LIMS is not a suit: 12 tips to choose a system

You know what a good suit feels like: perfectly tailored so that it feels like part of you.

You can also imagine what a perfect laboratory appliance is. You measure its productivity, estimate a run time without operator intervention, and use other transparent characteristics.

But what is a good LIMS? By what metrics is its quality measured?

Of course, this is much more complicated than measuring an inseam, nor is it not as simple as with an appliance. But the decision cost is also higher, so let’s dive into  the fascinating process of evaluating LIMS.

Why common concepts do not help you evaluate LIMS

Most of those who write recommendations for selecting information systems recommend the generally accepted concepts of LIMS validation.

They have detailed standards that supposedly demonstrate how to evaluate a LIMS. They operate logically, looking for general characteristics. By making a checklist in the validation phase, we are simply looking to see that specific functions are present. Here it is! Great. Check the box and continue down the list.

But in fact, this formal logic is of no use. Applying it to a software product that is strategically related to the development of the lab does not guarantee proper results. Okay, you checked the box: there is a microbiology module! But this is present in most systems, so which one is it? Some will be more useful to you, some less so.  Even though you can formally check the box, perhaps only a few systems have the level of automation you need.

Paradoxically, even something unambiguous and worthy of a bold, confident check mark is not so clear cut for everyone. Cloud systems, for example, have several significant advantages, such as high reliability and availability of technical support. But suppose your lab, for some geographical reason, has no internet at all. A cloud system won’t work there.

And how do you assess the risks? How much would it cost if the lab had to shut down due to a LIMS malfunction? With an ordinary appliance, again, everything is simple. You see by how many tests you will underperform, and they go to another lab. You see how much the medical staff recycles. But with LIMS, you struggle to calculate what a failure will cost you.

Where things get confusing is evaluating the level of return on investment. Again, you know how to calculate the return on a new appliance. You take the tests you do on the appliance; subtract the cost of sales; subtract the cost of all consumables, maintenance, and depreciation – and here is your profit. With LIMS, it is difficult to calculate even the costs of technology ownership on a lifetime basis.  They include too many different aspects estimated in different measures. And if you can’t even calculate money, what about more complicated things?

Then there is the main difficulty. The supply on the market is large. The number of different systems is off the charts, and the competition is tough. Yet there is no single repository where you can look at all these LIMS together, hold them in your hands, and test them. (The situation, again, is much less convenient than at Men’s Warehouse.) Now there is a LIMS repository under development in the U.S. But until it’s in place, any LIMS buyer will be nervous. You can’t examine the entire crop at once. You only see a small portion of the market. And you can’t cut off a piece to try: it is impossible to measure the performance of LIMS before its full implementation. You have no choice but to go by what the vendor says. Be sure they’ll try their best to tell you what you want to hear. And it won’t be a lie, but an honest advertisement: any vendor tells you how well his LIMS can perform under the most ideal conditions. It looks great on you – go for it!

In this situation of high responsibility but no formal criteria, most laboratories will not choose a LIMS as much as they simply take the first one that comes along. They evaluate formally, to clear their conscience or so that their superiors do not pick on them. They stick to the systems they have already used. Or they choose according to the “I’ll have what she’s having” principle: my friend also runs a lab and she likes the system, so it will suit me too. Or they take a system from a large vendor: “Since they have sold a lot, they must be  doing it well. Otherwise their watermelons would not move!” But if a LIMS was a good fit for lab X, that does not necessarily mean it will work for lab Y. What a head-scratcher!

Is there any other way? Yes, there is.

LIMS quality is not abstract. It depends on the context.

Imagine you are attending a wedding and need a new suit. You find one on the rack that has your size marked on it, perfect! Wait, why are the shoulders bunching up and there are some outrageous creases in the back? Because everyone’s body shape is unique. Similarly, for each lab, a “good” LIMS is a different concept. You need your LIMS tailored to the exact measurements of your lab.

You should not focus on the label of formal criteria. Instead you must shift your priorities from trying to get an objective assessment to getting an assessment that is contextual and intimate.

Don’t spend your efforts on objectifying your choices. Spend it on tailoring a suit to fit – making the system as close to your context as possible.

What does this mean?

1) Discuss operational procedures with vendors

Be open when discussing your standard operating procedures with as wide a range of suitable LIMS vendors as possible. It should be clear to you how much one vendor or another is willing to support them.

You should also be mindful of the negotiation process itself. If the vendor does not have competent people in clinical laboratory diagnostics, it is useless to talk to them. The vendor should understand your pain and have relevant experience.

If the vendor has suitable, competent personnel , take the time to bring up everything you are concerned about with them. Thus, you make the system contextual. If you expect to purchase an appliance and want the LIMS to have a certain driver, tell the vendor about it upfront. Then you’ll have a better chance of meeting your exact needs.

2) Take a close look at how the LIMS relates to laboratory reality

Count how many bypasses you perform in LIMS to capture your lab life as it is, or at least in a reality-like way. How many of your processes are captured in this information system reflect reality? Is there a correspondence between what the lab does and what the LIMS records?

For one thing, you need the LIMS to match your reality. To record processes differently than they are (for instance, we write time in the price column because there is no time field in the system) is wrong. Assuming we strive to know something, we shouldn’t struggle for it. The closer the LIMS reflects your day-to-day practices, the more it is a digital extension of your lab. The less it needs to adjust to that reality, the better it is for your lab.

