As the performance of atomic spectroscopy techniques for elemental analysis has improved over the past decades, there has been a concurrent need for improvements in sample preparation. There are many important steps in the sample preparation workflow that impact the outcomes of the analyses. This seminar presents a ‘total workflow’ approach to sample preparation and propose ways to improve key aspects of elemental analysis, offering practical advice for preventing workflow disruptions, such as incomplete digestions or sample contamination, which can prevent a laboratory from meeting their overall performance and cost goals.