LIMS feature

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Revision as of 00:42, 10 February 2012 by Shawndouglas (talk | contribs) (Added additional info.)
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A LIMS feature is one or more pieces of functionality that appear within a laboratory information management system (LIMS).

The LIMS is an evolving concept, with new features and abilities being introduced every year. As laboratory demands change and technological progress continues, the functions of a LIMS will also change. Yet like the automobile, the LIMS tends to have a base set of functionality that defines it. That functionality can roughly be divided into five laboratory processing phases, with numerous software functions falling under each[1]:

  • the reception and log in of a sample and its associated customer data
  • the assignment, scheduling, and tracking of the sample and the associated analytical workload
  • the processing and quality control associated with the sample and the utilized equipment and inventory
  • the storage of data associated with the sample analysis
  • the inspection, approval, and compilation of the sample data for reporting and/or further analysis

Of course, there are LIMS features that are difficult to categorize under any of these phases. Such features often contribute to the entire LIMS and how it's utilized. For example, multilingual support appears in LIMS like Assaynet Inc.'s LIMS2010 and Two Fold Software's Qualoupe LIMS, allowing users to interact with the LIMS in more than one language. Some functionality may also overlap several laboratory phases, making it difficult to firmly classify.

The features described below come from an analysis of freely available LIMS product information on vendor websites. An attempt was made to discover the features most utilized in vendors' LIMS products and collect information on those features for each LIMS. Not every possible feature is referenced here; some LIMS products fill specific niches, utilizing very unique functionality to solve a specific problem.

That said, it should be kept in mind that the categorization of features below is very loose. It may be viable to argue a feature belongs under a different section or multiple sections. For the purposes of organizing this information in an uncomplicated manner, however, some liberty has been taken in the categorizing of features.

Sample, inventory, and data management

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Sample login and management

Sample management is one of the core tasks a modern LIMS is tasked with, whether it's in a manufacturing, water treatment, or pharmaceutical laboratory.[2] As such, researchers who work in these types of labs are unable to complete their experiment-based goals without an effective method of managing samples. The proper management of samples for experiments includes, but is not limited to[2]:

  • storing related sample information, including aliquot numbers, dates, and external links
  • setting user alerts for sample status
  • creating and documenting viewable sample container schemas with name and status
  • assigning sample access rights

Sample tracking

Sample and result batching

Task and event scheduling

Option for manual result entry

Multiple data viewing methods

Data and trend analysis

Data and equipment sharing

Customizable fields and/or interface

Query capability

Import data

Internal file or data linking

External file or data linking

ELN support or integration

Export to MS Excel

Export raw data

Data warehouse

Deadline control

Production control

Project and/or task management

Inventory management

Document creation and management

Case management

Workflow management

Specification management

Customer management

Billing management

 

Quality, security, and compliance

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Regulatory compliance

QA/QC functions

Performance evaluation

Audit trail

Chain of custody

Configurable roles and security

Data validation

Data encryption

Version control

Automatic data backup

Environmental monitoring

 

Reporting, barcoding, and printing

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Custom reporting

Report printing

Label support

Barcode support

Export to PDF

Export to MS Word

Export to HTML or XML

Fax integration

Email integration

 

Base functionality

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Administrator management

Modular

Instrument interfacing and management

Mobile device integration

Alarms and/or alerts

Work-related time tracking

Voice recognition system

External monitoring

Messaging

Multilingual

Network capable

Web client or portal

Online or integrated help

Software as a service delivery model

Usage-based cost

 

References