Vivarium Efficiency: How Smart Facilities Improve Welfare, Tracking & Daily Operations

Vivarium management has come a long way from staff spending hours entering data manually to using a variety of colony management and tracking software. However, these systems often remain functionally separate because institutions have historically structured compliance, finance, veterinary care, and operational functions independently. Without integration, data doesn't flow seamlessly across platforms. One system tracks protocols, another manages census, while a third handles billing.

Each system works on its own, but without real-time linkage between them, this creates operational challenges. For instance, verifying whether a researcher is approaching their approved limit requires manual cross-referencing across different platforms. A protocol gets approved for 200 mice. Without automated enforcement, the facility system doesn't know this limit, and staff must manually monitor usage through disconnected systems.

Health records are tracked in a different system. A veterinarian documents that an animal is under treatment and should not be used in procedures. Without system integration, the facility system doesn't see this flag, requiring manual cross-referencing before approving animal use. Information exists, but without real-time linkage, accessing it takes multiple steps, increasing the risk of workflow gaps and compliance issues.

The solution is integrated vivarium management systems that:

• Connects protocol approvals directly to facility operations
• Captures census data once and updates all relevant records automatically
• Alerts staff about protocol animal limits and tracks cage locations in real-time
• Helps staff flag health issues and provide care immediately
• Auto-schedules treatment and helps vets see a complete medical history instantly
• Pulls billing data automatically from actual census counts

In short, integrated systems reduce time spent on manual coordination and increase time available for animal care and compliance oversight. This is where the Key Solutions integrated animal research product suite comes in. You will discover more about it as you read this article. 

Smart Vivarium Management Improving Welfare, Animal Tracking, and Daily Operations

For effective and efficient vivarium management, organizations need systems that communicate with each other through real-time data synchronization, role-based access control, and automated compliance workflows. Instead of manual data transfers between platforms, information flows automatically across functions.

Modern vivarium management focuses on three key areas: animal welfare, accurate tracking, and efficient daily operations. Integrated systems like Key Solutions animal research product suite improve all three by connecting information across different functions. 

The animal research product suite comprises 4 modules: the IACUC module handles protocol management. LARS manages facility operations and census tracking. LAHS handles health records and veterinary care. PAM for post approval monitoring. These modules are integrated by their architecture, so information flows automatically between them. LARS uses protocol limits from IACUC. LAHS feeds health flags into LARS. PAM uses data from all modules to monitor ongoing compliance. 

Improve Animal Welfare with Real-Time Alerts and Treatment Tracking 

When animal care staff or veterinarians notice an animal concern, they can document it directly into the system using a tablet. The veterinarian can pull the health records of that particular animal and access a full medical history. This means treatment decisions are made faster and more accurately. 

The system automatically generates treatment schedules and updates staff checklists. Each dose administered is logged with timestamps, and if a dose is missed, an alert is triggered immediately. This reduces human error significantly, speeds up response time, and improves the overall care provided to animals.

Also, when animals are under treatment, the system flags them automatically. They cannot be used in procedures until their treatment is complete. This happens through the proper workflow without the need for staff to manually check multiple systems to ensure the animal’s status is up to date. This safeguard minimizes the risk of oversight and ensures animals are treated according to protocol.

Tracking Your Research Animals with Real-Time Data 

During morning rounds, the research staff is responsible for capturing census data. Using LARS, they can scan the cage cards, and the system immediately pulls up key details such as the protocol, number of animals, last cage change, and any active health alerts. 

Staff can be able to verify the animal count, note any observations, and directly enter this information into the system. This data updates instantly across all connected systems, ensuring that the information is accurate and up-to-date. This way, Researchers can access current counts for their own protocols at any time through the web portal, and administrators can monitor animal usage against approved limits, all in real-time.

LARS also connects to IACUC protocol management software. When a protocol gets approved for 200 mice, the facility system knows this automatically. As animals are added to the protocol, the system updates the animal count automatically. Alerts are sent to staff when the count nears the approved limit, giving them a heads-up. At the approved limit, the system automatically halts further additions unless an amendment is approved. This ensures compliance is maintained through automated enforcement, minimizing the risk of violations and ensuring that the research facility stays within regulatory guidelines.

