Top 5 Questions You Should Ask When Buying a LIMS

1. Why does your organization need a LIMS? You and your staff should come up with a cost-benefit list to help you decide if a LIMS is worth investing in.
2. What are your current user requirements and how do you expect those to change five to ten years down the road? Make a list. If you expect your needs to change, a flexible LIMS is likely a good choice. Requirements can include labeling, sample registration, etc.
3. Do you need a consultant to help you decide whether a LIMS is a good fit for you or not? Examine the pros and cons and make sure you properly research potential consultants.
4. How does the company’s LIMS differ from other products out there? Make sure you do your homework and phone each company you’re interested in. If they can’t answer your questions, they probably aren’t a good fit for you.
5. Ask for fact sheets, features lists and case studies from the company. This literature is a starting point for picking the best LIMS for you. A product demonstration is essential.

Types of LIMS installation configurations used by survey respondents:

LIMS usage as reported by survey respondents:

Nearly 24% of respondents plan on purchasing a LIMS in the next year. The reasons for these purchases are as follows:

	Upgrading existing LIMS	24%
	Workflow automation	17%
	Sample management	11%
	Setting up a new lab	10%
	QA/QC	10%
	Addition to existing systems, increase capacity	8%
	Regulatory management	6%
	User reporting	2%
	Web-based access	2%
	Other	10%

Top 10 features/factors respondents look for when purchasing a LIMS:

For more information on LIMS, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/LIMS 

See the most recent results here