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Contents
Articles
1. About the Content of This Guide 1
LIMSwiki mission 1
References
Article Sources and Contributors 471
Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 473
Article Licenses
License 475
1
LIMSwiki mission
The mission and goal of the 'Laboratory Informatics Encyclopedia', otherwise known as LIMSwiki, is to provide the
laboratory community and LIMS community with an organized, documented, up-to-date, standardized body of
knowledge (BoK) regarding all aspects of laboratory informatics, bioinformatics, and health informatics. The value
and success of LIMSwiki (like any community wiki) is dependent upon the laboratory community contributing their
vast knowledge through the creation of relevant articles and editing of existing articles where knowledge is absent.
The explosion of the laboratory and health informatics fields paired with the vast number of LIMS vendors and
products — as well as LIMS' increased scope well beyond its original purpose of sample management to just about
all facets of laboratory operations — has resulted in a wealth of information not easily comprehended. This potential
confusion frustrates informatics customers and makes the already challenging task of successfully implementing and
managing a LIMS, ELN, or other informatics software even more difficult. In that regard, the Laboratory Informatics
Institute (which is responsible for this wiki) believes the community (including vendors, users, and consultants) will
benefit from a common vocabulary and understanding to facilitate communication, comparison, and product
integration, providing maximum value to buyers and maximum opportunity to vendors and consultants.
2
Information
Information, in its most restricted technical sense, is a sequence of symbols that can be interpreted as a message,
recorded as signs, or transmitted as signals. Conceptually, information is the message (utterance or expression) being
conveyed. Therefore, in a general sense, information is "knowledge communicated or received concerning a
particular fact or circumstance."
From the stance of information theory, information is taken as a sequence of symbols from an alphabet, say an input
alphabet χ, and an output alphabet ϒ. Information processing consists of an input-output function that maps any input
sequence from χ into an output sequence from ϒ. The mapping may be probabilistic or determinate. It may have
memory or be memoryless.
Information cannot be predicted and resolves uncertainty. The uncertainty of an event is measured by its probability
of occurrence and is inversely proportional to that. The more uncertain an event, the more information is required to
resolve uncertainty of that event. The amount of information is measured in bits. The concept that information is the
message has different meanings in different contexts. Thus the concept of information becomes closely related to
notions of constraint, communication, control, data, form, instruction, knowledge, meaning, understanding,
stimulation, pattern, perception, representation, and entropy.
Variations of information
As sensory input
Often information can be viewed as a type of input to an organism or system. Some inputs are important to the
function of the organism (for example, food) or to the system itself (energy) and are called causal inputs. Other
inputs (information) are important only because they are associated with causal inputs and can be used to predict the
occurrence of a causal input at a later time (and perhaps another place). Some information is important because of its
association with other information, but eventually there must be a connection to a causal input.
In practice, information is usually carried by weak stimuli that must be detected by specialized sensory systems and
amplified by energy inputs before they can be functional to the organism or system. For example, light is often a
causal input to plants but provides information to animals. The colored light reflected from a flower is too weak to
do much photosynthetic work. However, the visual system of the bee detects it, and the bee's nervous system uses
the information to guide the bee to the flower, where the bee often finds nectar or pollen, causal inputs serving a
nutritional function.
framework aims to overcome the limitations of Shannon-Weaver information when attempting to characterize and
measure subjective information.
As a property in physics
Information has had a well-defined meaning in physics. However, in 2003 theoretical physicist J. D. Bekenstein
claimed a growing trend in physics was to define the physical world as being made up of information itself.
Examples of this include the phenomenon of quantum entanglement, where particles can interact without reference
to their separation or the speed of light. Information itself cannot travel faster than light, even if the information is
transmitted indirectly. This could lead to all attempts at physically observing a particle with an "entangled"
relationship to another being slowed down, even though the particles are not connected in any other way other than
by the information they carry.
Another link is demonstrated by the Maxwell's demon thought experiment. In this experiment, a direct relationship
between information and another physical property, entropy, is demonstrated. As a result, destroying the information
is impossible without increasing the entropy of a system; in practical terms this often means generating heat.
As records
Records are specialized forms of information, produced consciously or as by-products of business activities or
transactions and retained because of their value. Organizations value records as evidence of activity, but they may
also be retained for their informational value. Sound records management ensures the integrity of records is
preserved for as long as they are required.
The international standard on records management, ISO 15489, defines records as "information created, received,
and maintained as evidence and information by an organization or person, in pursuance of legal obligations or in the
transaction of business."
The International Committee on Archives (ICA), Committee on Electronic Records defined a record as "recorded
information produced or received in the initiation, conduct, or completion of an institutional or individual activity
and that comprises content, context, and structure sufficient to provide evidence of the activity."
Records may be maintained to retain corporate memory of the organization or to meet legal, fiscal, or accountability
requirements imposed on the organization. In 2005 legal expert Anthony Willis elaborated on this view, stating the
sound management of business records and information delivered "...six key requirements for good corporate
governance ... transparency; accountability; due process; compliance; meeting statutory and common law
requirements; and security of personal and corporate information."
Further reading
• Floridi, Luciano (2010). Information - A Very Short Introduction [1]. Oxford University Press. pp. 130. ISBN
[2]
0199551375.
• Floridi, Luciano. Zalta, Edward N. ed. Semantic Conceptions of Information [3] (Spring 2013 ed.). Stanford
University.
• Frieden, B. Roy (20 August 2012). "Fisher Information, a New Paradigm of Science" [4]. Optical Sciences Center,
Univ. of Arizona.
• Von Baeyer, Hans Christian (2004). Information: The New Language of Science [5]. Harvard University Press.
pp. 258. ISBN [2] 0674013875.
• Young, Paul (1987). The Nature of Information [6]. Praeger. pp. 192. ISBN [2] 0275926982.
Information 6
External links
• Informationsordbogen.dk [7], the Danish Dictionary of Information Terms / Informationsordbogen
Notes
Some elements of this article are reused from the Wikipedia article [8].
References
[1] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=VupFqa3IJiUC
[2] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ International_Standard_Book_Number
[3] http:/ / plato. stanford. edu/ entries/ information-semantic/
[4] http:/ / fp. optics. arizona. edu/ frieden/ fisher_information. htm
[5] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=QpuZgAR8DJwC
[6] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=yX9QAAAAMAAJ
[7] http:/ / www. informationsordbogen. dk
[8] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Information
Etymology
In 1957 the German computer scientist Karl Steinbuch coined the word Informatik by publishing a paper called
Informatik: Automatische Informationsverarbeitung ("Informatics: Automatic Information Processing"). The English
term informatics is sometimes understood as meaning the same as computer science. However, the German word
Informatik is the correct translation of the English phrase computer science. (The naming for computer science is
derived from the concept of computation, which may or may not involve the existence of information. For example,
quantum computation and digital logic do not involve information.)
The French term informatique was coined in 1962 by Philippe Dreyfus together with various translations —
informatics (English), also proposed independently and simultaneously by Walter F. Bauer and associates who
co-founded Informatics Inc., and informatica (Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Portuguese, Dutch), referring to the
application of computers to store and process information. The term was coined as a combination of "information"
and "automatic" to describe the science of automating information interactions.
The morphology—informat-ion + -ics—uses "the accepted form for names of sciences, as conics, linguistics, optics,
or matters of practice, as economics, politics, tactics", and so, linguistically, the meaning extends easily to
encompass both the science of information and the practice of information processing.
