diff --git a/app/models/characteristic-type.js b/app/models/characteristic-type.js
index 31f793a..284486e 100644
--- a/app/models/characteristic-type.js
+++ b/app/models/characteristic-type.js
@@ -8,5 +8,6 @@ export default DS.Model.extend({
   deletedAt: DS.attr('date'),
   createdBy: DS.attr('number'),
   updatedBy: DS.attr('number'),
-  deletedBy: DS.attr('number')
+  deletedBy: DS.attr('number'),
+  sortOrder: DS.attr('number'),
 });
diff --git a/app/models/characteristic.js b/app/models/characteristic.js
index eeeafe4..9f33d7b 100644
--- a/app/models/characteristic.js
+++ b/app/models/characteristic.js
@@ -10,5 +10,6 @@ export default DS.Model.extend({
   deletedAt         : DS.attr('date'),
   createdBy         : DS.attr('number'),
   updatedBy         : DS.attr('number'),
-  deletedBy         : DS.attr('number')
+  deletedBy         : DS.attr('number'),
+  sortOrder         : DS.attr('number'),
 });
diff --git a/app/models/species.js b/app/models/species.js
index 8c679ee..fee135a 100644
--- a/app/models/species.js
+++ b/app/models/species.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ export default DS.Model.extend({
   createdBy   : DS.attr('number'),
   updatedBy   : DS.attr('number'),
   deletedBy   : DS.attr('number'),
+  sortOrder   : DS.attr('number'),
 
   speciesNameMU: function() {
     return Ember.String.htmlSafe(`<em>${this.get('speciesName')}</em>`);
diff --git a/app/models/strain.js b/app/models/strain.js
index 09983a5..a3621e9 100644
--- a/app/models/strain.js
+++ b/app/models/strain.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export default DS.Model.extend({
   updatedBy        : DS.attr('number'),
   deletedBy        : DS.attr('number'),
   totalMeasurements: DS.attr('number'),
+  sortOrder        : DS.attr('number'),
 
   strainNameMU: function() {
     let type = this.get('typeStrain') ? '<sup>T</sup>' : '';
diff --git a/app/pods/characteristics/route.js b/app/pods/characteristics/route.js
index bde4ffa..5ac902c 100644
--- a/app/pods/characteristics/route.js
+++ b/app/pods/characteristics/route.js
@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@ export default Ember.Route.extend(AuthenticatedRouteMixin, {
     controller.set('model', models.characteristics);
     controller.set('tableAttrs', tableAttrs);
     controller.set('row', 'characteristic-index-row');
-    controller.set('sort', ['characteristicName']);
+    controller.set('sort', ['characteristicType.characteristicTypeName', 'sortOrder']);
   },
 });
diff --git a/app/pods/components/measurement-search-panel/component.js b/app/pods/components/measurement-search-panel/component.js
index e56e6e9..b9e9749 100644
--- a/app/pods/components/measurement-search-panel/component.js
+++ b/app/pods/components/measurement-search-panel/component.js
@@ -23,10 +23,10 @@ export default Ember.Component.extend({
         models[item.model] = models[item.model].filter((i) => {
           if (!Ember.isEmpty(i.get(item.children))) { return true; }
         });
-        models[item.model] = models[item.model].sortBy(item.text);
+        models[item.model] = models[item.model].sortBy('sortOrder');
         let temp = models[item.model].map((data) => {
           let temp_children = [];
-          let sorted_children = data.get(item.children).sortBy(item.ctext);
+          let sorted_children = data.get(item.children).sortBy('sortOrder');
           sorted_children.forEach((child) => {
             temp_children.push({id: child.get(item.cid), text: child.get(item.ctext)});
           });
diff --git a/app/pods/species/index/route.js b/app/pods/species/index/route.js
index 6ef9dd3..9d02d32 100644
--- a/app/pods/species/index/route.js
+++ b/app/pods/species/index/route.js
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ export default Ember.Route.extend(AuthenticatedRouteMixin, {
     controller.set('model', model);
     controller.set('tableAttrs', tableAttrs);
     controller.set('row', 'species-index-row');
-    controller.set('sort', ['speciesName']);
+    controller.set('sort', ['sortOrder']);
   },
 });
diff --git a/app/pods/strains/index/route.js b/app/pods/strains/index/route.js
index 81bcc2b..7185ff2 100644
--- a/app/pods/strains/index/route.js
+++ b/app/pods/strains/index/route.js
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ export default Ember.Route.extend(AuthenticatedRouteMixin, {
     controller.set('model', model);
     controller.set('tableAttrs', tableAttrs);
     controller.set('row', 'strain-index-row');
-    controller.set('sort', ['fullNameMU']);
+    controller.set('sort', ['sortOrder']);
   },
 });
diff --git a/server/mocks/characteristic-types.js b/server/mocks/characteristic-types.js
index 906a454..9eb84bc 100644
--- a/server/mocks/characteristic-types.js
+++ b/server/mocks/characteristic-types.js
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       deletedAt: null,
       createdBy: 1,
       updatedBy: 1,
-      deletedBy: null
+      deletedBy: null,
+      sortOrder: 1,
     },
     {
       id: 2,
@@ -23,7 +24,8 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       deletedAt: null,
       createdBy: 1,
       updatedBy: 1,
-      deletedBy: null
+      deletedBy: null,
+      sortOrder: 2,
     },
     {
       id: 3,
@@ -34,7 +36,8 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       deletedAt: null,
       createdBy: 1,
       updatedBy: 1,
-      deletedBy: null
+      deletedBy: null,
+      sortOrder: 3,
     },
   ]
 
