Integrating a modernized LIMS into your business is the best way to remain efficient and prepare for the future. Find out how modernizing your LIMS can optimize your business and streamline the way you work with data.
A laboratory information management system (LIMS) is an application that centralizes a database of samples and any metadata, results, workflows, and instruments associated with it. A LIMS provides the resources for a laboratory to remain organized and facilitates efficiency, transparency and compliance throughout the organization.
Implementing a LIMS gives a laboratory the ability to log, track, record and report on samples and scientific data in a methodical, consistent way. The need to keep data organized has remained the same, but LIMS capabilities have increased as technology has advanced in our world.
That’s why modernizing a LIMS is essential – as things change, it is crucial that the system can keep up.
When is Modernizing Your Legacy LIMS Necessary?
A legacy LIMS means that the system is on-premises. Two main reasons a laboratory typically modernizes its legacy LIMS is when:
- It can’t integrate well with other systems to provide a single view of the data
- It knows that a vendor is going to stop providing support
In the past, a LIMS was installed and run on the on-site computers. Now, a modernized LIMS operates through the cloud and doesn’t need to be established within an organization’s internal system.
Those who choose to modernize their LIMS make this decision based on the convenience and agility of a cloud-based system. Laboratories are looking toward the future and anticipating the need to advance their systems. So, rather than waiting until a vendor no longer supports their LIMS and they are forced to upgrade, laboratories are proactive and modernizing their systems right now.
Here’s how it works.
4 Key Steps to Modernizing Your Legacy LIMS
Step 1. Realize Change Is Necessary
Eventually, your current LIMS will become outdated in that it doesn’t offer modern features, like the ability to easily configure reports and dashboards. Or a vendor will no longer offer the support you need. When that happens, you naturally realize that it’s time to implement a new LIMS at your laboratory.
Step 2. Establish Business Processes
Before you change your LIMS, note how exactly your current LIMS either advances your organization or holds it back. By taking a deeper look at your business processes, you can decide what features you want to keep or remove and begin researching a new LIMS with that information in mind.
Step 3. Research Vendors
Evaluate several LIMS vendors before making your decision, so you can compare the different features of each. In today’s environment, it’s essential to have a cloud-based system that integrates with your other systems, such as an ERP system and an MES.
System integration is vital for a LIMS to have because it will allow you to use good data practices at your laboratory. Whereas an outdated LIMS may force you to copy data repeatedly, a modernized version allows the same data to become available to your other applications. Not only will this eliminate human error, but it will save your technicians precious time.
Step 4. Begin New LIMS Integration
Once you decide on the LIMS that is the right fit for your laboratory, start integrating it into your business. First, you should start testing the LIMS in a sandbox environment to see how it works and pinpoint any possible issues before going live. Once any problems are resolved, the integration process can begin. Although this will take time, the end result is a cloud-based system that’s faster and easier to use.
What Happens If You Don’t Modernize Your Legacy LIMS?
If you don’t modernize your legacy LIMS, your data can become non-compliant, and you hold your technicians back from working efficiently. A modernized LIMS allows for seamless interactions between all your systems and can even help you schedule which equipment is available at a given time. Continued use of outdated LIMS stalls your laboratory and wastes time and money.
Partner With a LIMS Expert
A qualified LIMS expert helps laboratories find and implement the right system. Laboratories often have questions regarding the systems they currently use and how their new LIMS will integrate with those systems. A LIMS expert will be able to answer all those questions and much more.
Partnering with a LIMS expert will also make the vendor evaluation process easier. It can be difficult for a laboratory to narrow down the search for a new vendor after using the same one for a long time. A LIMS expert can help you make the right choice for your specific laboratory needs.
Conclusion
Modernizing your LIMS improves the way your laboratory functions. Implementing a new LIMS at your laboratory will raise productivity and keep you and your team compliant with requirements. Don’t be held back by an outdated system that can’t keep up with today’s technology – it’s time to make a change.
Daelight Solutions is a LIMS expert with extensive tools and knowledge to help you choose the right LIMS for your organization. Contact us to see how we can simplify the LIMS modernization process and make integration a breeze.