Question 1

What is LabNote.Light?

Accepted Answer

LabNote.Light is an electronic lab notebook (ELN) designed specifically for small and medium labs as well as academic research groups. It enables digital capture, versioning, and sign-off of lab entries — with audit trail and easy to use.

Question 2

What features are included?

Accepted Answer

All features are included in every license: rich text editor with tables and charts, protocol templates, electronic signatures, audit trail, reagent catalog with storage and inventory management, SDS attachments, PDF export, full-text search, team management with roles, and more.

Question 3

How does reagent and storage management work?

Accepted Answer

You maintain substance master data in the reagent catalog (CAS, GHS pictograms, H/P statements, occupational limits) and create physical stock at the lot level. Storage locations are hierarchical (room → cabinet → shelf); movements like withdrawal, refill, or transfer are logged with timestamp and user. Minimum-stock alerts and inventory workflows are built in.

Question 4

Can I attach safety data sheets (SDS)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For each reagent or lot you can upload SDS, SOPs, and certificates as PDF or attach external links. They are one click away from the entry or the stock item.

Question 5

How does an inventory work?

Accepted Answer

You start an inventory (optionally scoped to a room or location), the system generates a count list with target stock. After counting, variances are posted automatically as correction movements — each one recorded with time and author.

Question 6

How do the pricing tiers differ?

Accepted Answer

All tiers include the same software (incl. reagent, storage, and inventory modules). The difference is in support: Tier 1 (Self-Service) offers FAQ and knowledge base, Tier 2 (Essential) email support with 48h response time, Tier 3 (Priority) phone support with 4h response time and SLA guarantee.

Question 7

Is there a free trial?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can try LabNote.Light free for 14 days — no credit card required. After the trial, you can choose the tier that fits.

Question 8

Why is LabNote.Light so affordable?

Accepted Answer

Enterprise ELNs often cost $50–150/user/month. We believe good lab software shouldn't be a luxury product. Through lean development and focus on essential features, we can offer enterprise quality from $20/user/month.

Question 9

What is the minimum number of users?

Accepted Answer

The minimum is 10 users. Additional users can be added at any time on a pro-rata basis. Reductions are possible at renewal time, but not below 10 users.

Question 10

How is billing handled?

Accepted Answer

You pay per user and month: Self-Service €20, Essential €50, Priority €80. A 10-user minimum applies — effectively from €200, €500 or €800 per month. Billing is yearly in advance over 12 monthly prices (€2,400, €6,000 or €9,600 per year). Users added later are billed pro-rata. No hidden fees.

Question 11

How is data protection handled?

Accepted Answer

The platform is hosted in Frankfurt, Germany. Access is role-based, changes are recorded with time, author and before/after value, and a data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR is available on request.

Question 12

Can I import data from another ELN?

Accepted Answer

We support CSV file imports (including reagent catalog, stock, and storage locations) and can help with migration from other systems. Contact us for individual migration consulting.

Question 13

How secure is my data?

Accepted Answer

All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Access is role-based, every change is logged in the audit trail, and electronic signatures ensure the integrity of entries.

Question 14

Which integrations are available?

Accepted Answer

LabNote.Light offers a native integration with Düperthal Connect (safety cabinets, SDS). It also ships with a full REST API using OAuth 2.0, webhooks for real-time events, and CSV/Excel import for reagents, equipment and stock. Citations can be imported via BibTeX/RIS (e.g. from Zotero, Mendeley or PubMed). External booking systems can be connected through the REST API.

Question 15

How do box layouts and compartments work?

Accepted Answer

A box is a storage location with a freely configurable grid size (any rows × columns). When created, compartments are automatically named using the pattern "<Location> – Compartment 1, Compartment 2 …". Reagent lots and samples can be placed in individual compartments (e.g. A3) — the visual grid view shows immediately what is stored where.

Question 16

Can I print QR labels for samples, reagents and boxes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The universal label print dialog generates QR-code labels for samples, reagent lots, boxes, and individual compartments. It supports roll printers in 50×25 mm and 70×40 mm as well as A4 label sheets (3×8). Scanning a label jumps straight to the linked record in LabNote.Light.

Question 17

Can I edit storage locations after creation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Rooms, storage locations (fridge, freezer, shelf, …) and boxes can be edited at any time from the storage detail drawer — including name, type, temperature and notes. The drawer also lists every reagent lot and sample currently stored, with its compartment position.

Question 18

How much storage is included and what does extra storage cost?

Accepted Answer

Included storage is a flat allowance per organisation: Self-Service 50 GB, Essential 250 GB, Priority 1 TB — regardless of user count. If that is not enough, add packages: 10/50/200 GB at €0.15 per GB per month, 500 GB at €0.10 and 1 TB at €0.08 per GB per month. Packages added mid-period are prorated. File uploads (PDFs, SDS, images, sketches) and database content count toward the quota; usage is measured per organisation every day and shown in the app.

Question 19

How does the system technically handle electronic signatures and the audit trail?

Accepted Answer

Every signature captures: who (user ID + password re-authentication), what (full entry content frozen as JSON snapshot), when (server timestamp), and which role (author or witness). In addition, a SHA-256 content hash is stored along with a hash-chain reference to the previous signature in the same org — making post-hoc tampering cryptographically detectable (tamper-evidence). The "Verify signatures" button on each entry checks at any time whether content and chain are unchanged. Status: valid, content modified, or chain broken. The separate audit log immutably records all status changes, comments and movements with org, user and timestamp. The signatures qualify as simple electronic signatures.

Question 20

Where is my data stored?

Accepted Answer

All data (database, files, backups) is hosted in the cloud and protected by encryption. We provide a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) per GDPR Article 28 on request by email. For deletion requests, personal data is anonymised; signed entries and audit trails are retained for regulatory reasons (with anonymised attribution).