On the other hand, if you buy a new LIMS strictly conforming to all the processes you already have, you don’t need a new LIMS. The new LIMS should teach you new capabilities to work faster and have more fun. If the procedures that LIMS describes differ from yours, try to see if there is value and logic in what the vendor is offering you. Don’t simply dismiss it out of hand or just accept it: discuss and think about it. Merely having such a dialog will yield you as much value as implementing a new LIMS. There is nothing more valuable than knowing your business processes and how you can improve them.

3) Look at the LIMS as an information machine

Try to determine the number of points where the information streams you use in reality intersect with those in the LIMS. See how often we put information into the system that we don’t end up using in any way to make decisions. Are we creating a lot of junk information?

A good LIMS is one that provides more decision-making information than what we put in. That’s because we enter information once, but use it in a lot of different contexts. The higher the ratio of information output to information input, the better the efficiency.

4) Evaluate subjective feelings of performance

Don’t evaluate the actual capacity of the system. Evaluate people’s feelings about the system in terms of how much it delays them. If you can’t assess how perfect the system is, look at how seriously and critically its imperfections affect you.

When one employee says to another, “I can’t print today, the computer keeps slowing down” – that means the transaction is taking longer than expected.

Don’t worry about the objective speed of a system: focus on how much you experience its breaking as a nuisance. This criterion is highly subjective, yet highly important.

5) LIMS is a value system

When you buy a LIMS, you buy not just a piece of software, but a reflection of  your value system. It should prioritize the system characteristics you deem most vital.

If a LIMS vendor has made a lumpy quality control module, it shows that  quality analysis is not necessary for him, or maybe they think it’s not important for you.

Assess the value system of the vendor you’re considering buying a LIMS from. Speed, bug fixes, training, and solving your problems all impact functionality and usability.

There is the developer’s conscience, professional pride, and competence in the subject area.

Be sure to ask what exactly the vendor is working on now, and what trends he sees on the market. This will allow you to orient yourself as to how ideologically aligned you are with him.

6) Share responsibilities with the vendor

Working with a LIMS vendor is like running a household together. Work out agreements that allow you to negotiate who is responsible for what. If the vendor promises to be responsible for everything, be sure they are not over-promising. A significant part of the work on the implementation and operation of LIMS lies in the laboratory.

For example, LIMS vendors are not subject to the HIPAA Act. Of course, without exception, all LIMS vendors support HIPAA. However, it is the data controller who is responsible under the act. Delegating it to the vendor is prohibited.

So, the best way is to talk through what you will do yourself and what you would like to have done for you.

7) Find a way to try on as many suits as possible

Get all the formal criteria out of the way. Don’t think about how well-known the vendor is or how many users it has. Look at the maximum number of systems.

If you’re a larger lab, you have the resources to be thoughtful about system selection. Scale matters to you: an extra 10% of performance on a test will translate into large amounts of revenue. Don’t be lazy and simulate the use of the LIMS you choose. Do some timing, and diligently evaluate how much fabric you feel fits your needs, and how you will actually use it. Try on a few different variants and buy the suit that speaks to your personal style.

8) Pay attention to more than just the essentials

There are certain regulatory requirements most vendors follow, and so should you. Keep in mind that this is a necessary condition and does not represent a competitive advantage. The success of your business depends on how you comply not only with regulatory requirements but also with the requirements of the market.

9) Buy for growing up

Continuing our outfit analogy: you should choose LIMS like the parents of five- to six-year-old children choose clothes. They take a size not to fit just now but also to grow into. Think about your plans, and how you see your lab’s future, and do not hesitate to discuss them with the vendor. If you think alike about the market outlook and what LIMS requires in the future, great! It is more important than what you can simply measure now with a ruler.

You are on a quest to improve your processes. The better they are, the greater your bottom line.

10) Ask yourself and the vendor uncomfortable questions

What if something happens to the provider? Will they be able to sell me information in a convenient way? How will I feel moving to another system?

What happens if COVID is over and the flow of tests suddenly becomes less? Will I be able to afford the current costs? Will I have to change LIMS to a simpler one, or adjust some settings?

If you dislike something in the system right now, ask: Can the vendor change it, and if so, how quickly?

11) Think about people

How well you utilize a LIMS depends on your key users. One well-trained power user who knows the system well, understands how to work in it, and loves it is priceless from a LIMS perspective. They make your system effective. Ask yourself: how quickly will your people get up to speed?

Think about the people outside the lab as well. LIMS is integrated into many systems. How convenient a toolkit does LIMS provide to your customers and supervisors? This creates your ability to communicate conveniently with external agents. Even an old appliance that passes quality control gives a physician valuable information. If customers are uncomfortable, however, it is bound to be auctioned off.

12) Open the door to vendors

If a vendor approaches you, agree to contact them. A vendor who wants to sell their system can be helpful to you, even if you don’t plan to change anything. Spending a little time gives you knowledge: what systems offer what, what new modules exist, whether you can add a new product to your existing LIMS, what you are missing, and what trends are on the market. You will get up to date, and completely free of charge.

As you can see, evaluating, buying, and trying on LIMS is not that simple. But resist the temptation to buy by looking at the label or trying to measure everything with a ruler. Evaluate how much of the suit is tailored to your specifications. Ask if the LIMS manufacturer can adjust it to fit you properly.