier
Support Services Supervisor, NWQL
P.O. Box 25046, MS 407
Denver, CO 80225-0046
E-mail wdlanier@usgs.gov
Voice mail 303-236-3710
FAX 303-236-3719