Sample Tracking Archives - INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE

Interactive Software Showcases Agritech LIMS Innovation at World Agri-Tech Summit 2025

Sharon Williams — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:41:47 +0000

Interactive Software is delighted to be exhibiting at the World Agritech Innovation Summit, taking place at the Intercontinental, The O2, in London from 22–23 September 2025. Recognised as one of Europe’s leading forums for agri-food innovation, the summit provides an ideal setting for us to engage with global thought leaders, emerging Agritech pioneers, and forward-thinking investors, all united by a mission to transform the future of sustainable agriculture. With over 20 years of experience delivering laboratory digitalisation solutions, Interactive Software is proud to support agricultural and environmental organisations through our trusted platform, Achiever LIMS. As the Agritech sector becomes increasingly data-driven, our mission is to equip research and development teams with agile, secure, and intelligent digital infrastructure that boosts productivity, enhances data quality, and accelerates innovation. Achiever LIMS for Agritech Our dedicated Achiever LIMS for Agritech is specifically designed to meet the dynamic needs of modern agricultural R&D. Whether supporting plant breeding programmes, managing genetic engineering workflows, or tracking agronomic trials, the system provides a powerful, centralised foundation for managing laboratory data, from discovery through to validation. At this year’s summit, we’ll be demonstrating how Achiever LIMS for Agritech is transforming the way agricultural laboratories manage their information. Our team […]

The post Interactive Software Showcases Agritech LIMS Innovation at World Agri-Tech Summit 2025 appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

Unlocking Efficiency: The Features and Benefits of Achiever LIMS 5.7

Sharon Williams — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 10:14:42 +0000

In today’s fast-paced laboratory environments, efficiency, compliance, and data integrity are paramount. Achiever LIMS 5.7, the latest iteration of Interactive Software’s Laboratory Information Management System, is designed to meet these demands with advanced tools and features. Achiever LIMS is designed to enhance laboratory operations across various sectors, including clinical research, biobanking, agriculture, and environmental studies. Whether you’re managing clinical trials, forensic data, or sample workflows in diagnostic labs, this release promises to streamline operations, improve user experience, and ensure adherence to best practices and regulatory standards. Laboratory Execution System (LES) Enhancements The updated LES offers Achiever LIMS customers with an improved interface, simplifying the design and implementation of laboratory processes. Users can select predefined action and event types within default settings, facilitating the linking and unlinking of actions and events. New features such as loops, variables, and prompts reduce the need for custom code, enhance configuration simplicity, and improve version control with commit and rollback capabilities. These enhancements support various laboratory workflows, including clinical trial setup, donor enrolment, kit creation and quality control, sample analysis, and sample dispatch. Email Management Achiever LIMS 5.7 integrated email management system now allows users to oversee the sending and monitoring of emails directly within […]

The post Unlocking Efficiency: The Features and Benefits of Achiever LIMS 5.7 appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

Patient Consent is More Than Yes and No

Sharon Williams — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 16:12:50 +0000

With increasing volumes of data being held about each of us it’s no wonder the analogy ‘data is the new oil’ has become popular. Organisations are constantly trying to harness information about our hobbies, interests and purchasing history to entice us to buy their latest products and gadgets. They probably know more about us than we do ourselves. But are we happy about them knowing and using our data? Shouldn’t we have more of a say in how they use our information? Now imagine if they actually had a piece of your body. This is exactly what patients give researchers and scientists when they donate tissue samples. That’s why when it comes to managing patient consent it isn’t as simple as yes or no. The patient consent journey There are numerous reasons why patients donate their tissue. It might be as part of their own personalised treatment. Or it could be that they want to be part of a trial to help others. Whatever the reasons and drivers behind it, patients want to know their donated samples are going to make a difference. But for many there may be a reluctance to donate samples. This could be due to past […]

The post Patient Consent is More Than Yes and No appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

