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| <div class="nonumtoc">__TOC__</div> | | <div class="nonumtoc">__TOC__</div> |
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| '''Title''': ''What are the key elements of a LIMS for animal feed testing?''
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| '''Author for citation''': Shawn E. Douglas
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| '''License for content''': [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International]
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| '''Publication date''': May 2024
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| ==Introduction==
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| This brief topical article will examine ...
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| '''Note''': Any citation leading to a software vendor's site is not to be considered a recommendation for that vendor. The citation should however still stand as a representational example of what vendors are implementing in their systems.
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| ==Feed testing laboratory workflow, workload, and information management==
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| A feed testing lab can operate within a number of different production, research, and public health contexts. They can<ref name="WardObtain24">{{cite web |url=https://animal.ifas.ufl.edu/media/animalifasufledu/dairy-website/ruminant-nutrition-symposium/archives/12.-WardRNS2024.pdf |format=PDF |author=Ward, R. |title=Obtaining value from a feed/forage lab engagement |work=Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium |date=27 February 2024 |accessdate=22 May 2024}}</ref>:
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| *act as a third-party consultant, interpreting analytical data;
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| *provide research and development support for new and revised formulations;
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| *provide analytical support for nutrition and contaminant determinations;
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| *provide development support for analytical methods;
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| *ensure quality to specifications, accreditor standards, and regulations;
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| *develop informative databases and data libraries for researchers;
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| *manage in-house and remote sample collection, labeling, and registration, including on farms; and
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| *report accurate and timely results to stakeholders, including those responsible for monitoring public health.
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| This wide variety of roles further highlights the already obvious cross-disciplinary nature of analyzing animal feed ingredients and products, and interpreting the resulting data. The human [[Biology|biological]] sciences, [[Veterinary medicine|veterinary sciences]], [[environmental science]]s, [[chemistry]], [[microbiology]], [[radiochemistry]], [[botany]], [[epidemiology]], and more may be involved within a given animal feed analysis laboratory.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Schnepf |first=Anne |last2=Hille |first2=Katja |last3=van Mark |first3=Gesine |last4=Winkelmann |first4=Tristan |last5=Remm |first5=Karen |last6=Kunze |first6=Katrin |last7=Velleuer |first7=Reinhard |last8=Kreienbrock |first8=Lothar |date=2024-02-06 |title=Basis for a One Health Approach—Inventory of Routine Data Collections on Zoonotic Diseases in Lower Saxony, Germany |url=https://www.mdpi.com/2813-0227/4/1/7 |journal=Zoonotic Diseases |language=en |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=57–73 |doi=10.3390/zoonoticdis4010007 |issn=2813-0227}}</ref><ref name="PFPLSWHumanAnim18">{{cite web |url=https://www.aphl.org/programs/food_safety/APHL%20Documents/LBPM_Dec2018.pdf |format=PDF |title=Human and Animal Food Testing Laboratories Best Practices Manual |author=Partnership for Food Protection Laboratory Science Workgroup |date=December 2018 |accessdate=22 May 2024}}</ref> Given this significant cross-disciplinarity, it's arguably more challenging for software developers creating [[laboratory informatics]] solutions like a [[laboratory information management system]] (LIMS) that has the breadth to cover the production, R&D, and public health contexts of animal feed testing. In fact, an industry lab performing [[quality control]] (QC) work for a company will likely have zero interest in public health reporting functionality, and a LIMS that focuses on QC workflows may be more highly desirable.
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| That said, this Q&A article will examine LIMS functionality that addresses the needs of all three contexts for animal feed analyses. Understand that the LIMS solution your feed lab may be looking for doesn't require some of the functionality addressed here, particularly in the specialty LIMS requirements section. But also understand the broader context of feed testing and how it highlights some of the challenges of finding a feed testing LIMS that is just right for your lab.
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| ==Base LIMS requirements for animal feed testing==
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| Given the above ...
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| What follows is a list of system functionality important to most any feed testing laboratory, with a majority of that functionality found in many vendor software solutions.<ref name="PFPLSWHumanAnim18" />
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| '''Test, sample and result management'''
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| *Sample log-in and management, with support for unique IDs
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| *Sample batching
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| *[[Barcode]] and RFID support
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| *End-to-end sample and inventory tracking, through to reporting and disposition
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| *Pre-defined and configurable industry-specific test and method management, including for bacteria (i.e., microbiology), heavy metals (i.e., chemistry), radionuclides (i.e., radiochemistry), and other substances
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| *Pre-defined and configurable industry-specific workflows, including for production, R&D, and public health contexts
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| *Configurable screens and data fields
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| *Specification management
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| *Test, sampling, instrument, etc. scheduling and assignment
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| *Test requesting
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| *Data import and export
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| *Raw data management
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| *Robust query tools
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| *Analytical tools, including [[data visualization]], statistical analysis, and [[data mining]] tools
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| *Document and image management
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| *Version control
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| *Project and experiment management
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| *Method and protocol management
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| *Investigation management
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| *Facility and sampling site management
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| *Storage management and monitoring
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| '''Quality, security, and compliance'''
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| *[[Quality assurance]] / [[quality control]] mechanisms
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| *Mechanisms for compliance with ISO 17025 and HACCP, including support for critical control point (CCP) specifications and limits
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| *Result, method, protocol, batch, and material validation, review, and release
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| *Data validation
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| *Trend and control charting for statistical analysis and measurement of uncertainty
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| *User qualification, performance, and training management
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| *[[Audit trail]]s and [[chain of custody]] support
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| *Configurable and granular role-based security
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| *Configurable system access and use (i.e., authentication requirements, account usage rules, account locking, etc.)
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| *[[Electronic signature]] support
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| *Data [[encryption]] and secure communication protocols
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| *Archiving and [[Data retention|retention]] of data and information
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| *Configurable data [[backup]]s
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| *Status updates and alerts
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| *Environmental monitoring support
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| *Incident and non-conformance notification, tracking, and management
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| '''Operations management and reporting'''
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| *Configurable dashboards for monitoring, by product, process, facility, etc.
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| *Customizable rich-text reporting, with multiple supported output formats
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| *Custom and industry-specific reporting, including certificates of analysis (CoAs)
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| *Industry-compliant labeling
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| *Email integration and other communication support for internal and external stakeholders
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| *Instrument interfacing and data management, particularly for [[near-infrared spectroscopy]] (NIRS) instruments
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| *Third-party software interfacing (e.g., LES, scientific data management system [SDMS], other databases)
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| *Data import, export, and archiving
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| *Instrument and equipment management, including calibration and maintenance tracking
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| *Inventory and material management
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| *Supplier/vendor/customer management
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| *Flexible but secure client portal for pre-registering samples, printing labels, and viewing results
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| *Integrated (or online) system help
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| ==Specialty LIMS requirements==
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| ==Conclusion==
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| ==References==
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| {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
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| <!---Place all category tags here-->
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