History
This new term was adopted across Western Europe, and, except in English, developed a meaning roughly translated
by the English "computer science" or "computing science." Mikhailov et al. advocated the Russian term informatika
(1966), and the English informatics (1967), as names for the theory of scientific information and argued for a broader
meaning, including study of the use of information technology in various communities and of the interaction of
technology and human organizational structures:
Informatics is the discipline of science which investigates the structure and properties (not specific content) of
scientific information, as well as the regularities of scientific information activity, its theory, history,
methodology and organization.
Usage has since modified this definition in three ways. First, the restriction to scientific information is removed, as in
business informatics or legal informatics. Second, since most information is now digitally stored, computation is
now central to informatics. Third, the representation, processing and communication of information are added as
objects of investigation, since they have been recognized as fundamental to any scientific account of information.
Taking information as the central focus of study, then, distinguishes informatics, which includes the study of
biological and social mechanisms of information processing, from computer science, where digital computation
plays a distinguished central role. Similarly, in the study of representation and communication, informatics is
indifferent to the substrate that carries information. For example, it encompasses the study of communication using
gesture, speech and language, as well as digital communications and networking.
The first example of a degree-level qualification in informatics occurred in 1982 when Plymouth Polytechnic (now
the University of Plymouth) offered a four-year BSc (honours) degree in "Computing and Informatics," with an
initial intake of only 35 students. The course still runs today, making it the longest available qualification in the
subject.[citation needed]
In 1989, the first International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) — a competition of the brightest informatics students
around the world — was held in Bulgaria. The competition involved two days of intense competition, with up to four
students selected from each participating country to attend and compete for the highest score on a variety of
informatics problems.
Informatics (academic field) 8
Changing definitions
The definition of informatics has seen many variations across different institutions:
• The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, of the U.K. Funding Councils, includes a new Computer Science and
Informatics unit of assessment (UoA), the scope of which is described as follows:
The UoA includes the study of methods for acquiring, storing, processing, communicating and reasoning
about information, and the role of interactivity in natural and artificial systems, through the implementation,
organisation and use of computer hardware, software and other resources. The subjects are characterised by
the rigorous application of analysis, experimentation and design.
• At the Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing in Indianapolis and Southeast, informatics is
defined as "the art, science and human dimensions of information technology" and "“the study and application of
information technology to the arts, science and professions." These definitions are generally accepted in the
United States and differ from British usage in omitting the study of natural computation.
• At the University of California, Irvine, informatics is defined thusly:
Informatics is based on recognizing that the design of this technology is not solely a technical matter, but must
focus on the relationship between the technology and its use in real-world settings. That is, informatics
designs solutions in context, and takes into account the social, cultural and organizational settings in which
computing and information technology will be used.
• At the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, defines it as a "coupling [of] information with computing technology,"
adding:
Informatics provides solid grounding in computer programming, mathematics, and statistics, combined with
study of the ethical and social science aspects of complex information systems. Informatics majors learn to
critically analyze various approaches to processing information and develop skills to design, implement, and
evaluate the next generation of information technology tools.
Applications of informatics
In the English-speaking world the term informatics was first widely used in the applied sense as "medical
informatics," taken to include "the cognitive, information processing, and communication tasks of medical practice,
education, and research, including information science and the technology to support these tasks." Many such
compounds are now in use; they can be viewed as different areas of applied informatics.
In the 2000s, a major area of applied informatics is that of organizational informatics. Organizational informatics is
fundamentally interested in the application of information, information systems and ICT within organizations of
various forms, including private sector, public sector, and voluntary sector organizations. As such, organizational
informatics can be seen to be sub-category of social informatics and a super-category of business informatics.
By 2004, the field of laboratory informatics — the specialized application of information technology to optimize and
extend laboratory operations — began emerging as a more distinct area of applied informatics.
Informatics (academic field) 9
Contributing disciplines
• Computer science
• Communication studies
• Complex systems
• Didactics of informatics
• Information science
• Information theory
• Information technology
Further reading
• Gammack, John; Valerie Hobbs; Diarmuid Pigott (2011). The Book of Informatics [1] (1st Revised ed.). Cengage
Learning. pp. 548. ISBN [2] 0170216004.
• Fourman, Michael (2002) (PDF). Informatics: Informatics Research Report EDI-INF-RR-0139 [2]. University of
Edinburgh. pp. 9.
• Bauer, Walter F. (1996). "Informatics and (et) Informatique" [3]. IEEE Annals of the History of Computing
(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 18 (2). Archived from the original [4] on 20 November 2010.
External links
• Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS) [5]
References
[1] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=MOIW12eOvJsC
[2] http:/ / www. inf. ed. ac. uk/ publications/ online/ 0139. pdf
[3] http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20101120212846/ http:/ / www. softwarehistory. org/ history/ Bauer1. html
[4] http:/ / www. softwarehistory. org/ history/ Bauer1. html
[5] http:/ / www. cepis. org
Laboratory 10
Laboratory
A laboratory is a building, part of a
building, or other place equipped to
conduct scientific experiments, tests,
investigations, and practice within one
or multiple fields of study. This may
also be referred to as a science
laboratory or research laboratory.
Such labs take many forms because of
the differing requirements of
specialists in the various fields of
science and research. For example, a
physics lab might contain a particle
accelerator or vacuum chamber, while
a metallurgy lab could have an
Biomedical Engineering Laboratory at UC Davis College of Engineering
apparatus for casting or refining metals
or for testing their strength. A chemist
or biologist might use a wet laboratory, while a psychologist's lab might be a room with one-way mirrors and hidden
cameras in which to observe behavior.
Despite the great differences among laboratories, some features are common. The use of workbenches or countertops
at which the scientist may choose to either sit or stand is a common way to ensure comfortable working conditions.
Cabinets for the storage of laboratory equipment are also quite common. Scientists have traditionally recorded an
experiment's progress in a laboratory notebook, but modern labs almost always contain at least one computer
workstation for data collection and analysis, utilizing tools like laboratory information management systems (LIMS)
or electronic laboratory notebooks (ELN).
Scientific laboratories can be found in schools and universities, in industry, in government or military facilities, and
even aboard ships and spacecraft. A laboratory might offer work space for just one to more than 30 researchers
depending on its size and purpose. Recently, a new type of laboratory called an "open laboratory" has emerged. Its
format allows the sharing of space, equipment, and support staff among different students and research groups, and it
also fosters information exchange through communications across fields. Current examples include the Electrical
and Computer Engineering Lab at Temple University and all the laboratories at The Mechanobiology Institute of
Singapore.
Types of laboratories
Scientific or research laboratories are as diverse as there are specialties. However, the title of laboratory is also used
for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories. These
notably include:
• medical lab
• public health lab
• forensic lab used to process crime scene evidence
• computer lab
• media lab
• film laboratory or darkroom
• clandestine lab for the production of illegal drugs
Laboratory 11
In recent years government and private centers for innovation in learning, leadership, and organization have also
adopted "lab" in their name to emphasize the experimental and research-oriented nature of their work.
Laboratory safety
In some laboratories, the conditions are no
more dangerous than in any other room. In
many labs, though, hazards are present.
Laboratory hazards are as varied as the
subjects of study in laboratories, and might
include poisons; infectious agents;
flammable, explosive, or radioactive
materials; moving machinery; extreme
temperatures; lasers; strong magnetic fields;
or high voltage. In laboratories where
dangerous conditions might exist, safety
precautions are important. Rules exist to
minimize the individual's risk, and safety
equipment is used to protect the lab user Examples of safety equipment in the laboratory
from injury or to assist in responding to an
emergency.
