LIMS feature
 |
You can find a listing of all LIMS vendors — and by extension, the features their products offer — on the LIMS vendor page. |
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
To hide the contents of this section for easier reading of other sections, click the "Collapse" link to the right.
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
To hide the contents of this section for easier reading of other sections, click the "Collapse" link to the right.
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
To hide the contents of this section for easier reading of other sections, click the "Collapse" link to the right.
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
To hide the contents of this section for easier reading of other sections, click the "Collapse" link to the right.
Administrator management
Modular
Instrument interfacing and management
Mobile device integration
Alarms and/or alerts
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
- ↑ D. O. Skobelev, T. M. Zaytseva, A. D. Kozlov, V. L. Perepelitsa, and A. S. Makarova (2011). "Laboratory information management systems in the work of the analytic laboratory" (PDF). Measurement Techniques 53 (10): 1182–1189. doi:10.1007/s11018-011-9638-7. http://www.springerlink.com/content/6564211m773v70j1/.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Macneil, Rory (2011). "The benefits of integrated systems for managing both samples and experimental data: An opportunity for labs in universities and government research institutions to lead the way". Automated Experimentation 3 (2). doi:10.1186/1759-4499-3-2. http://www.aejournal.net/content/3/1/2.