Beyond protocol tracking, breeding colonies can be managed systematically, helping facilities standardize their breeding programs. Staff record breeding pair setups and wean dates. The system calculates expected outcomes based on strain history. Weaning reminders generate automatically. Colony productivity becomes measurable instead of guesswork.

Automating Routine Tasks for Efficient Daily Operations

With our animal research product suite, all you need to do is record the data once, and it automatically flows into all connected systems. There's no need for transcription between paper and spreadsheets or duplicate entries across multiple databases. Staff no longer have to spend time hunting through files to find information. 

LARS tracks cage counts, locations, and animal movements in real-time. Protocol reviews can be completed more efficiently through the IACUC module by reducing administrative delays. Submissions are routed electronically to the appropriate reviewers, and committee members can access protocols online and comment directly on specific sections. For designated reviews, the system collects votes electronically and generates approval letters automatically. What used to take weeks in administrative processing can now be completed in days.

Billing is automated through LARS, pulling directly from the census data. The system tracks cage counts per protocol and calculates per diem charges, generating invoices on schedule without the need for manual compilation. Researchers can see costs accumulate in real-time, and billing disputes are reduced through increased transparency and accuracy.

Health records remain up-to-date without additional administrative work through LAHS. Veterinarians can document examinations on their devices, and treatment schedules are generated automatically. LAHS maintains complete medical histories for each animal. Annual reports are compiled directly from data already in the system, eliminating the hours once spent pulling paper forms and tallying numbers. Now, these tasks are completed with just a few clicks.

PAM (Post-Approval Monitoring) supports ongoing compliance through oversight practices that vary by institution. It tracks protocol activities after approval, monitors animal usage against approved limits, and flags any deviations that need IACUC attention. This continuous oversight happens automatically where institutions implement such monitoring requirements.

What This Means for Your Team and Your Institution

Manual and siloed systems work, but they cost time and create stress. Staff spend hours on data entry instead of animal care. Protocol reviews face administrative delays. Compliance depends on manual cross-referencing across multiple systems.

However, facilities that are shifting to integrated systems not only save time, reduce workflow gaps, and maintain compliance, but they are also better funded.

Benefits for Your Staff

• Technicians complete morning census significantly faster, freeing up time to observe animals more closely and detect health issues earlier. There's no need to spend the end of the day transcribing handwritten notes anymore.
• Veterinarians can instantly access a complete medical history for each animal directly on their tablets. Treatment schedules are automatically generated, allowing them to focus on making clinical decisions rather than managing paperwork.
• The protocol approval process becomes faster and more efficient. The system automatically routes submissions to the appropriate reviewers. Committee members can review protocols and add comments online. Approval letters are generated with just a few clicks, reducing the time spent on coordination and increasing time for meaningful oversight.
• Facility managers have real-time access to accurate census data, allowing them to make informed decisions quickly. Billing runs automatically based on actual counts, making budget planning more predictable and accurate.

Benefits for Your Institution

• Protocol approvals move faster, enabling research to start sooner and keeping grant timelines on track.
• Compliance is automatically strengthened. The system enforces protocol limits, preventing inappropriate use of animals. Health flags are raised when necessary, and audit preparation becomes a streamlined process that takes hours instead of weeks.
• Billing accuracy improves as the system uses real-time data, ensuring researchers can see transparent costs. Payment processing speeds up, making revenue collection more reliable and efficient.
• Staff retention improves when administrative burdens are reduced. Employees are more likely to stay when their workload becomes manageable, and training new staff becomes easier with standardized, automated systems.

Getting Started

You don't need to implement everything at once. Start with one area that causes the most friction. Automated census through LARS. Electronic protocol reviews through IACUC. Digital health records through LAHS. Pick one, prove the value, then expand.

Facilities across academia, pharma, and biotech have made this shift. They report significant time savings, fewer compliance issues, and happier staff. The investment pays for itself through stronger compliance and fewer audit findings, faster protocol turnaround, improved staff efficiency, and a significant reduction in administrative burden, all of which protect research continuity and institutional credibility.

The question is simple: are you ready to begin? If yes, contact us today and let’s explore how we can help streamline your operations, improve efficiency, and drive better outcomes for your team and research.

Frequently Asked Questions