In the laboratory regular inspections and audits help assess hazards due to chemical handling and storage, electrical
equipment, biohazards, hazardous waste management, housekeeping and emergency preparedness, radiation safety,
ventilation, and air quality. An important element of such audits is the review of regulatory compliance and the
training of individuals who have access to and/or work in the laboratory. Training is critical to the ongoing safe
operation of the laboratory facility. Educators, staff and management must be engaged in working to reduce the
likelihood of accidents, injuries, and potential litigation. Training may include laboratory safety videos that are both
relevant and engaging.
Notes
Some elements of this article are reused from the Wikipedia article [3].
References
[1] http:/ / www. clsi. org/ standards/ about-our-standards/ standards-resources/
[2] https:/ / www. osha. gov/ SLTC/ laboratories/ standards. html
[3] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Laboratory
Laboratory informatics
Laboratory informatics is the specialized application of information
through a platform of instruments, software, and data management
tools that allow scientific data to be captured, migrated, processed, and
interpreted for immediate use, as well as stored, managed, and shared
to support future research, development, and lab testing efforts while
maximizing the efficiency of laboratory operations.
The term "laboratory informatics" has been in use at least since the
early 1980s and has expanded in meaning since then. Before the advent
of computer technology, information management played an important
role in laboratories and research efforts of all sorts. And while today
the process of information management continues to be important,
An Eppendorf thermal cycler as an example of a
laboratory informatics tends to focus more on the technology
laboratory device that measures, processes, and
associated with that information management process. sends information
The field itself is one which has seen significant growth as demand for
fast and efficient electronic data exchange has boomed. A rapid series of technological developments have made
laboratory equipment less static and more interactive, allowing large networks of integrated lab devices, computers,
and telecommunications equipment to log, analyze, and distribute data. This has progressively enabled scientific
research projects to move from a localized model to a more global model, one that allows "involved researchers to
spend less time collecting data or waiting for information to arrive from another location, which in turn allows them
to focus more on the work at hand and makes their research both faster and more efficient." This has led to
laboratories requiring more robust and scalable data management systems to stay competitive. The rapid rate of
change in the technological and environmental needs of researchers — coupled with growing competition — has led
to the creation of conferences like the IQPC Forum on Laboratory Informatics to help directors, managers, and
researchers better keep up with the industry.
specialized laboratories. Genome informatics developed as genetics laboratories sought more efficient ways to
manage the large amounts of data being acquired from experiments and research. As scientists continue their pursuit
of unlocking the secrets of the brain, neuroinformatics and its associated technology has developed to aid those
researchers in their endeavors. And as hydrologists tackle the issues of equitable and efficient use of water for many
different purposes, hydroinformatics and computational hydraulics have emerged.
References
14
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is the application of
computer science and information
technology to the field of biology, with a
primary goal of understanding biological
processes. What sets it apart from other
approaches, however, is its focus on
developing and applying computationally
intensive techniques (e.g. pattern
recognition, data mining, machine learning
algorithms, and visualization) to achieve this
goal. Major research efforts in the field
include sequence alignment, gene finding,
genome assembly, drug design, drug
Female laboratory technician sitting at computer that displays a microarray; DNA
discovery, protein structure alignment, microarray technology aids in gene expression analysis and other bioinformatics
protein structure prediction, prediction of functions.
gene expression and protein–protein
interactions, genome-wide association studies, and the modeling of evolution.
The term "bioinformatics" was coined by Paulien Hogeweg and Ben Hesper in 1978 for "the study of informatic
processes in biotic systems." Its primary use since at least the late 1980s has been in genomics and genetics,
particularly in those areas of genomics involving large-scale DNA sequencing. However, rapid developments in
genomic, molecular research, and information technologies have combined to produce a tremendous amount of
information related to molecular and other types of biology. Bioinformatics now entails the creation and
advancement of databases, algorithms, computational, and statistical techniques and theory to solve formal and
practical problems arising from the management and analysis of biological data.
Common activities in bioinformatics include mapping and analyzing DNA and protein sequences, aligning different
DNA and protein sequences to compare them, and creating and viewing 3-D models of protein structures.
History
Arguably one of the first "bioinformatics" projects — though the concept didn't yet exist — involved the 1965
creation and maintenance of a protein sequence database called the Atlas of Protein Sequence and Structure by
Margaret O. Dayhoff, Richard V. Eck, and Robert S. Ledley. The work grew out of their "biochemical investigation
of the relations between the structures and function of proteins and the theoretical attempt to decipher the genetic
code." Six years later the Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre jointly
created the Protein Data Bank, intended as a public database of three-dimensional protein structures.
The work at Brookhaven would go on to influence others in the field to contribute, with 23 structures contributed in
1976, breaking 5,000 by the end of 1996 and 40,000 in 2006. The significant growth in contributions was fueled by
several events, including: Peter Y. Chou and Gerald D. Fasman's 1974 creation (and later, refinement) of a protein
structure prediction algorithm; David J. Lipman and William R. Pearson's 1985 development (and later, refinement)
Bioinformatics 15
of FASTP (later FASTA) as well as Stephen Altschul and company's 1990 development and refinement of BLAST,
both database sequence searching algorithms and programs; and the formal start of the Human Genome Project in
1990.
A flurry of genome studies went on to produce unprecedented amounts of biological data, creating a sudden demand
for rapid and efficient computational tools to manage and analyze the data. "The development of these computational
tools depended on knowledge generated from a wide range of disciplines including mathematics, statistics, computer
science, information technology, and molecular biology." The merger of these disciplines largely went on to form
what is now known as bioinformatics.
Sequence analysis
Since the Phage Φ-X174 was sequenced in 1977, the DNA sequences of thousands of organisms have been decoded
and stored in databases. This sequence information is analyzed to determine genes that encode polypeptides
(proteins), RNA genes, regulatory sequences, structural motifs, and repetitive sequences. A comparison of genes
within a species or between different species can show similarities between protein functions, or relations between
species (the use of molecular systematics to construct phylogenetic trees). With the growing amount of data, it long
ago became impractical to analyze DNA sequences manually. Today, computer programs such as BLAST are used
daily to search sequences from more than 260,000 organisms, containing over 190 billion nucleotides. These
programs can compensate for mutations (exchanged, deleted, or inserted bases) in the DNA sequence, to identify
sequences that are related, but not identical. A variant of this sequence alignment is used in the sequencing process
itself. The so-called shotgun sequencing technique — which was used, for example, by The Institute for Genomic
Research to sequence the first bacterial genome, Haemophilus influenzae — does not produce entire chromosomes,
but instead generates the sequences of many thousands of small DNA fragments (ranging from 35 to 900 nucleotides
long, depending on the sequencing technology). The ends of these fragments overlap and, when aligned properly by
a genome assembly program, can be used to reconstruct the complete genome. Shotgun sequencing yields sequence
data quickly, but the task of assembling the fragments can be quite complicated for larger genomes. For a genome as
large as the human genome, it may take many days of CPU time on large-memory, multiprocessor computers to
assemble the fragments, and the resulting assembly will usually contain numerous gaps that have to be filled in later.
Shotgun sequencing is the method of choice for virtually all genomes sequenced today, and genome assembly
algorithms are a critical area of bioinformatics research.
Bioinformatics 16
Another aspect of bioinformatics in sequence analysis is annotation, which involves computational gene finding to
search for protein-coding genes, RNA genes, and other functional sequences within a genome. Not all of the
nucleotides within a genome are part of genes. Within the genome of higher organisms, large parts of the DNA do
not serve any obvious purpose. This so-called junk DNA may, however, contain unrecognized functional elements.
