Storing all metadata might be the smartest decision you'll make in your lab. Here’s the story behind this finding

Storing all metadata might be the smartest decision you'll make in your lab. Here’s the story behind this finding:

Not long ago, we worked with a client on a challenging process optimization project. Out of nowhere, they experienced a sudden drop in reaction performance - a mystery we couldn't immediately explain.We dug deeper to better understand what was going on.

Finally, we uncovered the culprit: one of the several chemicals slowly started to decompose after opening the raw material bottle.

For sensitive chemicals, like n-Butyllithium (n-BuLi), even slight exposure to oxygen or moisture can trigger unexpected reactivity changes. A small detail with a massive impact.

Had the lot number and the opening date been recorded, this could have been found faster.This experience highlighted a critical truth:

In process optimization, it’s not just about better algorithms, smarter designs, or faster equipment.

It’s about data integrity, and that starts with capturing comprehensive metadata such as:

- Lot numbers of chemicals used

- Opening dates and exposure durations

- Calibration settings for analysis

- Time stamps and raw sensor readings

- Cooling/heating rates and reagent addition times

- Sequence of addition and experimental procedures

- And several moreWhy does this matter?

Because when something goes wrong - and it will - metadata is your map.

Without it, you're left guessing.

Collecting metadata manually is a good start and often the only way, but can be inconsistent or skipped in fast-paced environments.Understandable. Labs are busy, experiments are complex, and small details can feel non-urgent.Until they’re not.

Modern labs that use Process Analytical Technologies (PAT) - inline sensors, probes, and real-time analyzers - are able to capture critical metadata automatically.

The result? Faster troubleshooting, consistent reproducibility, and machine learning models trained with more detailed context.

Automatic metadata capture isn’t just good practice. It’s a competitive advantage.