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Product Round-up

LIMS: Laboratory Information Management Systems

A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) serves as the interface to a laboratory’s data, instruments, analyses and reports.

by Other Author

A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) serves as the interface to a laboratory’s data, instruments, analyses and reports. For many analytical laboratories, a LIMS is an important investment that assists management in evaluating the efficiency of the laboratory’s operations and reducing costs.

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.

Applications our readers are using their LIMS for, based on our latest survey information:

Sample management 48%
User reporting 15%
Workflow automation 9%
Instrument connection 8%
QA/QC 7%
Regulatory management 5%
All of the above 2%
Other 4%

Respondents’ primary reasons for purchasing a LIMS for the lab:

Upgrading existing LIMS 25%
Sample management 21%
QA/QC 11%
Setting up a new lab 9%
Regulatory management 7%
User reporting 7%
Workflow automation 7%
Addition to existing systems; increase capacity 4%
Web-based access 4%
Other 4%

Top ten most important factors in our reader’s decision-making process to buy a LIMS:

Service and support 100%
Price 99%
Ease of use 99%
Versatility 99%
Privacy/security 96%
Uptime 95%
Customization 95%
Ease of installation 94%
Scalability 93%
Upgrade pricing 91%

Recently Released LIMS


Matrix Gemini
• Tailored to meet customer’s specific requirements
• Suits many disciplines such as clinical trials, bio-banking, pharmaceutical and environmental industries
• Configurable without the need for custom code or programming scripts
• Ensures efficient, meaningful production of customer and case reports

Autoscribe
www.autoscribelims.com


LABVANTAGE 6
• Includes enhancements to batch management and new event-driven flexibility
• Now features advanced instrument integration
• Contains support for both desktop and mobile devices
• Provides dynamic field creation, which simplifies data storage

LABVANTAGE Solutions
www.labvantage.com


Qualoupe 1.1
• Now includes a consumable stock control software module
• Ensures easy control of users’ constantly changing stocks of consumables
• All consumables used in the lab can be defined and a record created for each associated consumable

Two Fold Software
www.twofold-software.com


BSI
• Offers both local and internet-based systems, implemented with: a Java client; a web interface; and an API connected to a secure SQL database
• Currently tracks over 45 million specimens from a variety of customers
• Allows IMS to efficiently meet customized LIMS requirements
• Tracks and reports all aspects of the specimen life cycle

Information Management Services (IMS)
www.bsi-ii.com

 

LIMS Manufacturers

Accelrys www.accelrys.com
Agilent www.agilent.com
Aurora Systems www.visualab.com
Autoscribe www.autoscribelims.com
Baytek International www.baytekinternational.com
Bruker www.bruker.com
ChemSW www.chemsw.com
ChemWare www.chemware.com
GenoLogics Life Sciences Software www.genologics.com
H&A Scientific www.hascientific.com
Hach www.hach.com
Information Management Services (IMS) www.bsi-ii.com
LabLogic Systems www.lablogic.com
LABLynx www.lablynx.com
Labtronics www.labtronics.com
LabVantage Solutions www.labvantage.com
LabWare www.labware.com
Micronic www.micronic.com
Novatek International www.ntint.com
ReTiSoft www.retisoft.ca
RURO www.ruro.com
Sapio Sciences www.sapiosciences.com
STARLIMS www.starlims.com
Thermo Fisher Scientific www.thermoscientific.com/informatics
Two Fold Software www.twofold-software.com