Choosing a LIMS Archives - INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE

5 Essential Tips when Specifying Your LIMS User Requirements

Gary Rooksby — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 14:39:51 +0000

So, you’re looking for a new Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Maybe your Excel-based systems are creaking or you’ve recently had an external audit and the auditors strongly recommended that you need a new system. Or maybe you’ve received some new funding due to an expansion in your lab’s workload. Whatever the reason, when you’re asked to detail your requirements for a new LIMS it can be an onerous task documenting and prioritising everything you need. Plus, there’s always that worry that you’ve forgotten to include an essential feature in your LIMS user requirements specification! 1. Think about your lab processes – not how your current system works It’s very tempting to start by documenting how you currently work and outline small changes that address the challenges you face when using your existing systems. This method will identify some “quick wins” but is likely to miss major improvements that you could gain from optimising your processes. Making an inefficient process slightly smoother misses the big win. Step back and think about how you’d like to work and what you can reduce or even eliminate. For example, if you spend ages searching for informed consent in your document management system that […]

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Choosing a SaaS deployed Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)

Sharon Williams — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 12:50:28 +0000

You might think that choosing and implementing a Software as a Service (SaaS) deployed Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is a lot easier and quicker than a traditional on-premise solution. After all, one of the main reasons for choosing a SaaS system is that you can use the software without waiting for IT to put infrastructure in place or tying up your resources in the usual software implementation services. But just because the SaaS LIMS is available doesn’t necessarily mean you’re good to go. Understanding your requirements When choosing any software, especially one as fundamental as a LIMS, you need to make sure you’re selecting a solution that best meets your requirements. From essential data management and completing lab processes through to meeting regulatory compliance and overview reporting. Crucially, there’s no difference when it comes to choosing a SaaS LIMS. SaaS is a software deployment option which in itself can bring benefits such as reduced reliance on IT. But the LIMS still needs to be able to handle your critical lab processes. So, it’s important that you understand, and document, how your lab works, what challenges you’re facing and what outcomes you’re expecting before you start exploring LIMS systems. This […]

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6-steps to update your Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) User Requirements Specification

Gary Rooksby — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 09:30:49 +0000

A bonus article as an addition to our ‘Choosing a LIMS’ series to help keep your chosen system up-to-date. In a recent survey an amazing thirty NHS Trusts stated that they either do not have a LIMS User Requirements Specification (URS) or that it hasn’t been reviewed since its last upgrade. You need your User Requirements Specification (URS) to validate your Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and ensure that it’s fit for purpose. If you don’t know what you need your LIMS to do, how can you check whether it’s succeeding? It’s also an area that inspectors from regulatory bodies such as the MHRA and Human Tissue Authority (HTA) are increasingly focusing on. So, you should try to get your documentation in order before your hand is forced by an upcoming inspection. You’d then be under so much more pressure! Finally, your department could make some big efficiency gains as well as proving compliance and reducing risk to patients. So, let’s make a start. 1. Find and review the LIMS User Requirements Specification (URS) documentation you already have You might already have a URS for your LIMS, albeit out of date. If you do, this is the perfect starting point. […]

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The importance of a LIMS and how you choose the one that’s right for you

Sharon Williams — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 09:00:05 +0000

Our ‘Choosing a LIMS’ series has come to an end. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading our blogs on this topic. And we hope that we’ve helped get rid of some of the mystery that often surrounds the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) selection process. We firmly believe that the right lab and Biobank management software can have a huge impact on the way you operate. So, to finish the series we’re taking a look at the importance of software in the lab, why you should use a LIMS and recap on some pointers to help you choose the system that’s right for you. Why use a LIMS and why is it important? The main importance of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is how it can help automate your lab workflows and processes. As a result, your data quality, workflow consistency and lab efficiency can improve significantly. In addition, a LIMS solution can also play an important role in helping you meet compliance. It usually achieves this by providing complete traceability through audit trails. Many LIMS and Biobank Information Management Systems (BIMS) have in-built processes that mirror and even improve the way your […]

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Building on the right foundation – understanding the technology that your LIMS is built-on

Sharon Williams — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 09:00:07 +0000

Welcome to the final part in our ‘Choosing a LIMS’ series. It’s important before you start building anything that you have a solid foundation. When it comes to Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) that foundation is the technology or platform on which the software sits. This will impact what you can do, the software’s performance, how you access and use it, how it integrates with other systems and its potential longevity. And you’ll need to know whether the LIMS fits in with your lab or Biobank’s IT strategy and infrastructure. The technology backbone of your laboratory information management system (LIMS) Firstly, you need to know the underlying database that supports your LIMS. This can help you understand the scalability of the system. For example, are you looking at a system that sits on Access or MySQL? Or software that sits on SQL Server or Oracle? These offer you very different options in terms of user and data volumes, and performance. SQL Server and Oracle are generally viewed as enterprise-level platforms. Next you should look at which platform versions the LIMS suppliers support. If the LIMS does not currently support the latest version, and it’s been around for a couple of […]

