Electronic Log User Operation Guide
1. Purpose
This guide explains how the Lab Symplified platform works, the workflows it supports, and best practices labs commonly follow. It is designed to be SOP-compatible, but it does not define laboratory policy or regulatory interpretation.
Audience
- Bench staff
- Supervisors & section leads
- QA & compliance teams
- Laboratory leadership
What this guide is
- A system operations guide
- A workflow reference
- An audit-support resource
What this guide is not
- A lab SOP
- A quality manual
- Regulatory advice
2. Getting Oriented
What Lab Symplified Electronic Log Is Designed to Do
Lab Symplified is a laboratory operations platform designed to help labs execute, document, review, and retrieve operational records in a structured digital environment. It replaces paper logs, spreadsheets, and binders with a centralized system of record. Lab Symplified is commonly used to track maintenance, equipment upkeep, routine lab tasks, QC logs, and operational checks, digitally and effortlessly, in one centralized platform
Lab Symplified helps the lab to:
- Standardize documentation
- Reduce missed or incomplete records
- Centralize evidence and attachments
- Improve visibility and oversight
- Support audit readiness
Where It Fits in the Lab Ecosystem
Lab Symplified supports operational documentation and oversight. It does not replace:
- LIS or middleware
- Clinical result reporting
- Lab-owned policies and SOPs
3. Core System Concepts
Definitions
- Maintenance Log: A log with tasks driven by frequencies or date-anchored scheduling.
- Checklist/Task list: One-time or periodic task set that can be assigned to individuals, groups, or the whole lab.
- Sheet Log: An event-driven log captured as entries inside a “seed” that resets based on a cycle (weekly/monthly/etc) or header changes.
- Lead Time: Time before the due date when a task becomes “Due Soon”.
- Overdue Time: Grace period after the due date before a task becomes “Overdue”.
- Ad Hoc Task: A task performed outside the normal schedule or repeated beyond the routine schedule, documented with reason.
- Task Entry Page: The log execution screen where results are entered and actions taken.
- Audit Record: Stored evidence of completion (who, what, when, status, comments, attachments).
- Log: Defines what tasks must be performed and what data must be documented (e.g., “Centrifuge #216 Maintenance Log”)
- Task: Defines what gets done, an action within a log(e.g., “Check rotor condition”)
- Entry/Record: the evidence created when someone completes a task (who/when/what/result/comments/attachments)
- Template: reusable structure used to set up a log quickly
- Live log: an active log in your environment, generating tasks and storing records
Scheduling concepts
- Frequency-based tasks: repeat automatically based on a defined interval (daily/weekly/monthly, etc.)
- Date-anchored tasks: due on a specific date; after completion, the next due date is manually set (useful for annual PMs, calibrations, vendor visits)
Task status
- Upcoming: not due yet
- Due soon: within lead-time window
- Overdue: past due or overdue buffer elapsed
(Lead time and overdue buffers are configurable per frequency.)
Operational mode and shifts
- 5-day vs 7-day lab: controls whether routine tasks populate on weekends
- Multi-shift mode: allows tagging tasks to specific shifts (or all shifts)
Exceptions and documentation integrity
When a task can’t be completed normally, users select an exception action:
- Not performed / Unable to perform / Not applicable / Not in use
The system requires comments explaining why.
This is designed to reduce “blank/unclear” documentation patterns.
Versioning and change control
Log changes fall into two buckets:
- Minor updates: small edits that don’t change the intent/workflow
- New version: meaningful changes that should be distinguishable historically
Lab Symplified supports both options during the revision.