Configure Electronic Signatures

BaseSpace Clarity LIMS provides the ability to configure a step such that it requires sign-off by electronic signature (eSignature) before it can be completed.

• Steps that have eSignature enabled display an eSignature enforcement button on the Record Details screen, and require valid eSignature credentials (username and password) to be entered.
• Next Steps cannot be viewed until these credentials have been entered with eSignature signing permission.
• Until the step has been completed, any changes made to the step will again require an eSignature sign off.
• All eSignature events, successful or not, are recorded with the step and in the audit trail.

Permission to sign an eSignature is a role-based permission. For details, see Configure Role-Based Permissions.

By default, lab scientists cannot sign off on their own work.

eSignature enforcement is achieved by configuring the eSignature.Enabled and eSignature.RequiresDifferentReviewer properties, using the omxprops-ConfigTool.jar tool at:

/opt/gls/clarity/tools/propertytool

• eSignature.Enabled
– Description: Enables/disables eSignature for step execution
– Default value: false
– Result: By default, eSignature enforcement on step execution is not enabled.
• eSignature.RequiresDifferentReviewer
– Description: Determines whether the eSignature must be provided by someone other than the person executing the step.
– Default value: true
– Result: By default, if eSignature.Enabled is set to "true", the eSignature must be provided by someone other than the person executing the step.

To change the default settings for eSignature enforcement, contact the Clarity LIMS Support team for assistance.

When eSignature is globally enabled, you can enable/disable eSignature requirement for any step.

This setting is available on the Record Details milestone in master step/step configuration (accessible from the Lab Work configuration screen). For details, see Record Details Milestone.

By default, eSignature is enabled for steps.

When eSignature is enabled for a step:

• The Record Details screen shows the eSignature button and the Next Steps button is disabled.
• Selecting eSignature opens a dialog that requires valid eSignature credentials to be entered. Before proceeding to the next step, another user with the permission to sign eSignatures must sign in to the system and sign the eSignature.
• After valid eSignature credentials have been entered, the Next Steps button is enabled.

Hovering over the eSignature button displays a tooltip showing who signed the step and when.