Question 21

What is included in onboarding and are there hidden costs?

Accepted Answer

Self-Service: email onboarding guide, FAQ, and knowledge base — no setup fee. Essential: additionally a 30-minute onboarding call and account manager. Priority: personal onboarding and custom training sessions. There are no implementation fees, no template surcharges, and no hidden costs — the per-user price is the final price. Total year 1 = number of users × monthly price × 10 when billed yearly, minimum 10 users.

Question 22

Can we configure templates ourselves without developer support?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Protocol templates and entry templates are created, versioned, and published entirely through the UI by end users (with reviewer or admin role). Includes: section editor (materials, steps, calculations), versioning with major/minor bump, changelog, freeze after publication, and application to experiments with frozen snapshot. No vendor ticket required.

Question 23

How does the system handle raw data files and instrument exports?

Accepted Answer

File attachments (PDFs, images, CSV, raw data of any format) can be attached directly to entries or reagent lots — full-text search covers filenames and entry contents. Max file size: 50 MB per upload (higher on request). Equipment and maintenance are managed natively in LabNote.Light (including QR labels and maintenance plans); external booking systems can be connected through the REST API. Native parsers for instrument-specific formats (HPLC, LC-MS, plate readers) are not currently included — data is stored as an attachment and structured via CSV/Excel import. For direct instrument integrations, the REST API is available.

Question 24

What happens to our data if we cancel?

Accepted Answer

You can export your data at any time (including during the contract term) — as CSV (for tabular data like reagents, stock, storage), Markdown (for entries with formatting), and PDF (for signed entries with audit trail). No export fee. After cancellation, your data remains readable/exportable for 30 days, then is irreversibly deleted (backups: max. 90 days). On request we provide a database dump in standard SQL format. No proprietary format, no vendor lock-in.

Question 25

How is access controlled when a team member leaves?

Accepted Answer

Admins can deactivate users immediately via team management — access is revoked instantly. All entries, signatures, comments, and movements created by the user remain with correct attribution (name + timestamp in the audit trail); the account simply shows as "inactive". Entry ownership can be transferred to another user. For full account deletion (GDPR right), personal data is anonymised ("Deleted user"), signed data is retained for regulatory reasons.

Question 26

What is the uptime SLA and how fast is support?

Accepted Answer

We commit to 99.9% uptime per month (max. ~43 min downtime/month) — based on our cloud provider's SLA. Real-time availability status page on request. Support response times: Self-Service via FAQ (24/7 self-service), Essential via email with max. 48 h response (Mon–Fri, 9–17 CET), Priority with max. 4 h response (Mon–Fri, 8–18 CET) plus dedicated phone support. All support hours in DACH business time.

Question 27

How does pricing scale as our team grows?

Accepted Answer

The per-user price stays unchanged from 3 to 50 users — no hidden thresholds or "sales calls" as you grow. Above 50 users we offer volume discounts on request. Integrations (Düperthal, REST API, webhooks, OAuth) are included in every tier at no extra cost. All prices are published on the pricing page — no sales call needed to order.

Question 28

How long does a typical implementation take for an SME lab?

Accepted Answer

Realistic for a 5–15 person lab: Day 1 account setup and user invitations (15 min). Week 1 master data import (reagent catalog, storage locations, equipment) via CSV — typically 2–4 hours. Week 2 creation of the first 3–5 protocol templates by the team. Week 3–4 parallel operation with paper lab or legacy system to build trust. Most common stumbling blocks: messy CSV data on import (we mitigate via undo function until the first inventory) and team consensus on entry structure. After 4–6 weeks the system runs in production.

Question 29

How does equipment maintenance planning work?

Accepted Answer

In the equipment detail view, you can plan and document maintenance events — with type (scheduled/unscheduled), date, description, and result. After completing a maintenance event, the next maintenance date is calculated automatically. Status badges (overdue, due soon, on schedule) show the maintenance status at a glance. The maintenance history is visible per device.

Question 30

What are Working Solutions?

Accepted Answer

Working solutions are dilutions or mixtures prepared from stock reagents. You can track preparation details, concentrations, and volumes, and create printable labels for containers. Each working solution is linked to its parent reagent lots.

Question 31

What bioprocess features are included?

Accepted Answer

Bioreactor runs with planning, online/offline samples, feed events, alarms, harvests and downstream batches. Multiple runs can be compared side by side. Master and working cell banks are managed with passage history, vial counting and lineage. Campaigns group related runs together.

Question 32

What does the Chemistry module do?

Accepted Answer

Substance register with GHS, H/P statements, occupational limits, storage classes and SDS versioning; syntheses with reactants, products and automatic stoichiometry; storage compatibility; waste events; plus the §16 GefStoffV register and risk assessments incl. substitution checks — primarily relevant for German and Austrian labs.

Question 33

What does Quality Control (QC) cover?

Accepted Answer

Methods with validation, specifications with items, samples, test runs, results with out-of-spec detection, OOS investigations, stability studies with timepoints, retention samples, and certificates of analysis. Every action is versioned in the audit log.

Question 34

What QM and compliance features are available?

Accepted Answer

Training plans with executions and acknowledgements, an authorization matrix, versioned QM documents with read receipts, deviations, complaints, internal audits with plans and checklists — plus multi-step batch-release workflows with quality and production signatures, linked to bioprocess and QC data.

Question 35

Which lab-safety features are primarily relevant for DE/AT?

Accepted Answer

The biosafety module for GMO projects and organisms under GenTSV, as well as risk assessments and the §16 register under GefStoffV, are specifically tailored to German and Austrian regulation. The remaining functions (SDS, chemical-safety overview, risk matrix) are usable independent of location.

Frequently asked questions