Bioinformatics helps to bridge the gap between genome and proteome projects, as in the use of DNA sequences for
protein identification.
Regulation analysis
Regulation is the complex orchestration of events starting with an extracellular signal such as a hormone and leading
to an increase or decrease in the activity of one or more proteins. Bioinformatics techniques have been applied to
explore various steps in this process. For example, promoter analysis involves the identification and study of
sequence motifs in the DNA surrounding the coding region of a gene. These motifs influence the extent to which that
region is transcribed into mRNA. Expression data can be used to infer gene regulation: one might compare
microarray data from a wide variety of states of an organism to form hypotheses about the genes involved in each
state. In a single-cell organism, one might compare stages of the cell cycle, along with various stress conditions (heat
shock, starvation, etc.). One can then apply clustering algorithms to that expression data to determine which genes
are co-expressed. For example, the upstream regions (promoters) of co-expressed genes can be searched for
over-represented regulatory elements.
measure several hundred thousand sites throughout the genome, and when used in high-throughput to measure
thousands of samples, generate terabytes of data per experiment. The data is often found to contain considerable
variability, or noise, and thus hidden Markov model and change-point analysis methods are being developed to infer
real copy number changes.
Genome annotation
In the context of genomics, annotation is the process of marking the genes and other biological features in a DNA
sequence. The first genome annotation software system was designed in 1995 by Dr. Owen White, who was part of
the team at The Institute for Genomic Research that sequenced and analyzed the first genome of a free-living
organism to be decoded, the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae. Dr. White built a software system to find the genes
(places in the DNA sequence that encode a protein), the transfer RNA, and other features, and to make initial
assignments of function to those genes. Most current genome annotation systems work similarly, but the programs
available for analysis of genomic DNA are constantly changing and improving.
Literature analysis
The sheer amount of published literature makes it virtually impossible to read every paper, resulting in disjointed
subfields of research. Literature analysis aims to employ computational and statistical linguistics to mine this
growing library of text resources. For example:
• abbreviation recognition - identify the long-form and abbreviation of biological terms
• named entity recognition - recognizing biological terms such as gene names
• protein-protein interaction - identify which proteins interact with which proteins from text
The area of research uses statistics and computational linguistics, and is substantially influenced by them.
One example of this is the similar protein homology between hemoglobin in humans and the hemoglobin in legumes
(leghemoglobin). Both serve the same purpose of transporting oxygen in the organism. Though both of these
proteins have completely different amino acid sequences, their protein structures are virtually identical, which
reflects their near identical purposes.
Bioinformatics 19
Molecular Interaction
Efficient software is available today for studying interactions among proteins, ligands, and peptides. Types of
interactions most often encountered in the field include protein–ligand (including drug), protein–protein and
protein–peptide.
Molecular dynamic simulation of movement of atoms about rotatable bonds is the fundamental principle behind
computational algorithms, termed docking algorithms for studying molecular interactions.
Docking algorithms
In the last two decades, tens of thousands of protein three-dimensional structures have been determined by X-ray
crystallography and protein nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (protein NMR). One central question for the
biological scientist is whether it is practical to predict possible protein–protein interactions only based on these 3D
shapes, without doing protein–protein interaction experiments. A variety of methods have been developed to tackle
the protein–protein docking problem, though it seems that there is still much work to be done in this field.
Further reading
• Jones, Neil C.; Pevzner, Pavel A. (2004). An Introduction to Bioinformatics Algorithms [1]. MIT Press. pp. 435.
ISBN [2] 0262101068.
• Lesk, Arthur (2008). Introduction to Bioinformatics [2] (3rd ed.). OUP Oxford. pp. 474. ISBN [2] 0199208042.
• Xiong, Jin (2006). Essential Bioinformatics [3]. Cambridge University Press. pp. 339. ISBN [2] 113945062X.
External links
• The Bioinformatics Organization [4]
• Bioinformatics Without Borders [5]
• Open Bioinformatics Foundation [6]
Notes
Some elements of this article are reused from the Wikipedia article [7].
References
[1] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=p_qzpkNVcUwC
[2] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=et5qQgAACAAJ
[3] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=AFsu7_goA8kC
[4] http:/ / www. bioinformatics. org/
[5] http:/ / www. embnet. org/
[6] http:/ / www. open-bio. org/
[7] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Bioinformatics
Cancer informatics
Cancer informatics is a
multidisciplinary field of science that
"deals with the resources, devices, and
methods required to optimize the
acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use
of information in cancer" research and
treatment. Like many other fields of
science, researchers in cancer biology
have seen a dramatic increase in the
amount of clinical and research data, in
particular with genomic and molecular
cancer data. While this data can benefit
researchers' understanding of cancer
behavior and development of better
therapies, new and improved data
management and analysis tools are needed. Cancer informatics attempts to provide those tools "that interconnect
research, clinical activities, and data in an organized and efficient manner, with as broad a database as possible." For
many, the coupling of cancer informatics and other bioinformatics tools with computational modeling and statistical
analysis will accelerate the goal of making cancer a more treatable if not curable disease.
Cancer informatics 21
Application
Cancer informatics can help tackle problems and tasks such as the following:
• the development of computational diagnosis, prognosis, and predictive models
• the development of standards for the entry, annotation, and sharing of clinical cancer data
• the management and distribution of annotated molecular data for further research
• the analysis of an individual tumor to determine its molecular phenotype
• the development of a treatment plan based on a tumor's molecular phenotype
• the tracking of the aberrations that drive a particular cancer's growth
Informatics
External links
• Cancer Informatics [8] journal
• National Cancer Informatics Program [9] at GitHub
References
[1] https:/ / www. limswiki. org/ index. php?title=Cancer_informatics& action=edit
[2] http:/ / cancergenome. nih. gov/ abouttcga/ overview
[3] http:/ / www. ci4cc. org/ about
[4] http:/ / www. cancerinformaticssummit. com/
[5] http:/ / cancerlinq. org/
[6] http:/ / www. mygrid. org. uk/ about-us/
[7] https:/ / cbiit. nci. nih. gov/ ncip
[8] http:/ / www. la-press. com/ journal-cancer-informatics-j10
[9] https:/ / github. com/ ncip
Chemical informatics 23
Chemical informatics
Chemical informatics (more
commonly known as
chemoinformatics and
cheminformatics) is the use of
computer and informational techniques
applied to a range of problems in the
field of chemistry. While the field has
roughly been around around since the
1990s, the rise in high-throughput
screening (a scientific experimentation
method primarily used in drug
discovery) and combinatorial
chemistry (a method of synthesizing a
large number of compounds in a single
process), as well as increases in The Jmol open-source Java viewer for chemical 3D structures is an example of a software
application that may be used in the field of chemical informatics.
computing power and data storage
sizes, have increased interest in the
field in the twenty-first century.
Outside of pharmaceutical research, other applications of chemical informatics include the area of topology,
chemical graph theory, and mining the chemical space. It can also be applied to data analysis for the paper, pulp, and
dye industries.
History
The 1960s saw the introduction of databases for the storage and retrieval of chemical structures, as well as
three-dimensional molecular modeling methods, laying the groundwork for future generations to improve
computational methods of chemical and molecular analysis.
The term "chemoinformatics" was defined by F.K. Brown in 1998 as such:
Chemoinformatics is the mixing of those information resources to transform data into information and
information into knowledge for the intended purpose of making better decisions faster in the area of
drug lead identification and optimization.
Since then, both the "chem" and "chemo" spellings have been used. European academia settled on the term
"chemoinformatics" for its 2006 Obernai research and teaching workshop. Other entities like the Journal of
Cheminformatics and Slovak company Molinspiration have trended towards "cheminformatics."
