Is your lab still trapped by Excel spreadsheets or clinging to outdated LIMS? It’s time to embrace the future. A new, upgraded LIMS is the key to a tomorrow-ready lab. With the latest features at your disposal, it’s a game-changer that can skyrocket your lab’s operational efficiency. Say goodbye to rigid processes and hello to flexibility, saving significant time and money while achieving your lab’s specific goals.
Are you ready to transform your team’s workdays, from effortless sample tracking to seamless protocol and workflow execution?
The Challenge of Adopting a New LIMS
Implementing a new LIMS can be daunting, but fear not! We’ve got you covered with a tried and tested blueprint for evaluating, configuring, and rolling out a modern lab system. Let’s dive in.
Step 1: Choose Wisely – Evaluate the Right LIMS for Your Lab
Among the several competitions available in the market, you need to narrow down your choices. You can use this questionnaire as a basic evaluation guide.
- Which team members in your lab will use the system?
- Which LIMS functions are essential and not just ‘nice to have’ for your team?
- Does it have metrics that can help you track progress toward your lab goals? Is reporting on metrics available?
- Who will maintain the lab system?
- What is your LIMS budget? What is your expected ROI?
- How will you configure LIMS features in your lab?
Once you have answered these questions, begin evaluating your options. Aim for a solution that is comprehensive, configurable, scalable, and innovative. Avoid solutions with extra features that add no value or cannot handle your entire lab workflow.
During the evaluation, you can ask LIMS vendors to provide you with:
- A demo of the LIMS with an overview of its key features and capabilities
- Technical information and release notes for the software
- A brief introduction of the product support team
- Complete list of purchase options and costs including annual licensing details
- Detailed information about the software verification services responsible for configuring the LIMS
It takes time to decide on LIMS software that best fits your labs as it is a crucial investment.
Step 2. Chalk out LIMS implementation and licensing plans
After finalizing your LIMS vendor, work out a configuration and licensing plan. This will give you clarity on the associated annual costs. Include this information in a signed contract. Review the contract for legal and scientific details well before signing.
Your contract must specifically include:
- License information. Licenses are billed annually and offered on a per-user basis.
- Complete implementation costs. LIMS implementation is a one-time cost. Check whether the software fits your lab operations, goals, and existing workflow systems. It is recommended to have the configuration deliverables, costs, and timeline details included in the contract.
Step 3: Assess all the LIMS requirements for your lab
Once the contract is signed, arrange a series of meetings with your LIMS vendor. During these, you can discuss configurations, workflow priorities, and testing. This helps you determine if some of the LIMS features need to be tailored for your lab. Here you can also verify lab workflows for each process.
This meticulous approach leads to an optimal LIMS workflow. If you prefer the “minimum viable product” (MVP) approach, start with critical features and gradually incorporate new functions. This allows your lab to adapt and provides better control.
Step 4: Prepare for launch with LIMS configurations
The configuration process is often iterative. It includes displaying the configured LIMS to your lab for gathering detailed feedback. Following this, requirements can be redefined to create an optimal LIMS system.
If using the MVP approach, avoid focusing on the ‘nice-to-have’ features at this stage. Paying attention to the ‘must-have’ features and custom features later will allow you to have more control over the implementation process.
Step 5: Conduct user acceptance testing for the LIMS
When the LIMS is ready to launch, rigorously test all the features. The lab experts can then come up with workflows or functions that need to be further configured to work perfectly. At this stage, your LIMS vendor may arrange for user training, system documentation, and live tutorials.
Ensure you train the maximum number of lab team members to use and test the LIMS. This will result in an improved, secure, and reliable future-proof LIMS implementation.
Step 6: Verify LIMS for regulatory compliance
A formal LIMS verification ensures that the software is compliant with the necessary regulatory requirements. Follow these four steps:
- Prepare the software verification plan
- Document specific system requirements
- Thorough test the system against various lab operations
- Document all scenarios and test cases
It is recommended that the configuration team completes the verification process. This speeds up testing time and saves verification costs.
LIMS is a part of your overall lab workflow. If you wish to validate the entire lab process for regulatory compliance, a broader software verification will help. It will ensure that all your lab processes, including LIMS are properly integrated.
Step 7: Deploy the LIMS software
After a detailed verification process, your LIMS is ready to go live. A detailed plan can help your team become acquainted with the system comfortably. The plan must include:
- Date and time for the launch of LIMS
- A timeline for users to begin using the LIMS
- Details of the personnel assigned for LIMS deployment
- Instructions to check if the test strips must be run to ensure deployment was successful in the production environment
- Documentation of data backup before deployment
- Documentation that ensures that the LIMS deployment did not impact any existing lab data
Step 8: Stay Ahead – Update your LIMS with the latest versions
While your systems and teams get used to LIMS and its features, you need to check the latest versions. As laboratory functions and industry demands evolve, your LIMS must be capable of adapting to the changing needs. This will help you and your labs stay ahead of the latest developments in LIMS.
As you consider an update for LIMS, review the following questions:
- When do you plan to deploy the new features?
- What are the specific features you wish to add? What does your team request most often?
- Do you have resources designated for the further development of LIMS?
- Do the new LIMS features require licensing?
LIMS Implementation – Plan It Right the First Time
Whether it is an upgrade or a fresh implementation, LIMS is crucial for labs. Proper planning and thoughtful implementation are important to maximize lab success. LIMS is a catalyst for lab productivity by making processes simpler with streamlined workflows. Not every LIMS is the same. So, a LIMS system that has most of the capabilities to advance your workflows and achieve future lab goals must be your choice.
There are LIMS that serve a particular area such as sample management, electronic lab notebooks, instrument management, etc. However, collaboration and integration are essential to achieve overall lab efficiency. Selecting a robust, comprehensive LIMS that fosters collaboration will be beneficial.
If you are evaluating your options for LIMS vendors, CaliberLIMS must be on your list. It has been ruling the LIMS market for 2 decades. As a well-established LIMS software, it is powered with the latest upgrades, integration capabilities, and advanced analytics. LIMS installation is a costly affair, so getting the right LIMS for your labs today is a crucial decision. Zero down your requirements, evaluate choices and make the right decision to achieve your lab’s long-term goals.
