How to Use the Lab System
3 simple actions — no account needed
Walk-in Usage
Go to The Lab → select your lab → find equipment
Click Start on an Active equipment card
Fill in: Name, Phone, Affiliation
Select duration + enter samples & material
Start Log → session recorded!
Book in Advance
Find equipment → click Book
Pick a date ≥ 2 days ahead + choose time slot
Fill in personal details + supervisor
Select payment method (Grant / Cash / Others)
Send Request → await coordinator approval
Report an Issue
Find equipment → click Report Issue
Enter your Name + Email
Select: Breakdown or Misconduct
Describe the issue in the text box
Submit → team notified instantly
1Browsing Lab Equipment
From the home page click The Lab. A lab selector appears — choose from the 13 IMEN labs.
Equipment cards appear. Use the search bar to filter by name.
Each card shows: image, asset ID, status badge, and action buttons based on the equipment's access mode.
Access Modes — what buttons appear
Shows Start button only. No advance booking required.
Shows Book button only. You must book first; on booking day, "Start" becomes "Check-in".
Shows both Start and Book. Walk-ins and pre-bookings both supported.
2Walk-in Equipment Usage
Click Start on an Active equipment card
If the card shows "In Use", wait for the session to end or contact your coordinator.
Fill in your details
Select duration
Enter sample quantity + material
The quantity label changes per equipment (pcs / mg / g / hours). Select material from dropdown if presets exist, or type your own.
Click Start Log
Equipment flips to "In Use". Your session appears on the Live Status screen in real time.
3Booking Equipment in Advance
Use the date picker (min 2 days ahead). Click Check Availability to see a monthly calendar where already-booked dates are highlighted red.
Smart conflict detection prevents double-booking. A Full Day booking blocks Morning and Afternoon slots on the same day.
Some equipment shows a 3-level process selector:
Processes under maintenance are shown as disabled with a 🔧 badge — you cannot select them.
If you are a lab coordinator (PIC), entering your registered email unlocks same-day booking automatically — a green badge appears.
Samples: Enter the quantity in the unit shown (pcs / mg / g / hours).
Materials: Choose from the preset dropdown or type your own.
Payment method — choose one:
📧 Coordinator receives a notification email with your full request.
📧 You receive a confirmation email — status is Pending until the coordinator acts.
4Check-in on Your Booking Day
Go to The Lab → select your lab → find your booked equipment → click Start / Check-in
Identity verification prompt appears
The system found an approved booking for today. It shows the booked user's name and time slot, then asks you to enter your phone number to verify identity.
Enter your phone number → click Verify Identity
If matched, the check-in form opens with your details pre-filled from the booking. The duration is locked to your booked slot.
Click Confirm Check-in → session logged, equipment shows "In Use"
5Reporting Equipment Issues
Find the equipment → click Report Issue (bottom of the card)
Enter your Name and Email (for follow-up and receipt)
Select issue type:
Equipment broken / not functioning → status set to Maintenance
Left in bad condition / misused → status set to Attention Required
For multi-process equipment — select affected processes
If the equipment supports multiple processes, checkboxes appear to select which ones are affected. Unaffected processes remain bookable — this creates a partial maintenance flag.
Describe the issue in the text box (be specific!)
Click Submit Report — automatic notifications sent to:
📧 Lab coordinator (PIC)
📧 All technical staff members
📧 You — confirmation receipt
🔴 Equipment status updated instantly on all screens
6Email Notifications You Will Receive
Sent immediately after you submit. Contains your full booking details; status is Pending.
Sent when coordinator approves. Includes next-step instructions. You're confirmed — go!
Sent with coordinator's reason in the remarks. Rebook or contact the coordinator.
Sent after you submit an issue report. Confirms the team has been notified.
Lab Coordinator Handbook
Manage equipment, bookings & staff — all from one panel
Access Admin Panel
Click Control on the home dashboard
Enter your PIC email address
Admin panel unlocks for your lab only
Approve / Reject Bookings
Admin Panel → Pending Bookings tab
Review: user, date, equipment, process, payment
Add remarks (required for rejection)
Click Approve or Reject → user emailed
Register New Equipment
Admin Panel → Equipment tab → Add Equipment
Set: name, asset ID, lab, image URL, description
Configure: access mode, tracking unit, calibration date
Add process capabilities + material presets
Save → appears in lab view immediately
Handle Equipment Alerts
Email alert arrives when a user reports any issue in your lab
Equipment status is already updated automatically
After repair: Edit equipment → set Status back to Active
Update calibration date if serviced
1Accessing the Admin Panel
From home page → click Control
Enter your PIC email when prompted. Only emails in the coordinator list are accepted.
