The Essential Animal Research Compliance & Facility Management Software

Animal research facilities run on four critical functions: IACUC protocol compliance, facility operations (including census and animal tracking), animal care, and post-approval monitoring. Each function generates significant documentation, requires careful coordination, and carries compliance obligations.

Most facilities manage these functions through separate systems. One platform handles IACUC protocols, another tracks facility operations, a third manages health records, and monitoring happens through spreadsheets or manual checklists. The operational consequences are immediate: missed census counts that delay billing, protocol amendments sitting unprocessed while animals arrive, veterinarians unable to access protocol requirements during health emergencies, and compliance gaps discovered only during inspections.

A functional software for animal research needs to connect all these functions. This is where the integrated animal research system provides an operational advantage.

How integrated software transforms each critical function

Integrated software connects protocol workflows to facility operations, facility operations to health records, and post-approval monitoring to all three. Information flows between functions automatically, reducing manual coordination and compliance risk.

Enhancing Protocol Submission and Approval

Investigators submit protocols through structured forms in the system. The forms include all required information and flag incomplete sections before submission. This reduces back-and-forth cycles that typically delay approval by weeks. 

The system distributes protocols to all voting IACUC members. If any member requests Full Committee Review (FCR), the protocol must go to a convened meeting with a quorum present. If no member calls for FCR, the Chair may authorize Designated Member Review (DMR) by assigning one or more qualified reviewers. Managers can track which review level applies and route protocols accordingly to all voting members.

Committee members access the protocols online and review them. They comment directly on specific sections. The manager consolidates the comments, and the investigator receives consolidated feedback in one place instead of scattered across emails.

The system maintains a complete version history with timestamps. When investigators submit amendments, the system displays changes directly, eliminating the need to compare documents manually. This version control provides audit-ready documentation for regulatory inspections.

Connecting Protocols Directly to Facility Operations

When IACUC approves a protocol, that information becomes accessible to LARS immediately. Facility staff can see approved animal numbers, species, procedures, and housing requirements without contacting the IACUC office.

When investigators order animals through LARS, the system checks against approved quantities automatically. It verifies protocol approval for the requested species, confirms sufficient animals remain in approved limits, and ensures protocol remains active. This automated enforcement prevents unintentional overuse that could trigger AAALAC deficiencies or OLAW findings during inspections.

When IACUC approves amendments that increase animal numbers or modify procedures, LARS reflects those updates without requiring facility staff to manually check with the IACUC office or wait for email notifications.

Protocols get approved for three years. The system tracks expiration dates and sends renewal reminders to investigators starting six months before expiration, escalating at three months and one month, then weekly as expiration approaches. This prevents protocol lapses that would halt active research.

Health Records Linked to Protocols and Facility Data

When animals arrive and get entered into LARS, their cage records link to approved protocols. This connection carries through to LAHS, ensuring veterinarians have immediate access to protocol context during health assessments.

LAHS manages animal health records with connections to both protocol information and facility data:

• Each animal's health record links to its protocol and cage location
• Veterinarians scan cage cards during health rounds to access complete medical history alongside protocol-specific information like expected clinical signs and approved humane endpoints
• Health flags in LAHS become visible in LARS automatically, showing animals as temporarily unavailable for procedures until treatment is completed

This integration eliminates the workflow gaps that occur when veterinarians cannot quickly access protocol requirements during after-hours emergencies or when facility staff inadvertently use animals flagged for treatment.

Enabling Systematic Post-Approval Monitoring (PAM)

By using PAM, teams can verify that actual research activities match approved protocols:

•  Compare actual animal usage in LARS against approved numbers in IACUC
• Review health records in LAHS against protocol requirements for pain management and humane endpoints
• Identify discrepancies requiring IACUC attention before they become compliance violations

Every protocol submission, reviewer assignment, comment, revision, committee vote, approval, and amendment gets logged with timestamps and user identifications. When OLAW visits or AAALAC conducts site reviews, reports are generated in seconds. All protocols involving specific species, all Category E protocols, all protocols expiring in 90 days, and a complete review history for any protocol. The system produces documentation immediately because it captures information during normal operations instead of compiling it after the fact for inspections.

Key Takeaways 

Functional software for animal research connects compliance, facility operations, and health management. The operational value lies not in having three separate systems that each work independently, but in having integrated systems that eliminate manual coordination and prevent information gaps.

When protocols get approved, facility management accesses that information immediately. 

When animals get ordered, the system verifies against current approvals automatically. 

When health issues arise, protocol information is accessible without phone calls. When inspectors arrive, audit trails are complete.

These connections reduce compliance risk, improve operational efficiency, and accelerate research timelines.

Key Solutions for Animal Research Compliance 

Platforms like Key Solutions integrated animal research system connect IACUC protocol management, animal facility operations (LARS), healthcare (LAHS), and post-approval monitoring (PAM) as one system rather than requiring manual coordination across separate platforms.

Facilities across academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and biotechnology firms have implemented integrated platforms to strengthen compliance and reduce administrative burden. They report measurable improvements in protocol approval timelines, fewer audit findings, and reduced staff time on manual data reconciliation.

The fundamental question for any research facility is straightforward: Are your essential functions connected or disconnected? Does information flow between systems automatically or require manual coordination? Can you demonstrate complete audit trails when inspectors arrive?

Want to see how integration reduces manual errors and speeds up IACUC approval? Book a demo of our complete suite in action to see how IACUC, LARS, LAHS, and PAM work together in practice.

Frequently Asked Questions