Who is this article for?

Chemical inventory administrators who need to configure users as principal investigators or inventory owners.

Administration permissions are required.

Before a user can own or manage chemicals in the Chemical Management System (CMS), they need the Principal Investigator (PI) role or another role with equivalent PI permissions.

1. Assigning the PI role

To configure a user as a PI, follow these steps:

1. Go to Data Manager, then select Users.
2. Click the blue details icon next to the user's name.

3. Scroll to the Room List section.
4. Click the edit pencil icon.

5. Search for the rooms where the user will manage inventory.
6. From the drop-down menu, assign the Principal Investigator role or PI-equivalent.

Note: You can review or update PI role settings at Edit Settings, then Labels, then Principal Investigator.

7. Save your changes to confirm the user as a PI for those rooms.

2. Understanding PI role requirements

The PI role grants authority to oversee containers, update records, and manage inventory within assigned rooms. Keep these key points in mind:

• A PI role must be assigned for each room the user manages
• If a user oversees multiple rooms, repeat the assignment process for each room
• PIs can add, edit, transfer, and dispose of containers within their assigned rooms

3. Using PI roles across industries

The PI role applies to various scenarios depending on your industry:

• Academia – Assign teaching lab supervisors as PIs so they can manage reagent orders and maintain compliance logs
• Manufacturing – Give production supervisors PI status for specific chemical storage areas on the floor
• Construction – Assign site safety officers as PIs for hazardous materials storage areas
• Industry and utilities – Configure maintenance managers as PIs for mechanical rooms handling chemical treatment systems