Is web based sofware the answer?

I found a software development company looking at developing and supporting a web based application for laboratories. The company was doing an online poll to determine the demand for this kind of service in the laboratory environment.

This company custom develops laboratory information management systems (LIMS) that should theoretically be able to automate all processes and include a sample-tracking module. However, as the entire world keeps telling us, we are facing an economic crisis. Lower implementation and development costs seem to be the driving forces behind the planned new product.

This got me thinking about the kind of relationship software vendors have with their clients. Things have changed since the 1990s. Many companies have the know-how and legions of geek armies at their disposal. Getting good software solutions for your money is a lot easier than it used to be. This means that software development companies need to provide business solutions, not just develop and implement software.

Offering web based applications could provide a short-term solution, but it simply isn't sustainable. It is the responsibility of the vendor to communicate the downsides of this software solution, even if it means losing a couple of bucks per month in subscription fees.

In a perfect world (where software vendors deliver on promises and the economy isn't going up in flames), software should make things easier. In a laboratory there should be a simple and effective system to track samples, monitor who worked on each sample and automate reporting and invoicing. When all these aspects are taken care of, laboratory staff can focus on their most important task: analysing samples. This will automatically increase productivity and therefore profit.

Unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world, the economy is going up in flames and laboratories need sample tracking software. Investing hundreds of thousands in a LIMS might not be a viable option for many laboratories at the moment, but renting a software solution on a monthly basis is throwing money into the water.

It takes as much effort to implement a custom-made sample tracking LIMS module as it does to implement a web based software programme. With a LIMS module the laboratory stays in control of its data and the module can serve as a platform for other models to be added at a later stage. Implementing a LIMS module is a once-off investment, with no additional monthly expenses. Furthermore, the vendor will be sure to be attentive to the laboratory's needs to ensure the implementation of more models in the future.

Desperate times don't always call for desperate measures. Spending time and energy to implement a web based model in tough economic times could end up costing your laboratory more than the initial LIMS investment.