LIMS: Laboratory Information Management Systems

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

| 3 min read

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 management48%
User reporting15%
Workflow automation9%
Instrument connection8%
QA/QC7%
Regulatory management5%
All of the above2%
Other4%

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

Upgrading existing LIMS25%
Sample management21%
QA/QC11%
Setting up a new lab9%
Regulatory management7%
User reporting7%
Workflow automation7%
Addition to existing systems; increase capacity4%
Web-based access4%
Other4%

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

Service and support100%
Price99%
Ease of use99%
Versatility99%
Privacy/security96%
Uptime95%
Customization95%
Ease of installation94%
Scalability93%
Upgrade pricing91%

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

Accelryswww.accelrys.com
Agilentwww.agilent.com
Aurora Systemswww.visualab.com
Autoscribewww.autoscribelims.com
Baytek Internationalwww.baytekinternational.com
Brukerwww.bruker.com
ChemSWwww.chemsw.com
ChemWarewww.chemware.com
GenoLogics Life Sciences Softwarewww.genologics.com
H&A Scientificwww.hascientific.com
Hachwww.hach.com
Information Management Services (IMS)www.bsi-ii.com
LabLogic Systemswww.lablogic.com
LABLynxwww.lablynx.com
Labtronicswww.labtronics.com
LabVantage Solutionswww.labvantage.com
LabWarewww.labware.com
Micronicwww.micronic.com
Novatek Internationalwww.ntint.com
ReTiSoftwww.retisoft.ca
RUROwww.ruro.com
Sapio Scienceswww.sapiosciences.com
STARLIMSwww.starlims.com
Thermo Fisher Scientificwww.thermoscientific.com/informatics
Two Fold Softwarewww.twofold-software.com

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