Today, the majority of laboratories are more or less automated—in the form of instrumentation and instrument data systems with LIMS being at the center. Typically, laboratories use many diverse types of software apart from LIMS. While LIMS is used to track sample lifecycle and related data management, result entry of the samples is performed through instrument interfacing. While trying to achieve “Paperless Flow” in the laboratory, LIMS needs to be integrated with other enterprise software such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), electronic notebook (ELN), the scientific data management system (SDMS), chromatographic data systems (CDS), inventory management system, the training management system, the statistical package and so on. Though the intention is to have seamless interconnectivity between all these systems, in reality, many manual operations still prevail. Most organizations are now trying to reduce the extent of manual operations and thereby move closer to the ideal paperless laboratory. LabIMS™ from HCL Technologies is designed to work as a comprehensive sample information management system that has built-in functionalities to integrate with various applications as indicated above, and thereby enable end users to move closer to a paperless lab.
This paper tries to analyze practical problems involved in moving into a paperless lab and how LabIMS™ can help to mitigate those problems.