Chemical informatics 24
Application
Representation
The in silico representation of chemical structures uses specialized formats such as the XML-based Chemical
Markup Language or Simplified Molecular-Input Line-Entry System (SMILES) specifications. These representations
are often used for storage in large chemical databases. While some formats are suited for visual representations in
two or three dimensions, others are more suited for studying physical interactions, modeling, and docking studies.
Virtual libraries
Stored chemical data can pertain to both real and virtual molecules. Virtual libraries of such molecules and
compounds may be generated in various ways to explore chemical space and hypothesize novel compounds with
desired properties. The Fragment Optimized Growth (FOG) algorithm, for example, was developed to "grow" novel
classes of compounds like drugs, natural products, and diversity-oriented synthetic products from a training database
of existing compounds.
Virtual screening
In contrast to high-throughput screening, virtual screening involves computationally screening in silico libraries of
compounds, by means of various methods such as docking, to identify members likely to possess desired properties
such as biological activity against a given target. In some cases, combinatorial chemistry is used in the development
of the library to increase the efficiency in mining the chemical space. More commonly, a diverse library of small
molecules or natural products is screened.
External links
• Cambridge Healthtech Institute Cheminformatics/ Chemoinformatics Glossary & Taxonomy [1]
• Indiana Cheminformatics Education Portal [2]
• The Blue Obelisk Project [3]
• The Chemical Structure Association Trust [4]
• The eCheminfo Network and Community of Practice [5]
• The UK-QSAR and ChemoInformatics Group [6]
Chemical informatics 25
Notes
This article reuses portions of content from the Wikipedia article [7].
References
[1] http:/ / www. genomicglossaries. com/ content/ chemoinformatics_gloss. asp
[2] http:/ / icep. wikispaces. com/
[3] http:/ / www. blueobelisk. org/
[4] http:/ / www. csa-trust. org
[5] http:/ / www. echeminfo. com/
[6] http:/ / www. ukqsar. org
[7] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Cheminformatics
Environmental informatics
Environmental informatics (EI) is a developing field of science that applies information processing, management,
and sharing strategies to the interdisciplinary field of environmental science. Applications include the integration of
information and knowledge, the application of computational intelligence to environmental data, and the
identification of the environmental impacts of information technology. EI helps scientists define information
processing requirements, analyze real-world problems, and solve those problems using informatics methodologies
and tools.
As EI has continued to evolve, several other definitions have been offered over the years:
• "an emerging field centering around the development of standards and protocols, both technical and institutional,
for sharing and integrating environmental data and information." - Biosphere Data Project, University of
California - Berkeley, 2004
• the application of "[r]esearch and system development focusing on the environmental sciences relating to the
creation, collection, storage, processing, modelling, interpretation, display and dissemination of data and
information." - Natural Environment Research Council, 2014
History
Environmental informatics emerged roughly around the late 1980s in Central Europe. For example, in 1986
Germany's Gesellschaft für Informatik (Society for Computer Science) created the technical committee Informatik
im Umweltschutz (Computer Science in Environmental Protection) dedicated to "the whole spectrum of subjects
related to informatics in environmental protection." The group is still active as of 2014, set to host it's 28th
International Conference on Informatics for Environmental Protection. Since Informatik im Umweltschutz's
inception, other groups there and in other regions of the world were created, including The International
Environmetrics Society (TIES, founded in 1989) and the International Environmental Modelling and Software
Society (iEMSs, founded in 2000), as well as conferences like the International Symposium on Environmental
Software Systems (ISESS, founded in 1995).
Environmental informatics 26
Application
Environmental informatics can help tackle problems and tasks such as the following:
• the acquisition and application of remote sensing data from optical, thermal infrared, and microwave instruments
targeting the atmosphere, vegetation, and the ocean
• the estimation of aerosol load in the atmosphere
• the gauging of influence of trace gases, aerosol, and clouds on the weather and climate
• the analysis of geographical features for urban and regional development
• the modeling and assessment of ecological environments
• the development and optimization of mathematical algorithms for environmental modeling
Ecoinformatics
Closely related to EI is the concept of ecological informatics or "ecoinformatics," which essentially takes
environmental informatics and adds the consideration of anthropogenic activity trends. Ecoinformatics aims to
facilitate environmental research and management by developing ways to access, manage, and integrate databases of
environmental information and develop new algorithms enabling different environmental datasets to be combined to
test ecological hypotheses.
Further reading
• Recknagel, Friedrich; Jørgensen, Sven Erik (ed.); Chon, T. S. (ed.) (2009). "Chapter 3: Ecological Informatics:
Current Scope and Feature Areas" [1]. Handbook of Ecological Modelling and Informatics. WIT Press. pp. 41–47.
ISBN [2] 9781845642075.
• Voigt, Kristina (July 2008). "Environmental Informatics, Environmetrics, Chemoinformatics, Chemometrics:
Integration or Separation!?" [2] (PDF). International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software.
Proceedings of the iEMSs Fourth Biennial Meeting. 3: 1594–1601. ISBN [2] 9788476530740.
External links
• Data Observation Network for Earth [3] (DataONE)
• ecoinformatics.org - Online Resource for Managing Ecological Data and Information [4]
• Ecological Data Wiki [5]
• Ecological Informatics: An International Journal on Ecoinformatics and Computational Ecology [6]
• Frontiers in Environmental Science - Environmental Informatics [7]
• Informatik für Umweltschutz, Nachhaltige Entwicklung und Risikomanagement [8] (formerly Informatik im
Umweltschutz)
• International Environmental Modelling and Software Society [9] (iEMSs)
• International Society for Environmental Information Sciences [10] (ISEIS)
• Journal of Environmental Informatics [11]
• The International Environmetrics Society [12] (TIES)
Environmental informatics 27
Notes
This article reuses a couple of elements from the Wikipedia article [13].
References
[1] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=XzEKlNhnUHUC& pg=PA41
[2] http:/ / www. iemss. org/ iemss2008/ uploads/ Main/ S18-01-Voigt_et_al-IEMSS2008. pdf
[3] http:/ / www. dataone. org
[4] http:/ / www. ecoinformatics. org
[5] http:/ / www. ecologicaldata. org/
[6] http:/ / www. journals. elsevier. com/ ecological-informatics/
[7] http:/ / www. frontiersin. org/ Environmental_Informatics
[8] http:/ / enviroinfo. eu/
[9] http:/ / www. iemss. org/
[10] http:/ / www. iseis. org/
[11] http:/ / www. iseis. org/ jei/
[12] http:/ / www. environmetrics. org/
[13] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Environmental_informatics
Evolutionary informatics
Evolutionary informatics is a sub-branch of
informatics that addresses the algorithmic and
technological tools (like information and analytical
systems) needed to better manage data from research
in ecology and evolutionary biology and answer
evolutionary questions.
History
Evolutionary informatics has evolved out of a wide
variety of scientific, mathematical, and
computational endeavors, including evolutionary
biology, evolutionary computation, algorithmic and
evolutionary algorithmic research, and software
development.
In 2006, the National Science Foundation-sponsored Phylogenomics and computational biology play important roles in
National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) evolutionary informatics, changing the way we view the Tree of Life.
Working Group to "develop community cohesion on issues of standards and interoperability" of the infrastructure
and tools used for "integrating evolutionary methodology into biological data analysis." In subsequent years,
Evolutionary informatics 28
NESCent became involved in creating the Hackathons, Interoperability, Phylogenies (HIP) working group and
advancing several databases, libraries, and ontologies in the field of evolutionary biology.