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Not all LIMS data migration services are created equal

Gary Rooksby — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 09:00:25 +0000

At some point when considering implementing a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) your thoughts may turn to your data. You might be new to LIMS or extending an existing system to encompass another team or stream of work. Either way, the data you’ll need isn’t in there yet, but you’ve already got it in your old system or in spreadsheets. It should be easy enough for IT to just transfer it, shouldn’t it? Data migration is a notoriously difficult process to get right. The availability of easy-to-use tools with your new system is certainly important but it’s far from the only issue, or even the biggest! If we talk a little more about the whole process it should become clear that getting the data into your system is only one step of many. That process, if done well, will have a massive impact on the ongoing success of your Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). One-off LIMS data migration or regular data transfers? First, you need to know whether you want to carry out a single data migration process into LIMS. Are you trying to get started with a new system? Do you also expect to do regular data imports? You […]

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What’s in a name? The difference between a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and a Sample Management System

Sharon Williams — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 09:30:24 +0000

Welcome to part five of our ‘Choosing a LIMS’ series. As the famous quote from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet goes, ‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet’. Could you say the same for Laboratory Information Management Systems and Sample Management Software? Or Biobanking and Biobank software? Or even Sample Tracking and Tissue Tracking Software? Are they just the same things but with different names? Well, possibly. Or, is there a significant difference in functionality? To answer this, we’re going to look a little more closely at Sample Management Software and LIMS systems as an example. What is laboratory information management software (LIMS)? The main function of a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is to manage your samples. A LIMS helps you manage your laboratory operations and accompanying data such as samples, storage, analysis, results, study and participant information. Typical functionality a LIMS offers includes sample, analysis, study and donor: workflows and process management data capture and validation data analysis systems and instrument integration quality control and auditing. A LIMS often handles large data volumes; thousands, possibly millions, of records. And helps you manage some of your most complex workflow and data requirements. What is sample management software? […]

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Protecting what’s important – choosing a LIMS that protects your sensitive information

Sharon Williams — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 09:00:36 +0000

Welcome to part four of our ‘Choosing a LIMS’ series. We’re looking at security and how you can protect one of your most valuable assets – your data. You can manage security in LIMS in several ways. Using secure usernames and passwords to restrict access to your LIMS is just one way. Some advanced LIMS offer additional security options that give you different layers of protection for your sensitive and personal identifiable (PII) information. The level of security you need will depend on what you’re using your LIMS for, what data you hold and who you want to access it. And remember, security is not just about protecting your information from external access but also from unauthorised internal access. What’s meant by “Sensitive data”? The definition of sensitive data will vary across labs and Biobanks. However, if you’re storing donor data, this is typically any information that can be used to identify the person. Personal identifiable information (PII) could include name, date of birth, address details or hospital number, for example. But it could also cover informed consent documents containing personal details. Or even include notes entered against patient records. Other information that you could consider sensitive is clinical trial […]

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Believing that tomorrow can be better than today. How to implement best-practice and future-proof your LIMS

Sharon Williams — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 09:00:01 +0000

Welcome to the third blog in the ‘Choosing a LIMS’ series. As a researcher or Biobank manager the belief that tomorrow can be better than today is probably something that’s at the core of your psyche. After all, research is all about trying to give people a future and trying to improve lives. Along with all the hard-work and dogged determination, there’s hope. The (somewhat tenuous) link here is that when you implement a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), you’re trying to improve your lab life. So, tomorrow will be a little bit easier, and better, than today. That’s why when choosing a LIMS, it’s important to consider where you’re going, not just look at where you are today. As a result, you’ll make sure that you’re future-proofing your LIMS investment. Plus, it’ll help you keep an open-mind so you can take advantage of any best-practice already available in a LIMS. Taking advantage of best-practice in LIMS Some advanced LIMS already have your key sample tracking workflows, functions, screens and dashboards pre-built in the system. Often these have been created with other labs and Biobanks – and, importantly, they’re tried and tested. When reviewing different LIMS make sure you check […]

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A bonus article from Secret Santa – helping you identify acceptance criteria and return on investment (ROI) measures for LIMS

Sharon Williams — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 09:30:31 +0000

You’ll typically be looking for a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) to help your laboratory or Biobank save costs, improve quality, increase efficiency and increase revenues. You may already have a system in place that’s not quite working for you and you’re thinking about updating or even replacing it. Or you could be using spreadsheets and following paper-trails, so you’re looking for a LIMS to replace these. You want to be sure your LIMS delivers your desired outcomes, so you know it’s been worth the investment. To do this, whether you ‘re looking for a new system or already have an existing LIMS, you should have clear, documented and measurable ideas of what you want your LIMS to achieve. This is where acceptance criteria and return on investment (ROI) measures come in. Acceptance criteria versus return on investment The first thing to note is that with both acceptance criteria and return on investment you need to be able to measure their success. So, you must define them clearly and know how you’re going to test them out. Acceptance criteria can include statements such as ‘All our data must be imported into the LIMS before the system is live’ or ‘We […]

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