With so many systems to choose from, how do you select the right LIMS for your lab? Below are some helpful words of advice to get you started on your journey of finding a LIMS.
Some companies believe that if they buy software, this will fix their problems. But adding software on top of a poor process will only compound the issues.
Take this project as an opportunity to understand your process. Highlight steps that add value. Highlight steps which are non-value added, and remove unnecessary non-value added steps.
As good project management practice, companies will outline a user requirement specification. What we are talking about here, is a step before this, that doesn’t necessarily contribute to the validation of the system, but are important aspects of selecting software that you need to consider.
The greatest thing about getting a system into your lab is that is allows you to focus on your core competence – sample analysis. Your core practice is what is most important. The goal is to improve the processes that run this core, but make sure that you have ample resource to dedicate to the project without jeopardising your core. This is where a LIMS supplier may offer project management support. Therefore, it’s essential to have a positive relationship with your LIMS supplier and understand that this relationship is a long-term commitment. Finding a company that is aligned with your culture and values makes this commitment easy and effortless. Let your LIMS supplier worry about project management and bringing you new and fast functionality so you can stick to your knitting (sample analysis).
It’s easy to look at what you need now because you have all the facts now. The most challenging thing is to think about what you need in the future. You have to predict where your business is going and how you see it working in 5, 10, 20 years’ time. Having the bigger picture in mind will help you make the right decision. And along these lines, you may eventually want your systems to be integrated. It’s too much to ask you to predict the future, so make sure you choose a supplier who is willing to grow the product with their user base and listen to customer feedback.