---
alias: user-guide-sampling-plan-index
description: "Defines a method for implementing sampling within a manufacturing process flow"
---

# Sampling Plan

:lock: SamplingPlan.**Show**

!!! info
	Sampling is a Critical Manufacturing optional module.

## Overview

A **Sampling Plan** is used to implement counter based and time based sampling. The **Sampling Plan** defines the contexts, the counter and time frequency and can be attached to multiple **Steps**. A **Step**, in turn, can have multiple **Sampling Plans** attached.

Sampling works in combination with the MoveNext operation. It requires the following:

1. A **Step** marked as Sampling Evaluation Step, where the **Sampling Plans** are attached, and where a decision to perform sampling or not is taken.
2. A single optional Sampling Step after the Sampling Evaluation Step.

At the MoveNext operation, the system will lookup the sampling information and determine whether the **Material** must perform or skip the optional Sampling step. This process is illustrated in the next picture.

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    subgraph Materials
        M5[Material<br>M5]
        M4[Material<br>M4]
        M3[Material<br>M3]
    end
    subgraph  
        direction LR
        subgraph Step1
            S1(("Sampling<br>Evaluation<br>Step"))
        end
        subgraph "Step2 (Optional)"
            S2(("Sampling<br>Step"))
        end
        subgraph Step3
            S3(("Process<br>Step"))
        end
        S1 --- M1[Material<br>M1] ---> S2 --> S3
        S1 --- M2[Material<br>M2] ---> S3
    end

    Materials --> S1

class M1,M2,M3,M4,M5 mermaid_flowchart_material
class S1,S2,S3 mermaid_flowchart_step
```

## Tying Everything Together

```mermaid
graph TD
    A1[Step] === Main[Sampling Plan] === L1[Sampling Context Information] --- L2[Sampling Plan Instance Context Values] --- L3[Sampling Plan Instance]
    Main === L3

classDef mermaid_title color:#000, fill:#fafafa, stroke:#fafafa, stroke-width:0x, font-size:100%, font-weight:200;
classDef mermaid_start color:#000, fill:#fafafa, stroke:#fafafa, color:#fafafa, stroke-width:0x, font-size:100%, visibility: hidden;
classDef mermaid_businessdata color:#000, fill:#65CDE8, stroke:#65CDE8, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_nonbusinessdata color:#000, fill:#B7DEE8, stroke:#B7DEE8, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_entity color:#000, fill:#FB9F53, stroke:#FB9F53, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_entitylinked color:#000, fill:#FCD5B5, stroke:#FCD5B5, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_context color:#000, fill:#B9CDE5, stroke:#B9CDE5, stroke-width:0px, font-size:100%;
classDef mermaid_optional color:#000, fill:#B7DEE8, stroke:#65CDE8, stroke-width:1px, font-size:100%, stroke-dasharray: 5 5;
class Main mermaid_entity
class A1,A2,A3,A4,A5,A6,A7,A8,A9,A10,A11,A12,A13,A14 mermaid_businessdata
class L1,L2,L3,L4,L5,L6,L7 mermaid_entitylinked
class C1,C2,C3,C4,C5,C6 mermaid_context
class N1,N2,N3,N4,N5,N6 mermaid_nonbusinessdata

click Main "../../business-data/sampling-plan"
click A1 "../../business-data/step"
```

## Sequence Of Steps

The necessary steps for correctly using a **Sampling Plan** are the following:

1. Create a **Flow** with an Evaluation Step, followed by an optional Sampling Step.
2. Create the Sampling Plan.
3. Mark the Evaluation Step as Evaluation Step and then attach the created **Sampling Plan** to the **Step**.

{{ generate_index() }}