diff --git a/server/mocks/characteristics.js b/server/mocks/characteristics.js
index 3be513c..09c4d44 100644
--- a/server/mocks/characteristics.js
+++ b/server/mocks/characteristics.js
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       deletedAt: null,
       createdBy: 1,
       updatedBy: 1,
-      deletedBy: null
+      deletedBy: null,
+      sortOrder: 1,
     },
     {
       id: 2,
@@ -27,7 +28,8 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       deletedAt: null,
       createdBy: 1,
       updatedBy: 1,
-      deletedBy: null
+      deletedBy: null,
+      sortOrder: 2,
     },
     {
       id: 3,
@@ -40,7 +42,8 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       deletedAt: null,
       createdBy: 1,
       updatedBy: 1,
-      deletedBy: null
+      deletedBy: null,
+      sortOrder: 3,
     },
     {
       id: 4,
@@ -53,7 +56,8 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       deletedAt: null,
       createdBy: 1,
       updatedBy: 1,
-      deletedBy: null
+      deletedBy: null,
+      sortOrder: 4,
     },
     {
       id: 5,
@@ -66,7 +70,8 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       deletedAt: null,
       createdBy: 1,
       updatedBy: 1,
-      deletedBy: null
+      deletedBy: null,
+      sortOrder: 5,
     }
   ]
 
diff --git a/server/mocks/species.js b/server/mocks/species.js
index f3b0430..c7b66a4 100644
--- a/server/mocks/species.js
+++ b/server/mocks/species.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       createdBy: 1,
       updatedBy: 1,
       deletedBy: null,
+      sortOrder: 1,
     },
     {
       id: 2,
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       createdBy: 1,
       updatedBy: 1,
       deletedBy: null,
+      sortOrder: 2,
     },
     {
       id: 3,
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       createdBy: 1,
       updatedBy: 1,
       deletedBy: null,
+      sortOrder: 3,
     },
     {
       id: 4,
@@ -62,6 +65,7 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       createdBy: 1,
       updatedBy: 1,
       deletedBy: null,
+      sortOrder: 4,
     }
   ];
 
diff --git a/server/mocks/strains.js b/server/mocks/strains.js
index d6bfccf..2a39419 100644
--- a/server/mocks/strains.js
+++ b/server/mocks/strains.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       deletedBy: null,
       totalMeasurements: 5,
       notes: "Test notes",
+      sortOrder: 1,
     },
     {
       id: 2,
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       deletedBy: null,
       totalMeasurements: 5,
       notes: "Test notes",
+      sortOrder: 2,
     },
     {
       id: 3,
@@ -56,6 +58,7 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       deletedBy: null,
       totalMeasurements: 0,
       notes: "Test notes",
+      sortOrder: 3,
     },
     {
       id: 4,
@@ -74,6 +77,7 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
       deletedBy: null,
       totalMeasurements: 0,
       notes: "Test notes",
+      sortOrder: 4.
     }
   ];