Custom Software for the Genomics Industry
Is your lab in the midst of choosing a LIMS system? Read these posts to learn what special features molecular diagnostics lab should look out for, as well as how to efficiently select the right LIMS for your lab.
Cloud-based laboratory information management systems (LIMS) are highly scalable and conveniently accessible. They handle automatic updates and patches so that the software is always current. Plus, they provide state-of-the-art security to ensure sensitive patient data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. However, because labs operate in a sector where patient privacy is paramount, many hesitate to transition to the cloud. […]
Labs that are implementing a laboratory information management system (LIMS) generally start with “happy path” use cases. These ideal or expected workflows represent the most efficient, smoothest route to complete a task. But a system that only meets these straightforward requirements will quickly run into trouble in a production environment. Experienced LIMS implementers know it’s also critical to support unexpected […]
Whether you’re choosing your first laboratory information management system (LIMS) or thinking of upgrading to a different platform, it’s tempting to focus solely on product features and capabilities. But that’s only looking at part of the equation. It’s equally important to consider the services available for the product through the vendor and/or third parties. In our previous post on selecting […]
When we talk to labs about choosing a laboratory information management system (LIMS), a common question we’re asked is: What will a system cost? First, it’s important to note that with any LIMS purchase, there are three cost categories to consider: the cost of the licenses for the software, the cost for implementing the system into your lab’s specific environment, […]
Sometimes, when you’re trying to come up with a better way to solve a challenge, it can help to step back and consider the situation from a new vantage point. We did this when we were building our new product — Labbit — an intelligent laboratory information management system (LIMS) designed with lab operations as the focus. We asked ourselves: […]
A surprising number of labs today still use pen and paper to manage lab samples, analysis, and reporting. But for forward-looking labs, a laboratory information management system (LIMS) offers a way to work more effectively through standardized workflows, tests, and procedures. That was the conclusion reached by the shareholders of an environmental contract lab. Recognizing that if they continued to […]
Are you trying to decide if your lab should build its own custom software, buy off-the-shelf software (knowing you’ll inevitably have to customize it), or just keep stumbling along with Excel and paper-based tracking? The answer to this question will ultimately depend on your short- and long-term information system (informatics) strategy. How do you devise an informatics strategy? There are […]
This week’s post comes from Vincent Briere of Vertiance. Vincent is a strategic technology leader and business partner driving enterprise growth and business performance via scalable information technology. He’s worked in the area of business application selection for many years and has developed a rapid data-driven process. It’s a process we would recommend to the clinical diagnostic laboratories we work […]
When molecular diagnostic labs select a laboratory information management system (LIMS), they typically consider the documented list of features and benefits, as they should. Each LIMS has its strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to consider these when assessing which system best meets the lab’s unique requirements. However, we’ve seen labs regretfully overlook a number of other factors that can […]