A laboratory information management system, or LIMS, is a software solution that helps manage and streamline a laboratory’s daily operations and workflow, whether it’s academic, clinical, pharmaceutical, or biotech-related. These systems were first developed in the 1980s to track and manage the movement of samples within laboratories. Since then, they have advanced exponentially and now encompass everything from sample and data management to data analysis and reporting.
As research and lab tech advances, LIMS technology must continually evolve to keep pace with the growing and changing needs of laboratories across the globe. From project management to sequence editing workflows and everything in between, LIMS technology is constantly expanding to include all aspects of laboratory workflows down to industry-specific niches. As labs continue to generate increasingly vast amounts of data, a LIMS has become a necessity in the modern laboratory setting.
What Does Laboratory Automation Software Actually Do?
LIMS technology is an integral part of laboratories all over the world. Like most automation technologies, LIMS eliminates most of the tedious, manual labor involved with lab work by tracking samples, automating testing processes, and aggregating data to report. The primary features of a modern LIMS are:
- Maintaining and monitoring samples throughout the sample life-cycle
- Managing and tracking inventory to reorder supplies when stocks are low
- Automating data entry with laboratory instruments
- Automating and monitoring tests to improve workflow performance
- Automating quality control processes
- Recording, managing, and transferring all results and associated lab data
- Generating test reports and Certificates of Analysis
- Customer service and invoice management
A LIMS is responsible for sample data from the storage and testing processes all the way through reporting and archiving results. When a sample is brought into the lab, the LIMS will record this addition and assign it a specific identification number. It then tracks the sample and collects data throughout all laboratory processes and operations to manage client billing and invoicing and produce a sample report.
The Key Advantages of LIMS
With the precision and efficiency of modern technology, it is surprising that many labs still rely on outdated methods like Excel spreadsheets or pen and paper to manage inventories and data, transcribe results, and document experiment notes and instrument calibrations. These programs require manual data entry, often leading to transcription errors, not to mention the time and patience it takes to comb through large amounts of data. A LIMS can manage all of the record-keeping and reporting a modern laboratory requires while offering a multitude of additional benefits, including:
- Workflow and data entry automation that reduces the possibility of human errors
- Customizable data centralization for efficient coordination and increased productivity
- A configurable user interface for unique laboratory requirements
- Increased security and protection for important files, documents, and data
- Streamlined billing and invoicing processes integrated with payment portals
- Ensuring compliance with regulatory guidelines for various industries
In short, investing in and implementing a LIMS will significantly reduce the time spent on inventory management, testing, and manual data logging. The faster turnaround times on tests and reduced human input lead to an increase in testing efficiency and greater accuracy in lab results.
Is LIMS Right for Your Lab?
While smaller labs might be able to get away with simple tools like Excel or Google Sheets, it is far too easy to lose or delete data using these programs, and the files are difficult to share and secure across multiple users. Moreover, tests that generate high volumes of data, such as genome editing, or require complex calculations and analysis, can be nearly impossible to manage using the wrong software. These programs have their uses in many situations, but most laboratory work demands highly scalable, more efficient, and user-friendly software for managing data and inventory.
Whether you’re looking for a dashboard to simplify collaboration with your peers or you want to invest in inventory management tools, you’ll want a LIMS that suits your laboratory needs. The right LIMS for your lab needs to be intuitive and easily configurable, adapt to changing customer requirements and laboratory needs, have flexible integration with other laboratory instruments, and seamless sample tracking from access to disposal.
This all-in-one software solution allows for easy and efficient record keeping and reporting, heavily decreases the amount of time and manual labor required to run each test, and greatly improves the overall operational efficiency of any laboratory. Modernizing your laboratory with a LIMS ensures that it will stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly advancing world of research and scientific development.
