What Sets Freezerworks Apart?

Lab Technician locating samples in open top freezerSuperior Database Design

When we developed the first version of Freezerworks in 1992, we did it with true configurability in mind. This means your workflow is supported by Freezerworks rather than your workflow needing to adapt to the software.  The configurable nature of Freezerworks further ensures it will continue to support your workflow as your needs and processes change and grow. A competitor may provide similar functionality in many areas. However, Freezerworks excels in how that functionality is integrated into your existing operations.


Unlike many freezer inventory programs, Freezerworks is primarily sample-centric rather than freezer-centric. What this means is that the strength of its design allows you to begin your data entry and management from the perspective of the sample, and from there go to the freezer to assign aliquots and locations. A freezer-centric program forces you to start and work primarily from the perspective of the freezer or freezer box.  In a freezer-centric design, the aliquot often stands a solitary unit, separated from the parent sample and its “sibling” aliquots. Storing solitary aliquots in multiple freezers and freezer sections using a freezer-centric approach can get cumbersome, hard to manage, and overly restrictive for the many workflow needs that call for a sample-centric approach.

Our Samples Entry Screens give you an open and flexible working environment for your samples and aliquots: a convenient place to view all of a sample’s data as well as its multiple aliquots and aliquot types, stored in multiple freezers, from an empowering yet attractive software interface.  But if you require or prefer a freezer-centric approach, you can also utilize Freezerworks in a freezer-centric fashion: working at a freezer box level by using our Explore Freezers option. You have that choice, and the ability to work in both environments.

In this way, Freezerworks is more of a sample management program than a mere freezer inventory program.

Other key features of the Freezerworks approach to sample management: 

Audit trail – Freezerworks has the most complete Audit Trail on the market to protect your organization and its assets; Freezerworks will track

o   What data was changed
o   Who changed it (user names)
o   When did they change it (Date & Time)
o   How did they change it (process used)
o   What was it changed from (original value and new value)
o   Why they changed it (configurable reason requirements)

Patient Sample details can be protected in Freezerworks by marking fields as PHI

Freezerworks will protect sensitive patient information. When you mark a field as “PHI”, the data is masked while scrolling through lists of records – to protect it from casual viewers.  And when you unmask it, Freezerworks will track the user who viewed it and when. This function meets the most stringent interpretations of existing data security requirements.

This audit trail is:

o   Un-editable
o   Easily searchable
o   Fully automated

Security – Depending on your security needs, there is an edition and a solution for you. From a small single user lab to multi-user and group situations,  Freezerworks allows you to

o   Hide the samples you need to hide
o   Hide the Freezers you need to hide
o   Hide the fields you need to hide
o   Protect the data from alteration when data needs to be viewed

Administrators have the flexibility to give and withhold a variety of functions based on user roles and authority. Permissions can be as general or granular as necessary.

As part of the Mission of Dataworks, its principals have actively participated in the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) since 2000.  This participation has included leadership roles in the Society, development of an Informatics Workshop offered annually, editorial review board for the Society’s official journal, and development of Best Practices for information management.

Doctor Melissa Olson
Melissa Olson, PhD describes the vital role Freezerworks plays in CAP Accreditation here.
Accreditation – Freezerworks has a strong reputation for its role in quality assurance for sample management.  – See this article on the role of Freezerworks for a major biobank in acquiring CAP accreditation. Key quote: “Freezerworks was probably our easiest part of the CAP process.”

Also, Dr. Simon Body, Associate Professor of Anesthesia at Brigham & Women’s Hospital shared the following with us:

“We use Freezerworks for a large multi-center study involving collection of several different types of samples including whole blood, genomic DNA, serum, plasma and buffy coats collected at several time points. Each center found Freezerworks easy to set up and get running.

“For one major grant, reviewers intensively queried our mechanism for tracking samples. As soon as they heard we used Freezerworks the queries ended and the grant was funded. We love it.”

Customer Support – we pride ourselves in offering outstanding support available around the clock. Freezerworks support is world renowned for its responsiveness, depth, and quality.