5 Challenges of Using Spreadsheets to Track Sample Movement

Sharon Williams — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 16:52:49 +0000

Each sample’s journey is a complex one. As a sample moves from initial collection to depletion it passes through the hands of numerous people. Even the simplest journey involves two people where a clinic nurse takes a sample and then a scientist processes it. But it’s usually not quite that simple. What’s more, tracking sample movement isn’t just about recording what’s coming into your lab but what you’re sending out to others to use, store or process. Successful research studies, testing activities and clinical trials require close collaboration between several internal and external teams. So, it’s highly likely that you’ll be moving your samples between different locations and people many times before you finally deplete them. Keeping track of sample movements can be challenging, especially if you’re using a spreadsheet. Why tracking sample movement matters Having full traceability of your samples is essential for any lab. Firstly, it helps you understand each sample’s provenance in order to assess its suitability for your work. Secondly, you know what’s happened to it including who has accessed and worked with it. This helps you assess its viability. Finally, and most importantly, you need to make sure that you – and your collaborators – […]

The post 5 Challenges of Using Spreadsheets to Track Sample Movement appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

6 Steps to Managing COVID-19 Samples and Beyond Using Achiever Medical LIMS

Sharon Williams — Thu, 13 May 2021 12:14:30 +0000

Sample testing capacity within the UK has increased significantly, and unbelievably rapidly, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Time and accuracy are of the essence when it comes to tracking and tracing COVID-19 samples, donors, and potential contacts. With growing volumes of samples and an ever-changing landscape as countries start considering strategies on living with COVID-19 and its variants, the need for managing and processing COVID-19 samples will remain for some time. Is it time to consider a longer-term solution like a LIMS for managing your COVID-19 samples and testing process? Or even for tracking any surplus samples with appropriate consent that you or others could use to provide insight for long COVID, treatments for possible future variants or even other diseases? Achiever Medical is a web-based, process-driven laboratory information management (LIMS) currently used by UK trusts and academic research institutions to support COVID-19 sample testing as well as manage the ongoing tracking and management of samples and donors. 1. Receiving COVID-19 samples Whether you receive sample and donor data via a CSV file, spreadsheet or you physically receive samples in your lab, Achiever Medical LIMS helps you record your sample, donor, and consent information using your standard terminology […]

The post 6 Steps to Managing COVID-19 Samples and Beyond Using Achiever Medical LIMS appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

Tired of Playing Sample Roulette? 5 Reasons Why Using Spreadsheets to Manage Sample Storage Costs More Than You Think

Sharon Williams — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 10:18:42 +0000

‘And when she got there the cupboard was bare!’* A line from a children’s nursery rhyme that may sound very familiar when it comes to looking for samples in your lab. Your spreadsheet or hand drawn diagram tells you that the sample you want is in Freezer A. When you open the freezer, the space where the sample’s supposed to be is empty. But there’s something that looks quite similar next to it. Could it be? If only its handwritten label wasn’t faded. Using spreadsheets or paper-based systems to manage your freezer and sample storage is a quick and easy option. But it can end up costing you much more than your precious lab time. Here’s 5 reasons why you may want to rethink your sample storage management systems and processes. 1. Wasting hours hunting for samples Your lab time is precious, so you want to use it as productively as possible. You don’t want to be spending the bulk of your time traipsing from freezer to freezer, sending copious emails and calling round trying to find samples. Spreadsheets and hand drawn diagrams that track samples quickly become out of date. This is because they’re updated sporadically, more often that […]

The post Tired of Playing Sample Roulette? 5 Reasons Why Using Spreadsheets to Manage Sample Storage Costs More Than You Think appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

5 Signs it’s Time to Ditch the Spreadsheets and Invest in a LIMS

Sharon Williams — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 12:53:33 +0000

