1. What is
Lab Hound Technology?
Lab Hound Technology is a
company co-founded in 2007 by biomedical researcher
Dr. David O’Connor
and database expert
Scott Svendsen. We started the company after
realizing that useful and affordable laboratory
management software is not available to acadmic research
labs. Our eponymous Lab Hound software is designed to
fill this void. Designed to be easy-to-use and
affordable to even the smallest labs, Lab Hound
simplifies common laboratory management tasks and
increases efficiency. How? By using internet-based
software to organize information that is generally
scattered on whiteboards, Excel spreadsheets, and pieces
of paper.
The Lab Hound is accessed via the web. Data is protected
using the same advanced security tools used by leading
financial institutions, is backed up nightly, and is
available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, from any
internet connected computer, anywhere in the world.
2. What sort of
information does Lab Hound store?
Lab Hound's launch module, the Bloodhound, stores
information associated with supplies purchasing.
3. Supplies
purchasing?!?
Well, every lab needs supplies to operate! And we've
realized that very few labs have stopped to consider how
inefficient this process can be. Searching through catalogs
for products you've already ordered, finding phone numbers
and addresses for vendors, figuring out what's been ordered
and what's been received -- this can be a major headache.
Miscommunication can lead to unnecessary order duplication
and hours spent looking for just the right item. In our
experience, most labs don't have a comprehensive system for
managing purchases. Instead, they rely on 'the ordering
person', a whiteboard tucked in the corner of a lab, or a
massive Excel spreadsheet that is almost always out of
date.
4. What does the
Bloodhound module do?
Essentially, the Bloodhound module manages all elements of
ordering that are internal to a lab. This includes
identifying items to be ordered, approving or rejecting
order requests, tracking requested items, marking items as
received, and performing very simple grant accounting.
Initially developed for a 50+ person academic research lab,
the system is designed to make purchasing easy and fast.
Want to reorder an enzyme that your lab uses every day?
Look it up by name or vendor. Placing a reorder request
takes less than 30 seconds! Have one person in the lab who
communicates with departmental or institutional purchasing
agents? All item requests are centralized, available in
real-time, and can be ordered at one time. Curious about
your order status? Check it whenever you want. Of course,
you want to know when your precious supplies arrive -- Lab
Hound alerts you via email the minute your item is marked
as received.
Not only does Lab Hound make ordering easy, it assists with
long-term laboratory management. Every order's entire
history is stored in the system, allowing you to remember
the name of that kit that the rotating grad student ordered
three years ago. Protocols, invoices, data safety sheets,
and other files can be associated with any order for future
reference. If the files are in PDF, Word, or text format,
Lab Hound will even index the full text of the attached
files for you.
If you aren’t convinced, take a minute to download
the Bloodhound module’s User Guide
and spend a few minutes with our
demonstration site. I think you will agree that we have
developed an easy-to-use, yet surprisingly powerful,
solution to a problem that confronts all laboratories.
5. This sounds
terrific, but is it secure?
Absolutely! We
know that you are concerned about the safety of your data.
Lab Hound is committed to providing a secure Internet
environment. Our website offers 128-bit encryption
that protects your information as it is sent across the
Internet.
Lab Hound requires strong usernames and passwords to help
ensure only authorized users can use the system. On
the backend of the system is a secure database to help
protect your data and information.
To also ensure your data privacy, your data and information
is completely separate from any other Lab on the
system. You have your own database (no other lab data
is in it) and your own place for files you upload. We
want you to feel secure and comfortable.
6. I like the idea, but
can my lab afford it?
We know that there are high end LIMS systems costing
hundreds of thousands of dollars that eclipse the
functionality of Lab Hound. We have a different philosophy.
We want Lab Hound modules to organize laboratory
information at a price point that is accessible to even the
smallest labs. Inquire here about pricing for your laboratory!
7. Why pay for Lab
Hound? Couldn't I build a similar system in Filemaker or
Access?
Why yes, you could. In fact, that is where we began more
than five years ago. But we have invested thousands of
hours designing the system and optimizing its capabilities.
Even if you found an undergraduate CS major or hire a
research technician who knows how to use Filemaker, Access,
or PHP, it is unlikely that they would be able to build a
system with even a fraction of Lab Hound's functionality
for less than $600. Thinking of it another way, one year of
Lab Hound pays for itself if it prevents one inadvertent
duplicate order.
8. But what happens if
I decide I don't like Lab Hound?
We think the Bloodhound system saves so much time that it
will pay for itself in reduced administrative costs almost
immediately. You can try a fully featured demonstration
system online before you buy. If you subscribe to
Bloodhound and later cancel your subscription, you can
create an XML file (Excel compatible on PCs) containing
all your orders. Incidentally, you can make this file
yourself at any time using Lab Hound's advanced
reporting features. So you will always have your data,
even if you decide you want to part as friends.
