Implementation of an electronic laboratory notebook to accelerate data review in bioanalysis.

Electronic laboratory notebooks increase opportunities for collaboration and information exchange when compared with paper records. Depending on the degree of implementation, a laboratory- or enterprise-wide system can unify the collection, review and dissemination of data to improve laboratory efficiency and productivity. The advantages of an electronic laboratory notebook for speeding data review in bioanalysis are discussed, through the use of validated templates and organizational constructs to block errors in real-time and reduce manual audit tasks.

Going paperless: implementing an electronic laboratory notebook in a bioanalytical laboratory.

AIT Bioscience, a bioanalytical CRO, implemented a highly configurable, Oracle-based electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) from IDBS called E-WorkBook Suite (EWBS). This ELN provides a high degree of connectivity with other databases, including Watson LIMS. Significant planning and training, along with considerable design effort and template validation for dozens of laboratory workflows were required prior to EWBS being viable for either R&D or regulated work. Once implemented, EWBS greatly reduced the need for traditional quality review upon experiment completion. Numerous real-time error checks occur automatically when conducting EWBS experiments, preventing the majority of laboratory errors by pointing them out while there is still time to correct any issues. Auditing and reviewing EWBS data are very efficient, because all data are forever securely (and even remotely) accessible, provided a reviewer has appropriate credentials. Use of EWBS significantly increases both data quality and laboratory efficiency.