Why Customizable Software Matters for Tissue Culture Labs
No two tissue culture labs work exactly the same way. Yet many software systems force everyone into identical workflows. Here's why flexibility matters and what to look for.
Walk into ten different tissue culture labs and you'll see ten different ways of working. Some labs call them mother plants, others call them stock plants. Some track fragrance scores for orchids, others track growth vigor for agricultural crops, and others track specific phenotype markers for research specimens.
The problem? Most lab software is built with a fixed structure that assumes every lab works the same way. This creates friction, workarounds, and eventually frustration when the software doesn't match your reality.
The One-Size-Fits-All Problem
Traditional lab software often comes with predetermined fields, fixed workflows, and rigid terminology. This works fine if your lab happens to match exactly what the software developers envisioned. But what if it doesn't?
Common Frustrations with Rigid Software
- • Having to explain to staff why the software calls things by different names than your lab does
- • Tracking important data in separate spreadsheets because there's no field for it in the software
- • Working around stages or statuses that don't match your actual process
- • Paying for expensive customization services to make basic changes
What Customizable Actually Means
When we talk about customizable lab software, we're not just talking about color schemes or dashboard layouts. Real customization means the software can adapt to your lab's unique needs without requiring programming or IT consultants.
Terminology Flexibility
Your lab might use different terms than another lab. Customizable software lets you change any label to match your language:
Instead of:
- • Mother Plant
- • Culture
- • Subculture
- • Vessel
You might use:
- • Stock Plant or Parent
- • Line or Isolate
- • Passage or Transfer
- • Flask or Container
Custom Fields
Different labs need to track different data. Truly flexible software lets you add fields for whatever matters to your operation:
Example Custom Fields Different Labs Might Need:
- Orchid labs: Fragrance score, bloom season, award history
- Research labs: Grant numbers, project codes, researcher assignments
- Commercial labs: Customer reference numbers, order quantities, shipping dates
- Conservation labs: Collection location, endangered status, source permits
- Agricultural labs: Yield estimates, disease resistance ratings, field trial IDs
None of these are standard fields in most lab software. Customizable systems let you add exactly what you need without modifying the source code or paying for expensive consulting.
Workflow Configuration
Not every lab follows the same process. Some have three stages, others have seven. Some need a quality check phase, others need a hardening stage before acclimatization.
Flexible software lets you define your own stages with your own names and progression rules. Your process, not someone else's template.
Status Values and Dropdowns
Every dropdown in your system should be configurable. Culture statuses, contamination types, disposition reasons - these should all match your lab's actual categories, not generic defaults.
Example: Culture Status Values
Generic Software Might Offer:
- • Active
- • Contaminated
- • Disposed
Your Lab Might Actually Need:
- • Active - Monitoring
- • Active - Ready for Transfer
- • On Hold - Awaiting Results
- • Quarantine - Under Observation
- • Contaminated - Bacterial
- • Contaminated - Fungal
- • Disposed - Contamination
- • Disposed - Completed Project
Benefits Beyond Convenience
Customization isn't just about making the software feel more comfortable. It has practical benefits:
Better Data Quality
When fields and options match your actual needs, staff enter better, more accurate data because it makes sense to them.
Faster Adoption
Training is easier when the software speaks your lab's language. Less confusion means faster onboarding.
No Workarounds
When the software fits your process, you don't need separate spreadsheets or manual tracking systems to fill the gaps.
Future-Proof
As your lab evolves, customizable software adapts. Add new fields, change terminology, adjust workflows - without waiting for vendor updates.
What to Look For
Not all customizable software is created equal. Here's what true flexibility looks like:
- ✓No-code customization: You should be able to make changes through the interface, not by editing code or calling support.
- ✓Unlimited custom fields: Don't accept artificial limits on how many fields you can add.
- ✓Immediate changes: Modifications should take effect right away, not require app restarts or updates.
- ✓Granular permissions: Control who can make configuration changes vs who just uses the system.
- ✓Configuration backup: Your customizations should be preserved through updates and backups.
Questions to Ask Vendors
- • Can I rename any field or entity in your system?
- • Can I add unlimited custom fields without additional cost?
- • Can I create my own dropdown values and status categories?
- • Do I need to contact support to make these changes?
- • Will my customizations persist through software updates?
Starting Simple
Just because software is customizable doesn't mean you need to customize everything immediately. Many labs start with the defaults and gradually adjust as they discover what they need.
The key is having the flexibility available when you need it. Maybe you start with standard culture tracking and later realize you need to track specific quality metrics. With flexible software, adding that field takes minutes, not months.
The Bottom Line
Your lab has unique needs. It might be your terminology, your workflow stages, your specific data points, or all of the above. Software that forces you to adapt to its structure will always create friction.
Customizable software inverts this relationship. The tool adapts to you, not the other way around. This matters whether you're a small hobbyist operation or a commercial lab with hundreds of cultures.
Built for Total Flexibility
MeristemLab is designed from the ground up with customization as a core principle. Change terminology, add unlimited custom fields, configure your stages and statuses - all without writing code or calling support.
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