On-Demand Lab Management
A cost-effective lab management system delivered over the Internet enables users to access and manage their labs anywhere, any time, and from any Web browser.
by Kim Shah, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Scientific LIMS-on-Demand enables labs of any size to control their data, time and budget for a low monthly fee. | While laboratory data management technology has evolved over the past 25 years from simple data collection methods to enterprise-level data management and integrated LIMS solutions, too many labs around the world are still using manual processes or simple tools like spreadsheets to manage the complexities of workflow, sample management and data collection.
The LIMS industry has grown to meet the changing needs of the largest global users in industries that have required a high degree of regulation or standardization. Up to now, however, it has not been able to deliver a solution for smaller labs involved in more routine testing, or labs unconstrained by strict regulatory policy or the need for continuous validation of their processes.
The solutions created for the largest users in the lab community have not been a cost-effective choice for smaller labs, which often do not have the personnel, IT resources or capital budgets to fund a large-scale installed LIMS. Thus, the industry has in a way passed by these smaller labs, leaving an entire segment of the marketplace to fend for themselves and create their own workflow and data management systems using paper-based methods or spreadsheets.
Automating Workflows to Gain Laboratory
Efficiencies and Reduce Errors with a LIMS
A LIMS is a valuable and necessary tool in large organizations that require complete automation of instruments and systems from within the lab, as well as connectivity with other enterprise systems so critical business information is distributed throughout the organization as needed.
With a LIMS managing data flow from instruments across the lab to a central database, scientists can be assured their data are error-free and available for analysis when needed and in the right format. A LIMS also helps provide quality assurance and an audit trail for instances where traceability is important.
In large organizations, a dedicated team of IT and LIMS professionals manage an enterprise-level LIMS. They install, maintain and validate the software and keep up to date with any system upgrades or hardware requirements. Furthermore, scientists and laboratory staff ensure that processes, workflows, SOPs and methods are kept up to date in the LIMS.
For smaller labs or organizations with a limited IT infrastructure, this workload and investment is impossible to manage. Small- to mid-sized companies with three to five scientists often have the same data management needs as larger organizations. They accommodate their lack of resources by either building their own database systems or relying on paper-based methods. While this approach meets the needs of the lab to analyze, document, and store their data for the short term, paper-based methods requiring manual data handling can become a barrier to the lab’s efficiencies, productivity and even quality.
For smaller labs, data is still generated by multiple sources of instruments and systems, and most often in formats not compatible with each other. Without the support of an installed and integrated LIMS to automate processes and data collection across the lab, collecting and analyzing this data becomes a time-intensive process; the scientists are using paper-based methods and creating spreadsheets or other home-grown systems simply to capture and analyze the data and keep track of their multiple workflows.
In small- to mid-sized labs without a dedicated IT function or budget for investment in database hardware and software, scientists and laboratory managers often perform the dual roles of scientist and IT/systems manager. This results in data quality and analysis that can be prone to error from manual handling, and the scientists ultimately spend time away from more productive scientific discovery.
Meeting the Needs of an Unserved Market Segment
LIMS vendors are recognizing the increasing needs of these smaller labs and organizations that could benefit from the workflow automation, instrument integration and database functionality provided by a LIMS. By automating the lab’s workflow with an on-demand LIMS solution, these labs can realize important time and cost savings in the reduction of personnel time spent on manual processes, thus enabling scientists to focus on science and not data management.
Changes Occurring in the LIMS Businessby Paula Hollywood, Process Automation Analyst, ARC Advisory Group
The cost of acquiring a LIMS in the traditional license delivery model can run between $100,000 for an entry-level solution to upwards of $750,000 for a sophisticated enterprise package. These prices can put a commercial LIMS out of reach for small- and medium-sized labs, in effect compelling these organizations to develop home-grown systems.
Approximately 75% of homegrown system costs can be directly attributed to human resources and capital equipment expenditures that may in fact cause such systems to be more expensive to develop, maintain, and validate.
A new alternative for small to medium labs is LIMS-on-Demand. Hosted by an application service provider, users can access a fully functional, validated solution via a web browser for a monthly subscription fee. The primary benefits of the on-demand model are low total cost of ownership and ease-of-use. | | While past attempts have been made to address this gap in serving the needs of smaller labs, these solutions have not entirely met the needs of the market and have proven less than optimal for fully automated lab operations.
Earlier solutions have offered Internet availability and a low price, but the trade offs have been in the functionality provided. The labs were given either a single-function automated solution, an automated solution that did not fully integrate with its instrumentation or ERP systems, or a solution that did not have full database functionality.
LIMS-on-Demand
To provide small- to mid-sized labs with a full-featured LIMS without the expense of an installed system, Thermo Fisher Scientific developed an affordable laboratory management solution that does not sacrifice functionality.
Thermo Scientific LIMS-on-Demand enables labs to access their data anywhere, any time, from any Web browser. With full-featured LIMS functionality available over the Internet, labs with limited IT or financial resources can have all the data reliability and security benefits that come from an installed LIMS but without the time or cost involved in implementing a large-scale client-server application.
LIMS-on-Demand enables labs of any size to control their data, time and budget for a low monthly fee, which can be allocated to the more manageable category of operating expense rather than capital expense.
Minimizing the need for IT resources and eliminating expensive hardware and software, LIMS-on-Demand provides all the benefits of a fully installed LIMS, such as built in workflows; a powerful database; the ability to capture, store and analyze lab data; monitor resources and integrate with instrumentation; and reporting templates. Automated data reporting enables laboratory workers to make faster, more informed decisions.
Scientists using LIMS-on-Demand simply connect to their system over the Internet when they want, as long as they want. Because the LIMS is accessed via the Internet, scientists need not worry about extended deployment or installation time. Optimized workflow templates, rapid roll-out, and self-service eLearning allow personnel to become proficient with the system quickly.
Managing a lab effectively requires scientists to be able to access data as quickly as possible and turn that data into real information for decision making. When labs automate their workflow and data management with a LIMS, they gain laboratory efficiencies, reduce errors, and enable scientists to spend more time in the pursuit of science. On-demand solutions like LIMS-on-Demand allow labs of any size to realize the benefits of automated workflows and data management.
For more information, visit www.limsondemand.com or contact Thermo Scientific at 1-800-395-5467, +44 1619 423 000, or marketing.informatics@thermofisher.com.
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