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The Challenge – Affordable Laboratory Management Software for Labs of Any Size

While laboratory data management technology has evolved over the past 25 years from simple data collection methods to the current enterprise-level data management and integrated LIMS solutions, too many of

the thousands of laboratories around the world are still using manual processes or simple tools like spreadsheets to manage the complexities of laboratory workflow, sample management and data collection. The

LIMS industry has grown to meet the changing needs of the largest global users in industries that have required a high degree of regulation or standardisation, but it has not up to now been able to deliver a solution

for smaller laboratories involved in more routine testing or those labs that are not constrained by strict regulatory policy or the need for continuous validation of their processes. The solutions created for the largest

users in the lab community have not been a cost effective choice for smaller laboratories, which often do not have the personnel, IT resources or capital budgets to fund a large scale installed LIMS. Thus the industry

has in a way passed these smaller labs by, leaving an entire segment of the marketplace to fend for themselves to create their own workflow and data management systems using paper based methods or spreadsheets.

Automating Workflows to Gain Laboratory Efficiencies and Reduce Errors with a LIMS

A LIMS is a valuable and necessary tool in large organisations that require complete automation of instruments and systems from within the lab, as well as connectivity with other enterprise systems so that critical business information is distributed throughout the organisation as it is needed. With a LIMS managing the flow of data from instruments across the laboratory to a central data¬base, scientists can be assured that their data are error-free and available for analysis when they need it and in the right format. A LIMS will also help the laboratory provide quality assurance and an audit trail for instances where traceability of data is important. In large organisations, an enterprise-level LIMS is typically managed by a dedicated team of IT and LIMS professionals, who install, maintain and validate the software and keep up to date with any system upgrades or hardware requirements. Furthermore, scientists and laboratory staff ensure that processes, workflows, SOPs and methods are kept up to date in the LIMS.

For smaller laboratories or organisations with limited IT infrastructure, this workload and investment is impossible to manage. Small to mid-sized companies with 3-5 scientists often have the same data management needs as larger organisations, but have accommodated for their lack of resources by either building their own database systems or relying on paper based methods, While this approach meets the needs of the lab to analyse, document and store their data for the short term, paper based methods requiring manual data handling can become a barrier to the lab’s efficiencies, productivity and even quality. For smaller laboratories, data is still generated by multiple sources of instruments and systems, and most often in formats that are not compatible with each other. Without the support of an installed and integrated LIMS which has automated processes and data collection across the lab, collecting and analysing this data becomes a time-intensive process because scientists are using paper-based methods, creating spreadsheets or other homegrown

systems simply to capture and analyse the data and keep track of their multiple workflows. In small to mid-sized laboratories, where there may not be a dedicated IT function or a budget for investment in database hardware and software, scientists and laboratory managers often perform the dual roles of scientist and IT/systems manager. The result is that data quality and analysis can be prone to error from manual handling and the scientist ultimately spends time away from more productive scientific discovery.