So how did LIMS evolve into the critical software component that they have come today?

LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems) are software systems designed to manage laboratory data, workflows and processes. They are applicable to research & development labs, testing labs, Quality Assurance (QA) labs, etc. LIMS also provide a means of automatically integrating the data generated by the various analytical equipment processors within the laboratory into a single data repository.

Early LIMS Systems

Early LIMS were custom-designed and built as point solutions to meet the needs of specific laboratories. This type of in-house systems can take significant amounts of effort to develop and while they may produce a very close fit to the initial requirements, they can prove difficult to change or modify in response to changing laboratory and business practices

Commercial LIMS products were initially developed in the early 1980s. At first these systems often required significant customization to meet a specific laboratory’s needs as far as workflow and reporting were concerned. This increased the cost of the LIMS setup and extended the implementation time required.

Open LIMS Systems

As computing technology changed, LIMS technology developed in parallel and a move towards more open and configurable COTS (Commercial off the Shelf) systems took place. This provided laboratories with greater flexibility to meet their needs within a standard commercial package

Today and the Future of LIMS

Today’s LIMS solutions such as Omega 11 from Khemia offer even greater flexibility and functionality. Many popular commercial LIMS packages utilize open system architecture to offer client capabilities and enterprise-level access to lab data within a client server environment. This latest generation of LIMS moves away from simple sample test and result management to provide the laboratory with a sophisticated Laboratory Informatics architecture.

Contact us for more information on how Omega 11 can meet all the needs you have for a robust LIMS solution.

Our programmers regularly update Omega software to address the requirements of audit agencies or organizations. Many of these updates are part of our regular new releases. In fact Omega gives clients more free new releases than any LIMS provider in the industry today.

• Comprehensive audit trail and chain of custody
• Adheres to standard compliance for Environmental and Industrial labs.
• Document management system
• Daily lab performance and revenue data
• Accounting system interface
• Automated notifications
• Detailed, graphical reporting capabilities

As your laboratory is in the process of preparing for an audit, there are likely several facts that you want to ensure are readily available.

First, you want to make sure that your findings are scientifically valid.

Second your results must be legally defensible.

And in all instances you want to reduce the timeline needed to complete your findings.

In general, your laboratory needs to generate quantitative results accurately and quickly, meeting any client or regulatory deadlines. You want to maximize your lab’s uptime, reduce cost per sample, and move projects from concept to completion efficiently.

If you can accomplish all of this, chances are your audits will run as smoothly as your lab does on a daily basis. Omega will process results in an easy-to-read manner. Key metrics are called out automatically. All you need to do is input the data and Omega does the rest.

We have the proof that your clients, your auditors and any vendors or regulators are looking for. Your next audit doesn’t need to add stress to your organization. The proof indeed is in Omega.

Documenting your laboratory’s activities can be a complex process. To earn certifications from such agencies as the U.S. Department of Defense or to secure ISO 9001 compliance, your activities must be clearly and carefully documented so that no details are missed.

The Omega LIMS solution is made for your laboratory because it is easy for your scientists and operational staff to manage, and automatically provides all the information necessary for auditors. Our software can organize and catalog samples while documenting the workflow of the laboratory from input to creating a final report.

Your team of professionals can easily manage sample data and make it readily available to colleagues with a clear timeline of what was processed and when. It will meet all the requirements of even the most stringent audit processes and allow you to seamlessly generate reports that can be used for any clients.

Think of all the features and characteristics that may be keeping your lab from being as productive as possible. The list could be extremely long.

There may be redundant data transcriptions, high batch numbers that overwhelm your lab and need to conduct multiple redos.

You may have inefficient methods of turning bits of data into actionable information. It is possible that you may not be communicating in an effective way with other critical systems in your lab. Today’s modern laboratory needs an enterprise resource planning tool that manages multiple aspects of laboratory operations and informatics. The laboratory must monitor certain metrics to identify operational goal is to reduce turnaround and improve on-time delivery.

In today’s lab environment these aren’t roadblocks but are merely challenges. At the highest level, what you are likely faced with in too much manual work for your staff and some operational processes that are inefficient or time consuming.

You no doubt have heard of a LIMS but today’s technology is not like the LIMS of yesterday. The key for today’s best-of-breed LIMS solutions is automation, organization and reporting.

Automation allows you to create alerts that will let your lab professionals know when certain samples are expiring. You can stay on time and on budget. Automation can decrease the likelihood of backlog that leads to areas of overcapacity not only unlikely but unimpactful. Consider that a best-of-breed LIMS is designed to help you properly document the activities of your lab at a point in time. Mistakes can be virtually eliminated. Quality is improved. Production is enhanced.

Productive LIMS solutions let you to automate the many processes that need to be completed within your lab environment. Quality cannot be compromised and timeliness must not be threatened. LIMS can ensure both statements are true.

Just think you can automate many operations that previously were manual in nature. And the system allows for a capacity calculation that can identify the proper flow for streamlined efficiency.

Efficiency really is the key word. You can generate a wide range of calculations, work flow approval, report creation, distribution and more. This information can be integrated with other lab systems to further reduce the need for manual data entry and eliminate redundant work. That allows your lab professionals to concentrate on their core competencies and other responsibilities, increasing your level of efficiency.

The most productive LIMS solutions allow you to automate the many processes that need to be completed within your lab environment. That automation must not include any degradation of quality or a bottleneck in timeliness. In fact you can automate many operations that previously were manual in nature and it allows for a capacity calculation that can identify the proper flow for streamlined efficiency.

Calculations, work flow approval, report creation and more can be integrated with other lab systems to further reduce the need for manual data entry and eliminate redundant work. That allows your lab professionals to concentrate on other responsibilities, increasing your level of efficiency.

Increasing laboratory productivity is not a recommended strategy but a necessary one. Every purchase you make to support your lab and your personnel must have a financial benefit to it that can help you remain or become profitable. A LIMS system is an investment that will pay you back multiple times over because it will help you streamline the efficiency of and the output emanating from you lab.