The most important features of a LIMS are the features that are most important for your lab. These features may vary depending on your specific laboratory requirements and long-term goals. The LIMS features must be flexible enough to support your lab as it grows and changes, without the need for expensive development at every turn. [Read More]

Does your environmental lab use a 30-year-old laboratory information management system (LIMS) that is slow and not user friendly, but still works? Have you ever considered the real cost of maintaining that system or the limitations it has? How do you figure that out and make the case to upgrade? Modernizing your LIMS could be a big investment of time and resources and can add a layer of complexity when managing legacy data, but modernizing may also significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of your environmental lab. [Read More]

Pharmaceutical and medical device companies benefit from using a structured approach to data items, connections between data items, and data containers. Working with data that is internally structured reduces the time needed to create submission reports, eliminates the manual verification of large data tables, and ensures the creation of submission deliverables with no technical errors. [Read More]

Welcome to our comprehensive guide to Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS). Whether you’re just beginning your journey into the world of LIMS or you’re a seasoned professional looking for some clarity on common questions, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we’ll shed light on the common questions in LIMS that often arise for both newcomers and those seeking to delve deeper into this invaluable technology. [Read More]

By now you have probably heard rumors and rumblings about computer system assurance (CSA), a more strategic approach to validation that is currently in draft guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. What that will look like in practice is explained in this white paper.  Compliance managers, regulatory professionals, and lab personnel need this white paper to understand the new testing rationale behind CSA. There is a greater emphasis on common sense in gauging risk and on unscripted testing to identify potential issues or avenues for improvement. [Read More]

The demand for safety and compliance in medical device testing is ever-present, prompting laboratories to seek innovative solutions. Laboratory information management system (LIMS) software is a formidable tool that empowers laboratories to navigate the intricate processes involved in medical device testing. [Read More]

In today's competitive landscape, labs face the challenge of finding the right vendor to meet their growing software needs. However, for many smaller labs without internal development resources, relying on commercial vendors becomes a necessity. The process of vendor selection can be daunting, especially considering the wide range of options available. In this blog post, we'll dive into the intricacies of vendor selection, exploring the critical steps and considerations to ensure a successful partnership. [Read More]

Environmental and water testing laboratories play a crucial role in safeguarding our planet’s health and ensuring the availability of clean water resources. These laboratories are responsible for monitoring and analyzing various parameters to assess the quality of our environment and water bodies. However, to fulfill their mandate effectively, it is paramount that these laboratories maintain the highest standards of quality in their operations. [Read More]

Forensic laboratories are largely bound to performing their actions with quality highly in mind. In fact, standards like ISO/IEC 17025 help such labs focus more on quality with the help of a quality management system (QMS). But even with a strong focus on quality, inconsistencies in recording, managing, and reporting quality issues can be problematic. To that point, Heavey et al. examine government-based forensic service provider agencies in Australia and New Zealand in this 2023 journal article, using the survey format to gain insight into potential QMS weaknesses. After thoroughly reviewing the methodology and results for their survey, the authors conclude that "the need for further research into the standardization of systems underpinning the management of quality issues in forensic science" is evident from their research, with a greater need "to support transparent and reliable justice outcomes" through improving "evidence-based standard terminology for quality issues in forensic science to support data sharing and reporting, enhance understanding of quality issues, and promote transparency in forensic science."

MASTER YOUR eDATA LIFE CYCLE:  The Paperless Lab Academy® is thrilled to finally land in the United States after so many requests from sponsors and attendees. We celebrated the 10th edition in Europe and are now coming to the U.S. with a strong and thought-provoking program to discuss everything about mastering your data life cycle. Register now and discover the program.