---
alias: user-guide-open-data-collection-instance
description: "Create and open a data collection instance for ongoing data posting and management"
---

# Open Data Collection Instance

:lock: DataCollectionInstance.**Open**

## Overview

This operation is used to create and open a long-running **Data Collection Instance**. Data can be posted multiple times until the **Data Collection Instance** is closed.

## Setup

No special setup is required other than to meet the preconditions of the transaction.

## Preconditions

* The **Data Collection** Version is Effective.
* The **Data Collection** cannot have type Inspection.

## Sequence of Steps

Use the following steps to open a Data Collection Instance.

### Step 1: Open the data collection instance wizard

1. Open a **Data Collection**.
2. In the **Data Collection** page, select **Open** in top ribbon.

### Step 2: Fill general data

1. Optionally, enter the name of the **Data Collection** Instance - otherwise, an automatic name will be provided by a name generator.
2. Optionally, enter the description of the **Data Collection** Instance.

### Step 3: Define the Context

1. Optionally, select a **Data Collection Limit Set**.
2. Optionally, select a Material to be associated with the **Data Collection**.

	!!! warning
		Some Data Collections can require a mandatory Material/Sub-Materials of a certain Form, defined in the Data Collection Parameter's settings for Sample Type, Source and Percentage. A Material will also be mandatory if the Limit Set contains a Relative parameter limit, as the value is relative to the primary quantity of the Materials.

3. Optionally, enter a comment.
4. Select Open.

	!!! info
		The Data Collection parameters may have validation ranges that have to be followed in order for the values to be accepted.

![open_data_collection_instance][open_data_collection_instance]

!!! info
	A Data Collection may be configured to send data to SPC, in which case one or more SPC Charts will appear.

[open_data_collection_instance]: images/open_data_collection_instance.png