subject: Laboratory Information Management Systems: a Necessity not an Alternative [print this page] Laboratory Information Management Systems: a Necessity not an Alternative
Commercial Laboratory Information Management Systems have been available for the past two decades. In the past, LIMS was seen as simple information management software that recorded and stored all workflow data of different tests conducted in the laboratory. The advancement of technologies used in LIMS has broadened the functionality of the systems.
Evolution of Laboratory Information Management Systems:
The advanced LIMS is now a key element in the Laboratory Informatics arena. The changes in the Laboratory Information Management Systems industry were mainly due to the evolving nature of pharmaceutical businesses. The new business requirements and pressures have played a major role in the evolution of LIMS as the advanced business vital system. The changes in LIMS can be also attributed to the rapid development of technologies used in LIMS.
During the initial stages, LIMS was just a mini or mainframe system that evolved to a server based solution. The evolution also included development of operating systems and shift from proprietary database to standard database systems such as SQL Server and Oracle.
The development of networking technologies has made the biggest impact on the evolution of LIMS. LIMS has gradually broadened its horizon from standalone systems to LAN and WAN and then to Internet and VPN (Virtual Private Network). The advanced LIMS has the ability to share systems and resources of facilities across the world. The networking capability also gives it access to data and resources of the remote research facilities.
Integration of LIMS:
One of the primary characteristics of LIMS is that it can be successfully integrated into enterprise systems. A logical business strategy needs to integrate data from different sources within an organization. The life sciences companies need to integrate data from LIMS, manufacturing enterprise systems, enterprise resource planning, chromatography data system, and data from other sources.
Modern LIMS acts as a common platform model where instrumentation systems, informatics solutions, and enterprise communication tools can be linked to share the information and common functions. With LIMS, the companies do not need a separate system for each product. Today, LIMS manufacturers provide their customers with purpose-built LIMS that can be successfully integrated with all laboratory equipment, along with the organization's global enterprise system.
The integration ability of the Laboratory Information Management Systems gives pharmaceutical manufactures the opportunity to expand their businesses. The integration facilitates improved data quality and planning, better collaboration, and report generations. All these elements provide the management with important business metrics that are critical to run the operations effectively.
This also means the management has all the data needed beforehand and not after at any point of crisis. The management also has an early insight on the progress of development of drugs and compounds on a routine basis.
LIMS and Public Health
LIMS is important for public health laboratories as well. The public health laboratories have a major role to play in government public health decisions. They should be equipped to process large volumes of public health data and deliver the test results in a quick manner.
With numerous threats such as global disease, natural disasters, and terrorism looming over the world, there is a great need for a system that can facilitate the exchange of data electronically. Even today, many public health laboratories transmit their data on paper. It is time that the government makes timely decisions to equip its health laboratories with advanced Laboratory Information Management Systems.
