SigmaCERF provides the features you need in an ELN solution. SigmaCERF does more than simply replace your paper lab notebooks with a digital solution. SigmaCERF is a highly usable and useful product that offers the features you need to improve research performance throughout your organization.
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Collaboration in a Secure Environment [top]
SigmaCERF projects and notebooks are available for access and real-time data sharing with any number of users - so long as they supply suitable digital credentials to be authorized. SigmaCERF offers easy use through intuitive user interfaces that hide the sophistication of a robust and extremely secure system designed to meet the requirements and challenges of today's life sciences research organizations. Views and action menus are automatically filtered to reflect the rich sets of role based access privileges associated with membership in SigmaCERF workgroups - so that users have transparent access to everything that they can see and do (and never have access to restricted content or activities).
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Version Control [top]
SigmaCERF offers a full document control system that makes it easy to track information while meeting the requirements of 21 CFR 11. Content in SigmaCERF can be placed under version control to avoid overwriting changes when collaborating on documents. All versions are tracked and retained, each with its own metadata and users can browse and open previous versions on demand. The version history includes a record of contributors, updates, identifiers and resource information. Strong access controls give users the flexibility to change their personal protocols and templates without inadvertently changing lab SOPs.
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Workflow Definition [top]
SigmaCERF allows you to define the specific workflow that is required for your documentation generation. System administrators can define workflow related to the document throughout its life cycle and the roles of each user in the workflow. Some of the actions that can be configured into the workflow are document creation, approval, review, signature, and release. Role based security and digital time stamps are incorporated throughout the process in compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11.
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Data
Capture [top]
SigmaCERF's automation client
allows you to import data directly from instruments
and other sources. This data is available within
the notebook, stored in its original format and
can be exported within a regulatory compliance
procedure.
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Track Metadata [top]
SigmaCERF automatically extracts basic metadata from each document when it is registered in the SigmaCERF database. Metadata are useful in constructing audit trails and include contributor, creation date, resource type and last update. Users can use forms to add more metadata such as author, comments or definitions, and they can select from the Dublin Core metadata set, custom scientific data models and customizable controlled vocabularies for a more powerful means of annotating (and searching) for resources. SigmaCERF supports batch additions of content and metadata, as well as configurable automated data processing of diverse object types.
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Bookmarks [top]
Quickly gather your thoughts put them together and get back at a later time for information within SigmaCERF.
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Find Expert [top]
Have you ever spent a month
optimizing a procedure just to discover that somebody
in your organization had already done the work?
SigmaCERF allows you to find the expert in your
organization within your area of interest. The
result of the search is the contact information
of the expert identified. This feature has literally
saved large organizations thousands of dollars
by identifying experts and reducing redundant work.
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Data Classification [top]
Actions in SigmaCERF are defined by OWL ontologies that control what a user can do with a given type of resource. For example, if a user adds a jpeg image file to the system, SigmaCERF knows that the user can manipulate the resource using a graphics viewer. If the user specifies that the jpeg is a Biomedical Image, SigmaCERF may give the user a completely different set of functions than are available for standard images - the metadata form will contain controlled vocabularies that are specific to biomedical images and the image may be opened with specific rather than generic image viewers (e.g., gel analysis software). Custom ontologies can be created for practically any user, resource, situation, and workflow and may include automation and data processing scripts.
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Forms and Templates [top]
Much of research involves recording data, and this task may involve many people across your organization. Templates provide a means for standardizing procedures and increasing the accuracy and efficiency of data input. As with all resources in SigmaCERF, templates have associated metadata that provide a complete audit history and added search capability. Templates and forms are easily customized - either by Systat or by your SigmaCERF administrator or power users - to suit your requirements.
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Controlled Vocabularies [top]
Instead of having to enter annotations by typing in a string of words, SigmaCERF offers controlled vocabularies that allow the user to choose appropriate metadata categories and keywords from pre-defined lists (flat or hierarchical). These controlled vocabularies are configurable and customizable, so that you can have different sets associated with different types of resources. Now everyone in your organization will spell correctly and be able to find relevant content.
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Digital Signatures [top]
Any document, data set or notebook
page in SigmaCERF can be digitally signed by the
resource contributor and one or more cosigners
(according to your designated workflows). This
allows for authentication and verification of a
document's origin and contents and it includes
a time/date stamp and signer comments. SigmaCERF-Notebook
generates unique encryption keypairs for each user
and even allows you to attach a scanned image of
your handwritten signature to the signed documents.
Notebook pages allow a configurable signature workflow
in which cosigners with specific signing roles
must sign the resource in a defined order - all
managed behind the scenes by SigmaCERF.
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Microsoft Office Integration [top]
SigmaCERF makes available an
optional Microsoft Office¨ Integration package which makes it even easier to save Microsoft Office documents to your SigmaCERF-Notebook. After running the installation, you will see a new "Export to Local SigmaCERF" button in your Microsoft Office applications. The Microsoft Office Integration package comes with a "Select 'n Search" option
that allows you to search a number of databases
by highlighting text as the search term(s) and
then save the results of your search to SigmaCERF.
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Optional integration with Amphora PatentSafe [top]
The SigmaCERF-Notebook has been integrated with the Amphora PatentSafe system - now you can have the best of both worlds! Instant access to the secure electronic records in their original format, in the ELN and secure printouts of your records on the Amphora PatentPad security paper.
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Browse and Search capability [top]
SigmaCERF allows you to review
and reuse previous work with required access control.
The search allow you to browse through projects,
experiments, notebooks, files, background information,
database references, titles, authors, metadata and
using terms from hierarchical controlled vocabularies.
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Review, Verify and Approve
Work [top]
SigmaCERF allow you to review projects, experiments, notebooks, files, data, background information and reference that where entered in by your colleges as long as you have the user access rights.
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Manage web and database content [top]
The SigmaCERF Microsoft¨ Office/IE
integration allows you to save web pages, integration
with data sources (applications, web services,
SQL/XML database systems) and 3rd-party data access/management.
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Simple data entry [top]
Work with data from all your
favorite applications (general, scientific).
Use custom data entry forms that match specified
research content types and support consistent annotation,
including controlled scientific vocabularies and
required/optional form fields.
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Increase research quality [top]
Use Notebook templates to create experiment structure and contents including all the forms and files to fill in during the course of the project. Capture the raw and processed data for reuse and re-analysis by the scientists and create and manage human-readable notebook views and printable PDF renditions of data (in the context of the complete record and evidence trail) to support regulatory compliance.
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Mac, PC or Linux [top]
Client Operating System
Windows 2000,
Windows XP,
Windows Vista,
Mac OS X 10.4,
Mac OS X 10.5
Server Operating System
Windows
2000 Server, Windows 2003 Server,
Mac OS 10.4 Server
Compatible Databases
MySQL – Default Database Provided by Oracle,
SQL Server
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