How long should chain of custody documentation take?
Chain of custody documentation should take minutes, not days. When a lab still relies on paper forms and manual re-entry, a chain of custody record commonly takes anywhere from same-day to over a week to reach a finished, error-free state. Digital sample intake makes same-day chain of custody realistic for most labs.
It is five o'clock and a lab manager is going through a stack of chain of custody forms before they can sign off on the day. One is missing a signature. Another has a field note nobody can read. A third does not match the sample log at all. None of this is a crisis on its own. All of it adds up to hours every week spent chasing paperwork instead of running the lab.
Why paper chain of custody slows a lab down
Paper chain of custody depends on a chain of manual steps: someone fills in a form by hand, someone else signs it at a handoff, and a third person re-enters it into a system later. Any single weak link, a missing signature, an illegible note, a form left in a vehicle, holds up the whole record.
- Transcription errors when paper forms are re-entered into a system
- Lost or delayed paperwork between field collection and the lab
- Invoicing that waits on a signed form instead of a finished result
- Audit risk when an accreditation review asks for a record that is incomplete or hard to find
What changes with digital sample intake
Milva Lab replaces the paper trail with one digital record. Samples are logged at the point of collection or intake, so the chain of custody starts complete instead of being reconstructed afterward. From there:
- Samples are logged digitally the moment they are collected or received, with no separate paper form to fill in later
- Custody handoffs and signatures are captured in the same system as the sample record, with nothing to reconcile afterward
- Every custody record is visible in the client portal, so a client or a colleague can check status without a phone call
What good looks like
If nothing changes, the pattern repeats: an accreditation audit finds a gap in the paperwork, a client questions a result because the documentation does not quite match, and invoicing sits waiting on a form that is still in someone's vehicle. With a digital chain of custody, the record is complete the same day the sample moves, with nothing left to chase and nothing to explain away at audit time.
If your lab is still reconstructing chain of custody from paper at the end of the day, it is worth seeing what a same-day standard looks like in practice.
Frequently asked questions
How long should chain of custody documentation take?
With a digital system, a chain of custody record can be complete the same day a sample is collected. Paper-based processes often take anywhere from same-day to over a week, depending on how many handoffs and signatures are involved.
What is chain of custody documentation in a testing lab?
It is the record of who collected, transported, and received a sample, with every handoff logged and signed, so the result can be trusted and defended if it is ever questioned.
Why does chain of custody usually take longer on paper?
Paper forms depend on someone finding the right form, filling it in by hand, getting every signature in person, and someone else re-entering that data into a system later. One missing signature or illegible field holds up the whole record.
Does digital chain of custody reduce audit risk?
Yes. A digital record cannot go missing on a desk, and every entry is timestamped and attributable, which is exactly what an accreditation audit is checking for.
Martin Mikkelsen
CCO, Milva Lab