In 2007, Professor Robert Marks included the term "evolutionary informatics" in the title and content of his Baylor
University-hosted website Evolutionary Informatics Laboratory (EIL). The university's administration subsequently
took down the website for having "unapproved research," which reportedly included unpublished scholarly papers
coauthored by Marks and intelligent design advocate William A. Dembski. Marks moved the content removed from
Baylor servers to a new domain. Its front page stated the following concerning evolutionary informatics:
Evolutionary informatics merges theories of evolution and information, thereby wedding the natural,
engineering, and mathematical sciences. Evolutionary informatics studies how evolving systems
incorporate, transform, and export information. The Evolutionary Informatics Laboratory explores the
conceptual foundations, mathematical development, and empirical application of evolutionary
informatics. The principal theme of the lab’s research is teasing apart the respective roles of internally
generated and externally applied information in the performance of evolutionary systems.
In June 2010, the first ever Informatics for Phylogenetics, Evolution, and Biodiversity (iEvoBio) Conference took
place in Portland, Oregon, with the goal of "both to catalyse the development of new tools, and to increase awareness
of the possibilities offered by existing technologies." The sixth annual conference is scheduled for May 2015.
Application
Evolutionary informatics can help tackle problems and tasks such as the following:
• Connecting genomics data with scalable taxonomic concepts and data to reduce "the growing number of lineages
that lack formal taxonomic names"
• Leveraging legacy biodiversity data by digitizing it, semantically enhancing it, and making it more portable
• Building "sustainable digital community repositories that provide access to rich data and metadata" in the field of
evolutionary biology
• Building "a semantic web for evolutionary biology" that uses data querying, mining, and integration tools
• Developing algorithms to better model evolutionary changes
Informatics
The U.S. National Science Foundation-funded NESCent has been one of the key groups responsible for advancing
the application of informatics to evolutionary biology problems in the twenty-first century. Started in 2004, NESCent
has furthered several informatics goals in the field of evolutionary informatics by:
• contributing to the Generic Model Organism Database (GMOD) project "to further develop the data model for
evolutionary datatypes (named organisms, georeferenced collections, genetic and phenotypic variability, and
phylogenies), to develop web applications for accessing these types of data, and to provide user support for
adoption of the GMOD platform for evolutionary model organisms."
• promoting and contributing to several projects (Phenoscape, Phenex, OBO Foundry) that work with phenotype
ontologies and their application to evolutionary morphologies.
• promoting the integration of geoinformatics with evolutionary informatics so researcher may better "integrate
population genetic and phylogenetic models of multiple taxa with data describing present and past environments
and climate"; one such success has been GeoPhyloBuilder.
• integrating the wide variety of existing tools to interoperate with each other through hack-a-thons and cooperation
with open-source developers.
• "working to establish a digital repository for published data" in the biosciences.
Evolutionary informatics 29
Further reading
• Parr, Cynthia S.; Guralnick, Robert; Cellinese, Nico; Page, Roderic D.M (February 2012). "Evolutionary
informatics: Unifying knowledge about the diversity of life" [1]. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 27 (2): 94–103.
doi [2]:10.1016/j.tree.2011.11.001 [3]. PMID [4] 22154516 [1].
External links
• iEvoBio Conference [5]
• NESCent [6]
• Evolutionary Informatics Lab [7]
Notes
This article reuses some content from the Wikipedia article [8].
References
[1] http:/ / www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/ pubmed/ 22154516
[2] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Digital_object_identifier
[3] http:/ / dx. doi. org/ 10. 1016%2Fj. tree. 2011. 11. 001
[4] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ PubMed_Identifier
[5] https:/ / ievobio. wordpress. com/
[6] http:/ / www. nescent. org/
[7] http:/ / www. evoinfo. org/ index/
[8] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Evolutionary_informatics
Geoinformatics 30
Geoinformatics
Geoinformatics is a multidisciplinary
field of science that uses technologies
supporting the processes of acquiring,
analyzing, and visualizing geospatial
data.
The definition of the term
"geoinformatics" varies greatly,
however. For example, author G.
Randy Keller, focusing on the internals
of our planet, explained geoinformatics
as the use of "data, software tools, and
computational infrastructure ... to
facilitate studies of the structure,
dynamics, and evolution of the solid
Earth through time, as well as the
processes that act upon it and within it Geological scientists use geoinformatics tools to create 3D maps of not only Earth's
from the near surface to the core." surface but also, as in the case of astrogeology, the surface of other planets like Mars.
"According to ISO Standard 19122 'geomatics is a discipline concerned with the collection, distribution,
storage, analysis, processing, presentation of geographic data or geographic information.' Its range is
perfectly described by activities of the Geomatics Canada: establishing and maintainace [sic] of national
spatial reference system, preparing, publishing and distributing of state topographical maps, aeronautical
charts, aerial photographs and gazetteers, surveys on state boundaries, property surveys on federal lands,
maintainance [sic] of national bases of geographic data for the development of geographical information
systems.
There is no definition of geoinformatics in ISO Standards. One of the best was published by Dietmar
Grünreich, president of the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy in Frankfurt (Main):
'geoinformatics is a discipline concerned with theory of geospatial data modeling, their storage,
management and processing as well as with development of geographical information systems and
necessary information and communication technology.'"
Geoinformatics 31
Application
Geoinformatics can help tackle problems and tasks such as the following:
• the modeling and use of seismic data
• the construction and use of other geologically realistic 3-D models
• the production of high-quality paleogeographic maps
• the production of astrogeological 3D maps
• the measurement of Earth's gravity field
• the mitigation of hazards in volcanically active areas
• the planning and management of land use
• the reconstruction of architecture and archeological sites
• the creation of commercial maritime routes
• the management of natural resources
Informatics
Scientists practicing in the earth sciences increasingly rely on digital spatial data acquired and visualized from
remotely sensed images analyzed by geographical information systems (GIS). Other informatics tools include
geospatial analysis and modeling software, geospatial databases, and wired and wireless networking technologies.
As these types of systems and tools have become more readily available, a larger global initiative to use them for
greater data integration and sharing has emerged. GEON, for example, is an open collaborative project for creating
infrastructure for collecting 3- and 4D geospatial data. OneGeology is another global informatics initiative
attempting to compile digital geological map data for all to use.
Further reading
• Sinha, A. Krishna, et al. (December 2010). "Geoinformatics: Transforming data to knowledge for geosciences"
[1]
. GSA Today 20 (12): 4–10. doi [2]:10.1130/GSATG85A.1 [2].
External links
• GEON [3]
• International Cartographic Association [4] (ICA)
• International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing [5] (ISPRS)
• International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics [6] (IUGG)
• OneGeology [7]
• Open Geospatial Consortium [8] (OGC)
Geoinformatics 32
Notes
This article reuses a few elements from the Wikipedia article [9].
References
[1] http:/ / www. geosociety. org/ gsatoday/ archive/ 20/ 12/ article/ i1052-5173-20-12-4. htm
[2] http:/ / dx. doi. org/ 10. 1130%2FGSATG85A. 1
[3] http:/ / www. geongrid. org/
[4] http:/ / www. icaci. org/
[5] http:/ / www. isprs. org/
[6] http:/ / www. iugg. org/
[7] http:/ / www. onegeology. org/
[8] http:/ / www. opengeospatial. org/
[9] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Geoinformatics
Health informatics
Health informatics (also called health
care informatics, healthcare
informatics, medical informatics,
nursing informatics, clinical
informatics, or biomedical
informatics) is a discipline at the
intersection of information science,
computer science, and health care. It
deals with the resources, devices, and
methods required to optimize the
"collection, storage, retrieval, [and]
communication ... of health-related
data, information, and knowledge."
