User:Shawndouglas/sandbox/sublevel4

Before arriving on the LIMS that fits your laboratory’s needs, you’ll need to conduct some planning and research. The planning phase involves assessing the lab’s goals, regulations, capabilities, workflows and budget, while also ensuring strong buy-in from management. The research phase involves determining what solutions are available, who is developing and supporting them, and what their reputation and experience is.

You may bring to this research a high set of expectations based upon your lab’s initial planning. However, reality may prove slightly different. You research may turn up an ideal LIMS, but you discover you’re not enamored with the vendor of the LIMS, or vice versa. From this initial research your lab may realize it needs to make a few compromises regarding the vendor, the ideal solution or both. That’s not to say you won’t be able to find a best-in-class solution offered by a developer with competitive rates and a strong track record of success in your industry. Rather, understand that your lab’s wish list of features, extensibility, pricing and excellent service across both a vendor and their solution may not necessarily be fulfilled with every LIMS option you examine. It may take some effort to find the right combination of the two; however, when you do, it will surely be worth the effort!