interconnection technologies for example laboratory instrument 166 is directly coupled to client computer 158 by means of a serial cable laboratory instrument 168 is coupled to client computer 158 by means of a laboratory instrumentation bus or a field bus 170 in operation the erp system 102 receives an event 172 the event 172 is data that describes e g a logistics event a customer request or an event reported from the manufacturing plant 106 that requires the testing of a sample in accordance with the applicable regulations and or internal rules of procedure the event 172 invokes program module 118 program module 118 requests logistics module 116 to extract sample 120 from the running production and to assign a sample id to the sample 120 program module 118 selects one of the method keys of the set 126 in accordance with the test method that is required by regulation or internal rule of control the program module 118 generates a test order 174 that comprises at least a test order id the sample id of the sample 120 and the selected method key the test order may include additional data such as the measurement characteristic of interest allowed measurement ranges and or other additional information the test order 174 is transmitted from erp system 102 to server computer 104 via network 163 receipt of test order 174 by server computer 104 invokes table generation module 132 the table generation module 132 reads the method key from the test order 174 and uses the method key in order to retrieve the method definition assigned.