Category: About LabKey

Due to their wide availability and ease of use, Excel spreadsheets are considered by some labs to be a viable alternative to sample tracking software.  Smaller labs may find spreadsheets more economical and require less training than a sample tracking system. However, Excel spreadsheets have some major drawbacks for managing and tracking lab  samples. Conversely, a dedicated sample management system has features that are necessary as a lab grows and the complexity of tracking samples increases.  

1. Sample tracking software reduces human error

When using spreadsheets for sample tracking, it is very easy for data to go missing or be inadvertently changed. Cells, columns and the data contained within can be deleted or edited, with virtually no tracking of the changes or by whom the changes were made.  Sample management software provides structure to the data captured for each sample and defines how sample data can be changed and by which users. Software also provides an audit trail to monitor and report any changes.

Sample management software has features specifically dedicated to set up rules and restrictions regarding data creation/import and editing. For example, perhaps the volume of a particular sample type should always be a positive number, or the Sample ID is a required field? These features give teams the ability to structure their sample data in a way that makes sense for them. A good sample management software will have the flexibility to allow users to define their own data structures and processes to match the actual lab work, instead of the other way around. 

2. Spreadsheets lack robust security and permissions 

Spreadsheets, unlike sample tracking software or traditional databases, don’t have a detailed permissions model. For example, you may only want certain members of your team to be able to add new rows and not have the ability to edit the columns/metadata. In Excel, you are limited to granting basic read-only or read-write permissions. Sample tracking software allows for more granular permissions to be assigned based on your role in the sample management process. Maybe your Principal Investigator can only read, while the lab manager dictates what type of metadata is captured, and the rest of the lab members can add and update samples as needed.  

Sample Tracking Software- the clear winner!

A well-designed sample tracking software should not require extensive training or a long implementation process. Good software is designed with the end-user in mind and should be intuitive. Sample tracking software also contains a variety of other features that are focused on real-world laboratory sample management processes. 

LabKey Sample Manager is an intuitive sample management software designed to help labs efficiently track samples, define laboratory workflows, and unify samples with assay data.

Sample Tracking – End-to-end sample tracking features including chain-of-custody tracking,  sample types and sources, and lineage views

Freezer Management– Manage sample storage and freezer capacity using an intuitively designed interface

Lab Workflow Management – Assign samples to user-defined workflows and monitor the workflow completion status at each stage for every sample

Sample Data Integration – Integrate assay data with your samples and assign metadata for a complete picture of your ongoing experiments 

Take a tour of Sample Manager – register to see LabKey Sample Manager in action!

For many labs, choosing a new sample management system can feel like a daunting task. Whether it’s your first time using software to manage your samples, or you are looking for a new sample management system to replace an existing application, there are a few considerations to keep in mind.

Sample Management System Features

When evaluating a system to manage your samples, it is important not to think about whether “it’s the right system”, but rather if it is “the right system for our laboratory’s needs right now and in the future”. 

Think about the features the system offers and how it matches up with your lab processes and workflow. Are the structured that you would have to change your existing lab processes? Do you feel that you require a system with more flexibility so that it can be configured to your existing sample management processes? Beyond your current lab operations it is also important to consider the future of your lab – do you plan to introduce new assays, processes, or sample tracking procedures, and will the system be able to handle those? Do you need freezer management features to help manage sample storage?

Aside from features, you should also think about how much effort it will take for your team to implement and configure the new system. 

Sample Management System Pricing

The price of the sample management system is also an important consideration. Make sure you are aware of the factors that determine system pricing. This may include pricing tiers based on the database size, number of users, number of samples, availability of certain features, or other price-determining factors. Make sure you are comfortable with any potential increase in cost as your lab grows and your needs change. This can help prevent an unexpected and significant increase in cost at a certain capacity. Making an effort to estimate usage, including users and amounts of data, prior to choosing a system will help you be a more informed buyer and help plan for the future. 

Adopting a Sample Management System in the Lab

Once you feel comfortable with the feature set and cost offered by a particular solution, the single-most important factor in implementing the software is gaining adoption within the lab. 

Incorporating a new sample management system into the lab can be arduous and challenging. Scientists are used to working in a way that is most efficient for them, and introducing a new system may be disruptive to their normal way of operating. To minimize this disruption and foster adoption of the new system, make sure to include the end-users in the lab during the evaluation process. Allow them to test their scenarios and evaluate usability. Create an environment where their feedback is valued and taken into consideration, and ideally choose a system that helps boost their efficiency and complement existing processes. Choosing software that provides tools for data validation, integration and reporting are all good ways to help scientific efficiency move in the right direction. 