Everyone loves a spreadsheet. It’s easy to add data in to as well as update. In fact, they work acceptably well – up to a point. But when they do fail the impact can be catastrophic with data being truncated, inaccurate or not even being saved. What’s worse is that you might not notice this until weeks later. Wouldn’t it be great if you could do something before you reach that point? Here’s 5 signs that it might be time to ditch the spreadsheets and invest in a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) or sample management system. 1. The number of samples you’re processing is increasing Manually entering data in a spreadsheet for tens of samples is very different to adding data for thousands, or even tens of thousands, of samples. It’s not just the quality of your data that starts to suffer as the numbers increase. It’s also questionable – as well as impossible to track – whether you’re actually capturing all your samples. Also, spreadsheets have a limit – after which it’s anyone guess as to whether your data is being saved or truncated. When you start managing and processing samples at scale software such as a LIMS […]

The post 5 Signs it’s Time to Ditch the Spreadsheets and Invest in a LIMS appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

Sample Management in Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)

Sharon Williams — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 08:00:02 +0000

For many labs and Biobanks, the main reason for implementing a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is to improve the way they manage their samples. If you’re using your samples in research, you need to have confidence in the accuracy of your data. Similarly, you want to have confidence in the repeatability of any tests so you can create reproducible results. How you manage your samples and record any corresponding data has a significant impact on these. Sample management is more than knowing where your samples are stored … Sample management is an integral part of your lab and Biobank’s quality control and management processes. Put simply it’s the processes you follow when you’re working with samples, for example, your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It covers all aspects of the sample journey from initial sample registration through to disposal. The aim is to make sure everyone is working to the same standards. And by instilling consistency and standardisation across your lab processes you could significantly improve efficiency and quality. If you can accurately trace each step of a sample’s journey, what happened when and why, then you can better assess its viability for use in research. This can help you […]

The post Sample Management in Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

Tracking Sample Genealogy in LIMS | Tissue Sample Tracking

Sharon Williams — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 08:00:44 +0000

In a clinical research lab or Biobank, it’s vital you know exactly what biological samples you’re working with and where they came from. Understanding a tissue sample’s provenance helps you assess how you can best use it. And, critically, if it’s safe to use. If this information includes patient consent, then you also know how you can actually use it. If all you know about your samples are their sample types, containers and volumes then that doesn’t really tell you very much. Achiever Medical’s core LIMS functionality helps you track and analyse each sample’s genealogy. Giving you the full picture about every one of your samples, so you can make the most of this very valuable resource and ‘Make Every Sample Matter’. Tracking the complete genealogy of sample aliquots and derivatives in LIMS Tracking sample aliquots and derivatives can be difficult when you’re using spreadsheets or in-house built systems. Sometimes aliquots are assigned the same reference as the original samples – making it tricky to work out which sample is which. Using Achiever Medical LIMS’ ‘out-of-the-box’ functionality you can split biological samples to create aliquots or derivatives. Each newly created sample is automatically linked to its original sample. In addition, […]

The post Tracking Sample Genealogy in LIMS | Tissue Sample Tracking appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.

Data Management in Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)

Sharon Williams — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 09:00:47 +0000

One of the main reasons labs, Biobanks and biorepositories purchase a lab information management system (LIMS) is to improve data integrity and quality. Data management is a critical function of a LIMS. And crucially how you manage your data has a bearing on how, and if, you are able to use tissue samples. In this part of our ‘Make Every Sample Matter’ blog series we are underlining the important role data management plays in tissue sample selection and, ultimately, your samples’ usage. Your data should help you find a sample, identify what is it and where it came from, understand what it can be used for (perhaps through its informed consent) and help you assess its viability. Without this information it’s unlikely a tissue sample will ever be used. And if you do use it, you may lack confidence in the ensuing test results. And what could you be missing out on? Your data could tell you if a sample belongs to a family, what diseases the donor has, what treatments the donor has undergone and their lifestyle choices. You could be sitting on a goldmine of information that could really make a difference to research. Data management isn’t a […]

The post Data Management in Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) appeared first on INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE.