What do you think is the role of a laboratory information management system (LIMS) in a modern laboratory? Are you considering using a LIMS for your laboratory? Here is some useful information for you.
A laboratory brims with data and information. Everything is information in a laboratory. A LIMS, hence, is a software application that allows you to manage your information more productively. If your laboratory faces data management and regulatory challenges, you can overcome them by implementing a LIMS.
A LIMS is an Information Management system that can maintain records of the various activities performed in your laboratory, with the date and time stamp and will help laboratory personnel to process them in a productive manner. Modern-day laboratories generate large amounts of data. They are constantly tracking samples. Then the data obtained from the samples are used to generate certificates of analysis, management reports, and other insights. The laboratory information management system can help you configure the workflow, organize data efficiently and it also helps to streamline processes within the laboratory.
LIMS can help you manage various operations of your laboratory including
- Sample and Test Management
- Managing alerts & dashboards
- Generating complex reports
- Reviews & approvals by workflow
- Work scheduling
Types of laboratories that can use a LIMS?
A laboratory information management system can be used by any laboratory performing all the standard functions. These labs can be of the following types:
- Clinical research and diagnostics
- Biobanks and biorepositories
- Food & beverage testing laboratories
- Cosmetics testing laboratories
- Medical test labs
- Agricultural testing laboratories
- Healthcare
- Dairy
- Life sciences
- Pharmaceuticals
- Contract research organization
- Oil & gas
- Chemicals
Key advantages of getting an LIMS for your laboratory
What your LIMS achieves for you depends on the type of solution that you decide to get for your laboratory. But in general, LIMS can help you with the following:
- Workflow automation: This leads to a decrease in possible human errors by routing through the right users for review and approval processes.
- Privacy & data protection: Secure and restricted segments can be created to limit access to data points for certain authorized users.
- Data security and backup: Massive amounts of data can be mined and resolved for analysis. Automatic backup routines can be established so that you never lose your critical data.
- Role-based access: Access can be granted to individuals based on their roles in your laboratory. This way, only authorized lab employees or technicians can access the desired information.
- Complex reporting: Authorized users can generate complex reports. The reporting module can be used for out-of-box or customized reports. The custom reports can be generated by closely working with the technical team responsible for installing and maintaining your LIMS.
- Impeccable compliance: The compliance conditions can be integrated within your work processes so that they are never ignored or bypassed intentionally or by mistake. The standard compliances that can be incorporated into a typical LIMS include GLP, GAMP, different ISO standards , EU GDPR, HIPAA, CLIA, ISO 17025, etc.
Qualis LIMS provided by Agaram Technologies can deliver your laboratory the following out-of-box functions:
- Deploy on multiple sites.
- Store, aliquote, and manage samples with barcode labeling.
- Use a centrally secure database to manage projects, tests, experiment results, and instruments & inventories.
- Use a powerful and effective global search engine.
- Custom-saved and ad-hoc queries.
- Integrate with external ERP, ELN, and legacy laboratory management systems.
- Integrate electronic signatures into workflow configuration to control access to reviews and results.
- Import and export spreadsheets for easy report generation.
- Maintain work scheduling and audit trail.
The highlight of Agaram Technologies’ Qualis LIMS is that it is easily configurable. It can be customized and adapted according to specific lab needs. It already has numerous inbuilt functions for all standard laboratories. It comes with a user-friendly interface with a lower learning curve. Integration with existing systems is seamless as it can read all contemporary data formats. The system comes with numerous predesigned templates and custom templates can be built in real-time.
