If the shoe fits...

Look, I'll be the first to admit that laboratories don't pay for a LIMS using the change they dig out from between the couch pillows at reception. LIMS systems are designed to increase a lab's productivity and profit, which makes it a worthwhile, albeit expensive, investment.

Of course you can cut a few corners by buying an off the shelf LIMS. To me this is like walking into a store, taking the first pair of shoes you see and expecting it to fit. Different labs have different processes. No standardised software solution can possibly cater for all kinds of laboratories.

Many labs find that simple processes become harder because of an off the shelf LIMS system. A decrease in productivity and profit due to new software is more often than not the result of miscommunication between the laboratory and the vendor.

Although it's true that laboratory software exists to increase turnaround time, productivity and profit, standardised software can have the opposite effect. It is therefore very important to look for LIMS software that delivers on its promises.

The key to finding a good LIMS lies in finding a good supplier. It's wise to interview potential vendors before deciding on the LIMS best suited to your lab. When interviewing potential vendors, look out for the following:

1. Your needs

It is a salesman's job to make his product seem ideal for you, so be careful not to buy a pitch that is worth more than the system you're buying. Have a list of your greatest challenges on hand. Be sure to ask the vendor how his LIMS system can be customised to address these challenges.

2. Pre-installation research

A good LIMS vendor will spend some time getting to know your business before installing software. If a vendor offers to do an installation before looking at your current business processes, chances are the system will not be the business solution you were looking for.

3. Revision

After your vendor spent some time at your business, it is important to relook your needs before you give the installation the green light. A good vendor will identify setbacks in your current system that you might have overlooked. The problem areas identified by your vendor, together with the frustrations you face in the day to day running of your lab should become the foundations your LIMS system is built on.

4. Integration

If you already have a software system and a database, your new LIMS should be integrated with the existing data to ensure that your daily activities can continue with little or no interruption. Ask your vendor how he plans to integrate the new LIMS with your existing software and how he plans to preserve data integrity.

5. Draw up a plan

Draw up a contract listing all the functionalities your vendor promises. Make sure that the system can do what you agreed on before you regard the installation as complete.

It's unlikely that you'll buy an expensive pair of shoes without trying them on first. By the same token it's unwise to spend hundreds of thousands on an LIMS that hurts your toes - metaphorically speaking, of course.

My dad's stronger than yours... Mostly

I spend a lot of time on Lab-i, as you may have noticed from my sporadic blog entries. I am all for technology and progress and customisation. However, despite my near-fanatical dedication to technological innovation, I wasn't too excited by the idea of integrating Lab-i with business intelligence (BI) tool EasyAsk.

I guess it's a my-dad-is-stronger-than-your-dad frame of mind. As far as I was concerned, Lab-i could do anything a BI tool could do. Turns out, my opinion wasn't exactly accurate. I attended a presentation on the integration of EasyAsk with Lab-i, and I had to admit that EasyAsk's dad might be just as strong as mine, metaphorically speaking.

Now, I don't mean to suggest that Lab-i is not a force unto itself. I mean: it's a software solution that can automate an entire laboratory. If that's the coolest thing I've done today, I'm okay with it.

To laboratory technicians, having a good LIMS is the answer to a prayer whispered while donning the white coat in the morning. To laboratory managers, keeping track of how many samples are being tested, what tests are being performed and which analysts are working on which batch is equally valuable. A LIMS like Lab-i therefore takes care of the actual laboratory. Pretty neat, right?

However, a laboratory remains a business. To make sound business decisions is as important to the success of a laboratory as a good LIMS. Good decisions are based on comprehensive data, which is automatically recorded by Lab-i. By integrating EasyAsk, decision makers can gain instant access to all available data by typing a question - get this - in natural English.

It's kind of like talking to a family member. "Hey, grandma, how many samples did we analyse between two and three in the afternoon on Tuesday two weeks ago?" The only difference is, your grandma knows. Immediately.

So, you take the Lab-i database, link EasyAsk to it and let EasyAsk analyse the available data to enable you to make better business decisions. What's more, EasyAsk has a righteous dashboard feature that updates in real time, so you can see exactly what's going on in your laboratory as it happens.

I think I might owe EasyAsk's dad an apology.