There exists a repository of frozen cells and tissue unlike any other in the world. This repository is used for producing world class research and unique patient treatments. The story about recording and maintaining this inventory is the subject of the next few posts.
The inventory of frozen samples contains 250,000 frozen 1.8 mL Nunc Nalgene cryovials. More than 430,000 frozen vials have passed through the inventory. Information about the contents, location and quantity of these samples was written in 76,500 rows by 22 columns. In 2006, this body of information was slightly smaller (64,000 rows) and contained in a single Excel spreadsheet.
Routine manipulations of the data set included adding new entries, decrementing quantity, changing location, and making corrections to fields discovered to be out of step with the actual inventory samples. The logic and protocols responsible for making these changes were implemented and accomplished primarily by two technicians who were very careful in their administration of this large spreadsheet. Efficiently and effectively managing the inventory required these technicians to be very sensitive to subtle differences in data, extremely attentive to formatting details, and have intimate knowledge of the specific lexicon of the data.
Despite great care and herculean effort in maintaining this body of data, errors were inevitable. Many of these problems were obvious results of manual data entry and unchecked data manipulation. Copy/cut/paste, sorting, and typing data entry by humans lent themselves to precisely the sort of formatting, logical, and systematic problems that were constantly being discovered and repaired.
This vague description of the system in place should be sufficient to clearly illustrate that an Excel spreadsheet is the incorrect tool for the task. Without further details, it aught to be apparent that the tasks and data structure lend themselves to a relational database and semi-automated data entry and manipulation applications. The reaction of a person with the skills to identify these issues would likely be very similar to the reaction of a carpenter who encounters people hammering screws through boards.
