Laboratory Setup Decision Log
This is a practical guide to building a decision log for a laboratory setup project — a record of the key decisions made, by whom and why, adapted to the realities of setting up a laboratory or research facility.
What a Decision Log is
A decision log is a record of the key decisions made, by whom and why. For the full concept and how it works in general, see Decision Log. On a laboratory setup project it plays the same role, tuned to this kind of work.
Why it matters for a Laboratory Setup project
Laboratory Setup projects live or die on setting up a laboratory or research facility. A well-built decision log gives the team a shared, explicit reference for exactly that — reducing ambiguity, aligning stakeholders, and making problems visible early enough to act. Skipping it, or doing it generically, is how laboratory setup projects drift into avoidable delay and cost.
What to include
- Decision
- Date and owner
- Rationale
- Alternatives considered
- Impact
Laboratory Setup-specific considerations
Tailor the decision log to the risks that most often derail laboratory setup projects:
- Equipment procurement
- Compliance and safety
- Validation
Example
On a real laboratory setup project, the decision log would be shaped by setting up a laboratory or research facility. In particular, it should explicitly account for the project’s biggest risks — equipment procurement, compliance and safety, validation — rather than treating them as afterthoughts.