Health informatics is applied to the
areas of nursing, clinical care,
dentistry, pharmacy, public health,
occupational therapy, and biomedical Health informatics helps manage, analyze, and integrate patient data from physician to
specialist and beyond.
research. Health informatics resources
include not only computers but also
clinical guidelines, formal medical terminologies, and information and communication systems.
Early names for health informatics included medical information data processing, medical information science,
medical informatics, medical computer science, and medical computing.
History
Worldwide use of technology in medicine began in the early 1950s with the rise of computers. In 1949, Gustav
Wager established the first professional organization for informatics in Germany. The prehistory, history, and future
of medical information and health information technology are discussed in reference. Specialized university
departments and Informatics training programs began during the 1960s in France, Germany, Belgium and The
Netherlands. Medical informatics research units began to appear during the 1970s in Poland and in the U.S., with
medical informatics conferences springing up as early as 1974. Since then the development of high-quality health
Health informatics 33
informatics research, education, and infrastructure has been the goal of the U.S. and the European Union.
By the mid-2000s, work in the U.K. by the voluntary registration body the UK Council of Health Informatics
Professions led to the creation of eight key constituencies within the domain of health informatics: information and
communication technologies; health records; information management; knowledge management; health informatics
service and project management; clinical informatics; education, training, and development; and research. Those
constituencies — already based on U.K. National Health Service standards (NHS) — later found their way into the
NHS' Health Informatics Career Framework in a slightly modified format. As of 2013[1] tens of datasets,
publications, guidelines, specifications, meetings, conferences, and organizations around the world continue to shape
what health informatics is today.
Argentina
Since 1996, the International Medical Informatics Association's Latin America and the Caribbean regional group has
sought to develop health informatics within the region, including Argentina's Asociación Argentina de Informática
Médica (AAIM).
Since 1997, the not-for-profit Buenos Aires Biomedical Informatics Group has represented the interests of a broad
range of clinical and non-clinical professionals working within the health informatics sphere. The group strives to
promote informatics technology and related content within the research and health administration spheres, especially
those relating to the biomedical field.
Brazil
"In 1968 the Pan American Health Organization set up the Regional Library of Medicine and Health Sciences
(BIREME) in the Paulista Medical School in São Paulo under an agreement with the Government of Brazil." The
library also made possible access to the MEDLINE and MEDLARS systems, and it would eventually go on to
become the "hub of the Latin American network of biomedical and health information."
In 1986 the Brazilian Society of Health Informatics (Sociedade Brasileira de Informática em Saúde) was founded to
better expand the use of informatics technology within the country. The same year saw the first Brazilian Congress
of Health Informatics held, and the first Brazilian Journal of Health Informatics was published.
Since 1996, the International Medical Informatics Association's Latin America and the Caribbean regional group has
sought to develop health informatics within the region, including Brazil's Sociedade Brasileira de Informática em
Saúde (SBIS).
Canada
Health Informatics projects in Canada are implemented provincially, with different provinces creating different
systems. A national, federally-funded, not-for-profit organization called Canada Health Infoway was created in 2001
to foster the development and adoption of electronic health records across Canada. As of July 2013[1] there were
380 health informatics projects under way in Canadian hospitals, health-care facilities, pharmacies, and laboratories,
with an investment value of $2.1 billion since its inception.
Provincial and territorial programs include the following:
• eHealth Ontario was created as an Ontario provincial government agency in September 2008. It has been
plagued by delays, and its CEO was fired over a multi-million dollar contract scandal in 2009.
• Alberta Netcare Portal was created in 2006 by the Government of Alberta. The Netcare portal is used daily by
thousands of clinicians. It provides access to demographic data, prescribed/dispensed drugs, known
allergies/intolerances, immunizations, laboratory test results, diagnostic imaging reports, the diabetes registry and
other medical reports. Netcare interface capabilities are being included in electronic medical record products
Health informatics 34
United States
Even though the idea of using computers in medicine sprouted as technology advanced in the early twentieth
century, it was not until the 1950s that informatics made a realistic impact in the United States. Robert Ledley led the
charge in the 1950s with his early use of medical computation in his dental projects at the United States National
Bureau of Standards.
By the mid-1950s expert systems such as MYCIN and INTERNIST-I were developed, and the National Library of
Medicine started using even the even more advanced MEDLINE and MEDLARS systems by 1965. Around this
same time a flurry of activity occurred. At the University of Utah, Dr. Homer R. Warner, one of the fathers of
medical informatics, was already offering graduate-level classes in medical computer applications. Meanwhile Neil
Pappalardo, Curtis Marble, and Robert Greenes were developing the Massachusetts General Hospital Utility
Multi-Programming System (MUMPS) in Octo Barnett's Laboratory of Computer Science at Massachusetts General
Hospital in Boston. Yet due to its advanced nature, fragmented use across multiple entities, and inherent difficulty in
extracting and analyzing data from the database, development of healthcare and laboratory systems on MUMPS was
sporadic at best.
By the 1980s, however, the advent of Structured Query Language (SQL), relational database management systems
(RDBMS), and Health Level 7 (HL7) allowed software developers to expand the functionality and interoperability of
health informatics systems, including the application of business analytics and business intelligence techniques to
clinical data. As of 2013[1] web-based and database-centric Internet applications of laboratory informatics software
have further changed the way researchers and technicians interact with data, with web-driven data formatting
technologies like Extensible Markup Language (XML) making interoperability of health and laboratory informatics
software a much-needed reality. SaaS and cloud computing technologies have further changed how informatics
systems are implemented in the U.S and worldwide, while at the same time raising new questions about security and
stability.
England
In 2002 the National Health Service (NHS) in England contracted several vendors for a national health informatics
system called the National Programme for IT or "NPfIT." By 2010, however, the project drastically behind schedule,
forcing a wide consultation to be launched as part of a wider "Liberating the NHS" plan. "Following three reports on
the National Programme by both the National Audit Office and this Committee, and a review by the Major Projects
Authority, the Government announced in September 2011 that it would dismantle the National Programme but keep
the component parts in place with separate management and accountability structures." The program was officially
dismantled in September 2013, officially dubbed "one of the worst and most expensive contracting fiascos in the
history of the public sector."
Scotland
In 1984, Scotland saw the implementation of the General Practice Administration System (GPASS), developed and
controlled by NHS Scotland. It was provided free to all general practitioners in Scotland. However, an agreement
was reached in 2008 to shut down the electronic system due to "a series of problems and critical reports." The system
was formally shut down in August 2012, with all practices having moved to new systems called EMIS and INPS.
Australia
Founded in 2002, the Australasian College of Health Informatics (ACHI) is the professional association for health
informatics in the Asia-Pacific region. It represents the interests of a broad range of clinical and non-clinical
professionals working within the health informatics sphere through a commitment to quality, standards, and ethical
practice. ACHI is a sponsor of the e-Journal for Health Informatics, an indexed and peer-reviewed professional
journal. ACHI has also supported the Australian Health Informatics Education Council (AHIEC) since its founding
in 2009.
Although there are a number of health informatics organizations in Australia, the Health Informatics Society of
Australia (HISA) is regarded as the major umbrella group and is a member of the International Medical Informatics
Association (IMIA). Nursing informaticians were the driving force behind the formation of HISA, which is now a
Health informatics 36
company limited by guarantee of the members. The membership comes from across the informatics spectrum that is
from students to corporate affiliates. HISA has a number of branches (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and
Western Australia) as well as special interest groups such as nursing (NIA), pathology, aged and community care,
industry, and medical imaging.
