06/17/2026
Paper batch records are still the majority format in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The cost is not just operational. It is regulatory.
FDA's data integrity guidance specifically addresses hybrid systems: environments where paper records and electronic systems coexist without consistent controls. Most facilities running paper batch records are operating a hybrid system by default, whether they formally classify it that way or not.
The specific risks paper creates in a regulated environment:
Transcription errors that require investigation, deviation reports, and root cause analysis, each consuming QA hours that go into the batch record itself.
Illegibility that creates data integrity questions during inspection, even when the underlying manufacturing decision was correct.
Physical record management that makes concurrent review, batch release, and cross-site QA oversight structurally difficult.
Electronic batch records address these risks through structured data capture, audit trails, and real-time QA visibility. The regulatory argument for making the transition has been established for over a decade. The operational barrier has typically been configuration cost and validation effort.
Cloudtheapp's electronic batch record module is configurable without code, validated on deployment, and integrates directly with CAPA, deviation, and supplier management workflows.
Learn more: https://www.cloudtheapp.com/demo/