Who is this article for?

Chemical inventory administrators who need to configure principal investigators (PIs) and storage locations before inventory can be managed.

Administrator permissions are required.

This article explains how to assign principal investigators and configure areas so that chemical ownership and storage locations are correctly established before inventory is added.

1. Understanding PI ownership and areas

Before chemical inventory can be tracked accurately, administrators must assign principal investigators and configure areas within each room. These two components establish who owns the inventory and where containers are stored.

1. Assign principal investigators to define who is responsible for room‑level inventory.
   • Principal investigators are user roles that allow individuals to own and manage chemical containers.
   • Only users with PI or PI‑equivalent permissions can add, edit, transfer, or dispose of containers in their assigned rooms.
   • Assigning PIs ensures each room has a responsible owner who maintains accurate records and supports compliance requirements.
2. Configure areas to define specific storage locations within each room.
   • Areas represent sublocations such as fume hoods, flammable cabinets, cold rooms, or desiccators.
   • Setting up areas improves inventory precision and supports safety inspections.
   • Accurate area configuration helps emergency responders locate hazardous materials quickly.
3. Establish a clear structure for how inventory is managed.
   • PIs control room‑level inventory ownership.
   • Areas provide container‑level location detail.
   • Both configurations are required before inventory can be added or managed effectively.

2. What you will configure

Administrators complete two setup tasks to prepare the system for accurate inventory tracking.

1. Configure users as principal investigators and assign them to the rooms they manage.
   • This ensures each room has a designated owner responsible for maintaining inventory accuracy.
   • Only assigned PIs can perform inventory actions within their rooms.
2. Create area types and assign areas to rooms.
   • Area types define categories of storage locations, such as cabinets or hoods.
   • Areas are then added to rooms so containers can be placed in precise sublocations.
   • Areas are used throughout inventory management, including container creation, transfers, and audits.

Completing these setup steps ensures that chemical inventory is both accountable and location‑accurate from the start.