Anatomy of a SENAITE Analysis Service

If you’re new to SENAITE, one concept unlocks most of the setup. It’s called the Analysis Service. Almost everything a lab does (booking samples, entering results, generating reports) hangs off this one object. Once its parts click, the rest of the system reads like a story.

What it represents

An Analysis Service is a single measurement your lab performs. Not a method, not an instrument, not a workflow, but the thing you report a number for. “pH”, “Nitrate as N”, and “Total Coliform” each get exactly one Analysis Service.

The parts

The Keyword is a short, unique identifier used in formulas, imports, and the JSON API. Once set, treat it as immutable.

The Unit is what the result gets reported in (mg/L, CFU/mL, pH units). It shows up alongside every result.

The Category groups related services on sample forms and worksheets. Keep them coarse. The lab wants to find things, not admire the tree.

Methods are which analytical procedure produces the result. A service can offer several, and the user picks per sample. The Instruments field controls which piece of equipment is allowed to run it, which ties into calibration and QC downstream.

Result options are optional. If you set them, the user picks from a fixed list (“Positive”, “Negative”, “Not detected”) instead of typing a free-form number. Specifications define the reference range that flags a result as in-spec, out-of-spec, or a shoulder.

Why this matters

Every downstream feature (Worksheets, Analysis Profiles, Calculations, Specifications, Verifications) references Analysis Services. Get the Keyword, Unit, and Category right on day one and you save yourself a migration later. Get the Method and Instrument metadata right and half of your accreditation paperwork writes itself.

One rule of thumb

Model your Analysis Services after what you report, not after what your instrument outputs. If two instruments both produce “Nitrate as N in mg/L”, that’s one Analysis Service with two possible methods. Two separate services with duplicated ranges, specifications, and QC is the wrong shape.

If you want to see this in practice, our SENAITE workshops start here and build outward. The setup makes a lot more sense once this piece is solid.