Lab SOPs and Experiment Templates, Connected to Your ELN

Lab SOP management is how a lab writes, reviews, approves, shares, versions and retires its standard operating procedures, so that everyone runs an assay from the current approved method. In many labs, SOPs live as Word files on a shared drive, and keeping track of which version is current gets harder over time, especially when several teams or departments use the same procedure. A system for lab SOP management keeps one approved version of each SOP in circulation, records who approved it and when, and keeps the older versions on file. In IGOR, SOP management sits in the same platform as the electronic lab notebook, so an approved SOP can be added straight to the experiment that follows it. The notebook entry then shows which version the scientist used, and who approved it and when. Older versions stay in IGOR’s archive, so they’re available whenever an audit calls for them.

IGOR handles SOPs and experiment templates in the same platform as its electronic lab notebook (ELN) and LIMS. An SOP sets out how to run an assay, and a template sets out what to record, often with a separate step for each stage of the procedure. SOPs go through review and approval with electronic signatures before they can be used, and templates are signed and shared by their author. When a scientist starts an experiment, they add the approved SOP and the assay's template to the notebook entry, and IGOR gives the entry its own versioned copy of each. The scientist records the run's data in the template and notes any deviation in the entry's copy of the SOP, while the master documents stay unchanged. Each copy keeps its own version history, and the full experiment, with the SOP, the template, the data, and any linked files, can be exported as one package.

An SOP describes, in detail, how to perform a procedure: its purpose, the materials and equipment, the safety requirements, the steps and the quality controls. An experiment template describes what to record when the procedure is run, such as sample details, measured concentrations, reagent lots, instrument settings, and incubation times. The two work together. A lab might have one SOP for a Western blot and a template that walks the scientist through sample preparation, the gel run and transfer, antibody incubation and detection, with one or more tables for each stage that show exactly what to record. In IGOR, both are added to the notebook entry for the experiment. The SOP is the reference for how the work should be done, and the template is where the data from that particular run is recorded. Because SOPs are controlled documents, they go through review and approval with electronic signatures, while templates are signed and shared by the person who builds them.

When an SOP is ready, the author invites reviewers to look at it. Each reviewer either approves the SOP or sends it back with a note explaining what needs to change, and every decision is signed with an electronic signature compliant with 21 CFR Part 11 and recorded in the audit trail. Your organization decides how many approvals an SOP needs before it can be shared. Only approved, shared SOPs can be added to experiments, so nobody runs an assay from a draft. Once approved, the approval history stays with the SOP: PDF exports carry it in the header, and each notebook entry that uses the SOP shows which version was followed and who approved it.

Every SOP in IGOR carries a version number. When a method changes, the author issues a new version, and the previous one moves to the archive instead of being deleted. Shared SOPs can't be deleted, only archived, so the lab keeps a record of every version it has issued. Archived versions are taken out of circulation and can no longer be added to new experiments, to prevent scientists from accidentally following an outdated procedure. Experiments that already used an older version keep their own copy of it, so each notebook entry still shows exactly which version the scientist followed. For any SOP, you can see which version is current, which version each experiment used, who approved each version and when, and every version your lab has retired. If someone asks two years from now which method any given experiment followed, the information is available right in the notebook entry.

Yes. When an SOP is added to a notebook entry, IGOR gives the entry its own working copy of it. If something has to change during the run, for example a longer incubation or a different type of blocking buffer, the scientist records the deviation in the entry's copy of the SOP as they work. The master SOP stays exactly as it was approved, so the next person to run the assay starts from the approved method. The entry's copy keeps its own version history, so anyone reviewing the experiment later can see what was changed, by whom and when. Reviewers and QA get a clear record of where a run departed from the procedure, and nobody has to edit, re-approve or reissue the SOP itself. Experiment templates work the same way: edits in an entry's template stay with that experiment, and the master template is never altered.

For studies conducted under GLP, the regulations (21 CFR Part 58 in the US, and the OECD Principles of GLP) call for written SOPs approved by management and a historical file of every SOP and all its revisions. IGOR supports that work. SOPs go through review and approval with electronic signatures compliant with 21 CFR Part 11, each version carries a number, and older versions move to the archive instead of being deleted, so the lab keeps every version it has issued on record. Each notebook entry shows which SOP version the experiment followed. Whether your studies meet GLP requirements depends on your lab's own procedures, training, validation and quality assurance, which IGOR supports but doesn't replace. For non-regulated research, the same features are good practice, because they make it easy to show which method a result came from.

Yes. Easily copy/paste the contents of each existing SOP into IGOR, import your Excel tables straight into templates, and send each SOP through review and approval. It then starts out in IGOR as an approved, versioned document, ready to be added to experiments. Most labs begin with the SOPs and templates for the assays they run every week and bring the rest over as they go, which means the team can start using IGOR before the whole library has moved. IGOR’s team helps you plan which documents to move first and shows your team how to set them up, as part of personal onboarding. With IGOR, most teams are up and running within days or a couple of weeks, depending on team size and how much data they want to migrate before go-live. Onboarding and ongoing support are included in every plan at no extra cost.

SOP management, including review and approval with electronic signatures, version control and archiving, is included in IGOR's Professional and Momentum plans. Professional ($80 per user per month, billed annually) is the complete electronic lab notebook. Momentum ($100 per user per month, billed annually) adds lab inventory management with LIMS capabilities. Monthly billing is available at 20% more, with no setup fees and no seat minimums. You can compare the plans on the Pricing page.