What Is LIMS: A Complete Guide

Learn everything about LIMS systems in this article, including what it is, how it works, the difference between LIMS and LIS, and why your laboratory needs one.

What Is LIMS?

A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is a system built around a centralized database of samples, results, workflows, and associated instruments.

By enabling efficient control of the laboratory development cycle, a LIMS gives users access to all information relevant to a process in a single place.

As such, this system is the most efficient way to manage a laboratory and keep the entire procedure within regulatory compliance.

When properly implemented, a good LIMS can go beyond simple process management. One interesting feature is the assignment of barcodes to samples.

This allows the software to provide easy tracking and management of entries, tests, and results throughout the sample’s lifecycle, all in one place.

In addition, the ability to integrate laboratory instruments and applications is also a strong point of this system.

Other areas that can be managed within a LIMS include:

• Audit management – the ability to maintain a full audit trail;
• Chain of custody – controlling access to specific data;
• Document management – maintaining, processing, and converting data into various formats, while also managing access and archiving;
• Instrument calibration and maintenance – scheduling maintenance, calibrating instruments, and keeping records of these activities;
• Quality control  – assessing sample quality and ensuring standardization for data entry and workflows;
• Reporting – generating reports from the data obtained and distributing them to stakeholders. Among many others.

Also watch on Actiz’s YouTube channel: LIMS: What It Is and How It Works

How the LIMS System Works

By enabling traceability throughout the entire laboratory process, LIMS is part of the effort toward digital transformation in laboratories. But how exactly does this software work?

The real answer is that a LIMS should work in whatever way is necessary to get the most out of your laboratory. This means that once you acquire a LIMS, it should work for you.

In this article, we’ve already mentioned some of the features that can exist within this management system, but it’s fair to say that its core lies in sample traceability.

From the moment a sample enters the laboratory until it is discarded, all information relevant to that sample will be available in a single place, reducing the effort of finding the information you need.

In short, how a LIMS operates depends on your laboratory’s specific needs, but in general terms, this system works by digitizing processes within the laboratory and facilitating the traceability of actions taken in that environment.

Learn more: Do you know how a LIMS works?

LIS vs. LIMS

When discussing LIMS, it’s common for LIS to come up, sometimes even used interchangeably, but that’s not quite accurate. There are numerous differences between these two systems, ranging from their intended use to how they handle data.

To start, the Laboratory Information System (LIS) refers to software used for managing clinical diagnostic tests, meaning it’s specific to the healthcare field.

Focused on the patient journey, a LIS gathers and securely stores personal identification information, analyses, procedures, and research related to that patient’s tests and results.

By contrast, a LIMS has a much broader scope of application, and is not limited to the healthcare sector.

The differences between LIS and LIMS don’t end there. To learn more, check out our article LIS or LIMS? Find Out Which System Your Laboratory Needs and learn how to tell these systems apart.

Why Have a LIMS?

By now in this article, you already understand what a LIMS is, how this system works, and even the differences between it and LIS.

But if you’re still not convinced that you need to acquire this system, we have a few reasons to implement a LIMS in your laboratory.

First, and perhaps most important, is the noticeable increase in efficiency of laboratory processes resulting from implementing this management system.

Being automated, using this software also drives a reduction in paper use within the laboratory, and reduces errors stemming from reliance on analog tools.

Beyond internal processes, having a LIMS also makes it easier to integrate the laboratory with other areas of the company, making the exchange of information more dynamic and easier, which can even reduce production costs.

The advantages of adopting a LIMS for laboratory management are numerous, and beyond improving efficiency and cost indicators, it’s worth noting that this software also helps ensure compliance with the operating standards your laboratory needs to remain in operation.

How to Compare Solutions

Now that you’ve read all about how LIMS works and why you should acquire this software, it’s important to understand how to compare the solutions available on the market, and make sure you’re getting the one that works best for you and your laboratory.

The main point when deciding which solution to purchase is that the LIMS must meet your laboratory’s needs.

To reach that answer, it’s necessary for the entire team to take part in the process of clearly and objectively mapping out all laboratory operations, as well as identifying weaknesses in recurring activities.

From there, evaluating a LIMS involves comparing the different features available based on the laboratory’s needs.

Beyond comparing the systems themselves, deciding which solution to buy also requires comparing the software vendors behind these LIMS platforms.

In general, there are several details that need to be examined when comparing LIMS from different vendors, going beyond just the system’s features.

Data security, integration possibilities with other departments in the company and even with other systems, cost and payment terms, implementation timeline, vendor reputation, and even a solid support structure — all of these are equally important factors that you should analyze before choosing your LIMS.

In other words, the decision to acquire a LIMS is something that should be taken seriously, since choosing the wrong solution can be the difference between an optimized laboratory and an unnecessary expense. 

Conclusion

In this article, you learned everything about LIMS: from what this system is and how it works, to how to choose the ideal LIMS for your company. Ultimately, the most important takeaway is that this management system exists to make life easier for the entire laboratory team, and any solution that fails to do that is not fulfilling its purpose.

That’s why, when it comes to customized LIMS solutions, Actiz LIMS is a reference point, innovating throughout the entire implementation process by understanding your laboratory’s processes and adapting our software accordingly. Interested? Schedule a demo of Actiz LIMS.