Or via URL parameter
Append ?lab=YourLabName&view=admin to the app URL to open admin pre-filtered to your lab.
Admin Panel Tabs
2Approving & Rejecting Bookings
| Field to review | What to check |
|---|---|
| Name / Email / ID | Valid IMEN student or researcher? |
| Date & Slot | Slot still available? (system checks, but verify) |
| Process / Materials | Appropriate for this equipment? |
| Payment method | Grant ref or receipt number valid? |
| Supervisor | Is the supervisor aware? |
✅ Approve
- 1. Review details
- 2. Add remarks (optional)
- 3. Click Approve
- 4. User emailed immediately
❌ Reject
- 1. Review details
- 2. Enter rejection reason in remarks
- 3. Click Reject
- 4. User emailed with your reason
3Booking History
Filter by Status
All / Approved / Rejected — see only what you need.
Filter by Month
Select a specific month for period reporting.
Revoke a Booking
If circumstances change (e.g. equipment breaks down), revoke any approved booking. Returns it to Pending. User is notified.
4Registering New Equipment
Full descriptive name
Official university tag
Select from dropdown
Direct link to photo
Specs, usage instructions, safety notes
Status:
Access Mode:
Tracking Unit (determines the label on the sample quantity field):
Set the next calibration/service date. A colour-coded indicator shows on the equipment card:
Defines what processes the equipment can perform. Creates the cascading dropdowns users see when booking.
Each process can be individually flagged as under maintenance — allowing partial maintenance where some processes remain bookable.
Define a list of pre-approved materials. Users see these as a dropdown during booking/usage. They can also type custom materials not on the list — the preset is a convenience, not a restriction.
5Managing Existing Equipment
✏️ Edit Equipment
Equipment tab → Edit icon → same form as Add, pre-filled → Save. Changes are instant across all views.
🔄 Change Status (e.g. after repair)
Edit equipment → set Status to Active → clear maintenance reason → update calibration date → Save.
📤 Export Inventory CSV
Click the Export CSV button in the Equipment tab. Downloads a spreadsheet of all equipment in the current view.
🗑 Delete Equipment
Delete icon → confirm in dialog.
6Lab Management
➕ Add Lab
Labs tab → Add Lab → enter name → Save. Appears in all lab dropdowns immediately.
✏️ Rename Lab
Click lab → Edit icon → new name → Save.
🗑 Delete Lab
Removes the lab from the selector. Reassign all equipment first.
7Coordinator & Technical Staff
👤 Coordinators (Lab PIC)
Add: Coordinators tab → Add Coordinator → name, email, lab → Save
Edit: Edit icon → change name / email / lab assignment → Save
Remove: Delete icon → PIC loses admin access immediately
🛠 Technical Staff (Global)
Not lab-specific. Receive email alerts for all equipment issues across all labs.
Add: Technical Staff tab → Add Staff → name, email → Save
Edit / Remove: Same as coordinators
8Analytics & Reports
📊 Charts
- • Equipment usage hours (bar chart)
- • Material consumption tracking
- • Top 5 materials used
- • Equipment health status breakdown
🔍 Filters
- • Select lab
- • Select equipment
- • Filter by month
- • Filter by booking status
📤 Export Data
Click Export to download a timestamped CSV combining all logs and bookings for the selected filters.
9Maintenance Panel — System Archiving
🗄 Archiving (do this periodically)
- 1. Home → Maintenance → unlock with credentials
- 2. Click Archive
- 3. Current logs are copied to a timestamped archive sheet in Google Sheets
- 4. Active logs sheet is cleared for fresh data
10PIC Privileges Summary
Same-Day Booking
Enter your PIC email in the booking form — the 2-day minimum is lifted instantly. A green badge confirms priority access.
Auto Issue Notifications
Every equipment issue in your lab is emailed to you automatically. No manual checking needed.
Revoke Bookings
Revoke any approved or rejected booking from Booking History. Returns to Pending; user is notified.
Equipment Status Override
Set equipment to Maintenance, Active, or Attention any time via the Edit Equipment form.
🔬 PIC Routine Checklist
- ✓ Check Pending Bookings
- ✓ Monitor Live Status
- ✓ Clear Attention-flagged equipment
- ✓ Review Booking History
- ✓ Check calibration due dates
- ✓ Update equipment statuses
- ✓ Export analytics data
- ✓ Archive logs
- ✓ Review coordinator/staff list