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10 Advantages of Using an Electronic Laboratory Notebook in Your Lab

If you are a researcher and are not yet aware of the specific benefits of an ELN, you have come to the right place. Understandably, using the said technology to the fullest may feel like traversing unfamiliar territory for many researchers.

And, even if you are already familiar with the basic benefits of most ELN Software, you will probably agree that no two or more of them are ever alike. There will always be an Electronic Lab Notebook that fits like a glove with your specific purposes. We have outlined 10 distinct advantages that Logilab ELN can provide for every laboratory currently operating.

1.Overall quicker developmental process

What’s good is that almost every laboratory notebook software available today gives the ready benefit of hastening fundamental processes. This rings true  in various industries like drug development and any kind of organization that relies on research.

Agaram Technologies’ Logilab ELN is a lab notebook software which has been designed and developed with overall efficiency in mind.

  • Data management through tests, samples, and tasks can be done within a single platform or controlled environment.
  • Template creation can be done in a convenient drag-and-drop manner.
  • Excel-like summaries and reports can be created with relative ease since data can be easily extracted from various pertinent studies.
  • The use of a browser-based Word-type document editor makes the creation of dynamic reports that much faster and hassle-free. This is complemented by nifty features like auto-fill technology to save users time.
  • Formula calculations can be performed automatically.
  • ELN’S integration with LIMS pretty much doubles the efficiency of the overall workflow since it combines the benefits of both ELN and LIMS.

These are but some of the ways the ELN can make life easier for researchers and get their job done faster.

2. Responsive to your needs

Almost every feature integrated anticipates the researchers’ evolving needs as the study progresses. For instance, you can use the Logilab’s Metalink® Android app to lock instruments for certain ELN tasks. It also allows you to capture data while on the move, a privilege rarely afforded by any other solution.

  • Any instrument you use can be synchronized with the ELN’s own virtual instruments, making data capture close to effortless.
  • With the help of Labsheet templates, you can easily capture and validate data.
  • Even most necessary reports can be created in record time should the need arise.
3. Optimizes the collaboration aspect of any research project 

This is undoubtedly one of the most fundamental advantages imparted by any ELN software. What makes Logilab ELN stand out in this regard lies primarily in the way it allows you to develop a homogenous data environment.

This means every pertinent data can be conveniently accessed by the team member who needs it most. Since It is completely paperless, you do not have to plow through piles of paperwork just to get the data you need. With data always available on hand, collaboration becomes more conducive since everyone will have what they need for the moment from the get-go.

4. Serves as a more secure data repository

If we’re going to consider the number of losses incurred by companies and organizations worldwide because of lost research data, it becomes apparent that paper-based research has always belonged in the high-risk category. Data loss has always been an issue in the research industry due to the innate disadvantage of relying on paper-based solutions.

Besides being backed by inherent security benefits of cloud storage, Logilab ELN also prioritizes addressing any kind of security vulnerabilities inherent in the field. As of this writing, it already meets the security standards of OWASP/SANS25.

5. Mitigates the risk of errors

Any kind of error can directly mean resources being lost for plenty of organizations that rely on research. Since data can be cross-examined in seconds in an ELN environment, timely corrections can be made from the moment data becomes available.

Any kind of mistake during the data capture process can also be addressed since data is directly pulled from its sources. It can, in turn, be validated and evaluated once available. The automation of many processes also can’t be denied since the alternative, which involves human intervention, typically results in more errors.

6. More cost-savings in the long run

ELN Software has the ability to capitalize on paperless transactions alone readily means plenty of companies would be able to save on more costs. You can also imagine the amount of effort, which is essentially a resource, it can save for researchers.

What you will normally spend on activities such as sample management, task management, data template evaluation, project management, protocols management, and report generation are greatly lessened thanks to digitization and automation.

7. It does not have a high entry barrier

Logilab ELN is built with user-friendliness in mind. All its features are integrated in such a way that users will be able to get the hang of them in no time. Almost every feature synergizes with another.

Essentially, the goal of Agaram when developing Logilab ELN was to make the workflow as smooth as possible. It is safe to say that users can be oriented with the software since it essentially serves as a digital extension of a paper-based notebook. It also allows Excel management. In short, it capitalizes on familiarity.

8. It is specifically tailored to aid GxP regulated facilities

We all know how stringently regulated most laboratories that work in this field are. If they continue to rely on paper-based processes, they’re almost always bound to have a harder time keeping up with compliance to the regulatory standards set for organizations and fields that fall under that category. Logilab ELN actively aids laboratories in complying to these regulations.

9. Lends to better organization

Gone will be days when you will have to compile every research data in cabinets, shelves, etc. Almost every pertinent data can be accessed with just a few clicks.

More importantly, organizing everything becomes so easy because the entire platform encourages it through its plethora of features. If you have had to deal with dizzying piles of charts before, know that every chart you create through Logilab ELN can be sorted, catalogued and categorized for later reference and use. The same goes for pretty much every other element like templates, reports, among others.

10. It scales easily with your lab.

Completely paperless means you do not have to wait or spend extra resources just to accommodate the growing volume of data you gather. you will always have what you need available on-hand. This especially applies to the SaaS model of the said ELN.

Conclusion

There is a vast difference between a standard ELN and an ELN that can guarantee concrete results and make genuine “big waves” once implemented. Agaram’s Logilab ELN is built with the latter in mind precisely because it pays attention to what researchers want and what would benefit them the most.