Once you have chosen a sample management system, determine an implementation plan that will work for the group, and allow for some trial and error. Pick one or two lab processes that can be moved to the new system, gather feedback and make improvements as needed before implementing a new set of processes. Have a concrete timeline that will empower users to fully test the system and provide time for feedback and checkpoints. 

Product Highlight: LabKey Sample Manager

LabKey Sample Manager is a feature-rich and intuitive sample management software designed to boost the efficiency and productivity of your lab. Easily track samples, manage their lineage, define laboratory workflows, and unify your samples with assay data. Learn more about Sample Manager using the links below:

Sample Tracking – End-to-end sample tracking features including chain-of-custody tracking,  sample types and sources, and lineage views

Lab Workflow Management – Use workflows to standardize lab processes and manage ongoing work in the lab

Freezer Management – Manage sample storage and freezer capacity using an intuitive interface

Sample Data Integration – Integrate assay data with your samples and assign metadata for a complete picture of your ongoing experiments 

Explore Sample Manager – Sign-up for a tour ofLabKey Sample Manager!

Complete and efficient lab sample tracking is a must for any well organized laboratory. With a multitude of samples being received, aliquoted, having assays performed and making their way through the lab, it’s easy to see why a lab needs tools and procedures for managing sample tracking. A few general tips for tracking samples include:

1. Standardize sample naming conventions that are both unique and meaningful. And of course, make sure they fit on the label!
2. Capture sample metadata that makes sense for your lab, workflow, and for the sample. Make this part of your sample registration procedures and review the data points to be captured with your team to make sure your team is aware and engaged in the process.
3. Consider when and how the registration of new samples should be done in your lab setting. Are samples registered in bulk via an upload of an Excel spreadsheet or are samples entered individually and registered directly into the sample management software? Alternatively, can you anticipate what samples you’ll be receiving, and can register them ahead of time and mark them as received once they come into the lab? Standardizing the initial sample registration procedures ensures that your sample tracking gets off to the good start.

Tracking lab samples and chain of custody with LabKey Sample Manager

By implementing the lab sample tracking tips above, you can also start thinking about how to track the chain of custody of a sample using LabKey Sample Manager. One way to do this is by viewing the audit log at a macro level to see what’s happened in the system. Each entry tracks the user with a date/time stamp for full-featured auditing. Although this meets many compliance requirements, it is often burdensome to look through the many entries in the system to track down the actions around a single sample.

A much better way of tracking sample chain of custody is using the Sample Timeline feature within the application. Using this feature, users can see and analyze specific events for a sample- starting with when (time and date) a sample was registered and by whom (user).  Also tracked and viewable on the timeline are any metadata changes, assays performed, and the addition of a sample to a particular workflow job. 

Viewing the timeline for an individual sample provides a comprehensive look into the chain of custody of the sample within LKSM in one easy place. This feature can be used as an auditing mechanism, or just another way to track and understand the context of your sample in the lab.

Click here to explore the Sample Timeline in LabKey Sample Manager

LabKey has released Sample Manager, intuitive and powerful sample management software that brings greater ease, efficiency and insight to sample processing within laboratories. The application’s easy-to-use interface provides access to a host of powerful features that address common challenges experienced by labs in the processing and management of samples. These features include user-friendly mechanisms to create samples and efficiently discern sample lineage, workflow features to easily assign and track sample processing tasks,
and features to unify samples with their related experiment data. 

Sample Manager was built with valuable insight from a Product Advisory Council (PAC) made up of academic and biotech laboratories conducting research in various fields. PAC participants focused on providing LabKey with input that informed the development of features to boost sample processing efficiency, provide greater operational control and promote data integrity. 

Read the full press release about the Sample Manager launch by clicking here.

Try LabKey Sample Manager

You can easily begin exploring Sample Manager by visiting the product page and clicking the “Get Access” button in the green section. Once you fill out the form, you will receive an access link in your email to a read-only evaluation version of Sample Manager. Additionally, we will be hosting an “Introduction to Sample Manager” webinar on February 20th at 10:30am PST. Product manager Hannah Brakke will give an overview of the application and conduct a live demo of key features. 

To register for the webinar, please click here.