China
In Hong Kong a computerized patient record system called the Clinical Management System (CMS) has been
developed by the Hospital Authority since 1994. This system has been deployed at all the sites of the Authority (40
hospitals and 120 clinics) and is used by all 30,000 clinical staff on a daily basis, with a daily transaction of up to 2
millions. The comprehensive records of 7 million patients are available online in the Electronic Patient Record
(ePR), with data integrated from all sites. Since 2004, radiology image viewing has been added to the ePR, with
radiography images from any HA site being available as part of the ePR.
The Hong Kong Hospital Authority placed particular attention to the governance of clinical systems development,
with input from hundreds of clinicians being incorporated through a structured process. The health informatics
section of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority has close relationship with the information technology department and
clinicians to develop healthcare systems for the organization to support the service to all public hospitals and clinics
in the region.
The Hong Kong Society of Medical Informatics (HKSMI) was established in 1987 to promote the use of information
technology in healthcare. The eHealth Consortium has been formed to bring together clinicians from both the private
and public sectors, medical informatics professionals, and the IT industry to further promote IT in healthcare in
Hong Kong.
New Zealand
Health Informatics is taught at five New Zealand universities. The most mature and established is the Otago
program, which has been offered since the mid-1990s. Health Informatics New Zealand (HINZ) is the national
organization that advocates for health informatics. HINZ organizes a conference every year and also publishes the
online journal Healthcare Informatics Review Online.
Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Association for Health Information (SAHI) was established in 2006 to work under direct supervision of
King Saud University for Health Sciences to practice public activities, develop theoretical and applicable knowledge,
and provide scientific and applicable studies.
its first list of 22 certified ambulatory EHR products, in two different announcements.
Clinical Informatics
While health informatics and clinical informatics are often considered the same, some make a distinction between
the two. The American Medical Informatics Association, for example, states clinical informatics is concerned with
the use of information in health care by clinicians. By extension, clinical informaticians analyze, design, implement,
and evaluate information and communication systems that enhance individual and population health outcomes,
improve patient care, and strengthen the clinician-patient relationship.
Clinical informaticians use their knowledge of patient care combined with their understanding of informatics
concepts, methods, and health informatics tools to:
• assess information and knowledge needs of health care professionals and patients.
• characterize, evaluate, and refine clinical processes.
• develop, implement, and refine clinical decision support systems.
• lead or participate in the procurement, customization, development, implementation, management, evaluation,
and continuous improvement of clinical information systems.
Clinicians collaborate with other health care and information technology professionals to develop health informatics
tools which promote patient care that is safe, efficient, effective, timely, patient-centered, and equitable.
Further reading
• De Moor, Georges J. E. ; McDonald, Clement J.; van Goor, J. M. Noothoven, ed. (1993). Progress in
Standardization in Health Care Informatics [2]. IOS Press. pp. 215. ISBN [2] 9051991142.
• Hovenga, Evelyn J. S., ed. (2010). Health Informatics: An Overview [3]. IOS Press. ISBN [2] 1607500922.
• Hoyt, Robert E.; Bailey, Nora; Yoshihashi, Ann, ed. (2012). Health Informatics: Practical Guide For Healthcare
And Information Technology Professionals [4]. Lulu Enterprises Incorporated. pp. 492. ISBN [2] 1105437558.
• Smith, Jack (1999). Health Management Information Systems: A Handbook for Decision Makers [5] (2nd ed.).
McGraw-Hill International. pp. 348. ISBN [2] 0335205658.
Notes
Some elements of this article are reused from the Wikipedia article [6].
References
[1] https:/ / www. limswiki. org/ index. php?title=Health_informatics& action=edit
[2] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=DHzOJaNaOYkC
[3] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=eckD3fSrPagC
[4] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=6bqruAAACAAJ
[5] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=8YjlAAAAQBAJ
[6] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Health_informatics
Hydroinformatics 38
Hydroinformatics
Hydroinformatics is the
multidisciplinary application of
information and decision support
systems to address the equitable and
efficient management and use of water
for many different purposes.
Hydroinformatics draws on and
integrates hydraulics, hydrology,
environmental engineering, and many
other disciplines. It sees application at
all points in the water cycle, from
Global freshwater models like WaterGAP create data representations like this for
atmosphere to ocean, and in artificial
hydroinformaticians.
interventions in that cycle such as
urban drainage and water supply
systems. It provides support for decision making at all levels, from governance and policy through to management
and operations.
Hydroinformatics also recognises the inherently social nature of the problems of water management and of decision
making processes, and it includes mechanisms towards understanding the social processes by which technologies are
brought into use and how they change the water system. Since the resources to obtain and develop technological
solutions affecting water collection, purification, and distribution continue to be concentrated in the hands of the
minority, the need to examine these social processes are particularly acute:
"[T]he role of the hydroinformatician in this process is to create sociotechnical environments in which
the transmutations necessary to provide states of social justice can be catalysed through the creation of
appropriate technologies. These technologies are those that can transform data and technical information
into a form of knowledge and understanding that can be assimilated by the non-technical stakeholders so
that they can contribute meaningfully and responsibly to the decision-making process. Therefore, one of
the aims of hydroinformatics is a completely transparent decision making process involving all
stakeholders in a water infrastructure project along with the relevant professionals directed to
realisations of social justice, which are understood as transcendental states of social being."
History
While the concepts of hydrological modeling and computational hydraulics have been around since at least the late
1950, the term "hydroinformatics" wasn't born from those concepts until the late 1980s. At that time hydrological
numerical modeling, data collection, and data processing were beginning to expand and synchronize: studies of
water flow looked at more variables, recordings and samplings expanded in scope, and networked computer systems
became more powerful. By 1991, professor Michael B. Abbott published Hydroinformatics: Information Technology
and the Aquatic Environment, a seminal work in the field. In September 1994, the first International Conference on
Hydroinformatics was held, followed by the launch of the Journal of Hydroinformatics in 1999. And in 2003 an
experimental graduate-level course on the topic was taught at the University of Illinois. As of 2014[1], entities like
Utah State University, Brigham Young University, Newcastle University, and UNESCO are all offering graduate
and postgraduate courses on the topic of hydroinformatics.
Hydroinformatics 39
Application
Hydroinformatics can help tackle problems and tasks such as the following:
• the multidimensional modeling of flow phenomena in specific geometries
• the development of better shallow-water flow models
• the optimization of damn breaks
• the development of flood protection for a city
• the development of artificial neural networks for better data analysis
• the construction of bridges across bodies of water
• the development of environmental models to better manage crop irrigation from year to year
• the interpretation and management of the instrumentation and wireless sensor data of automated irrigation
systems
Informatics
Like other fields of informatics, hydroinformaticians have recognized the need for a larger global initiative to use
technology for greater data integration and sharing in the field. International efforts to create databases like those
found at the Global Runoff Data Centre, Global Hydrology Resource Center, and AQUASTAT have furthered that
goal. Freeware like CROPWAT and open-source software like HYPE OSC have further added to the informatics
tools available to hydrologists.
Recommended reading
• Abbott, Michael B. (1991). Hydroinformatics: Information Technology and the Aquatic Environment [2]. Avebury
Technical. pp. 145. ISBN [2] 9781856288323.
• Price, Roland K.; Vojinović, Zoran (2011). "Chapter 3: Hydroinformatics" [3]. Urban Hydroinformatics: Data,
Models, and Decision Support for Integrated Urban Water Management. IWA Publishing. pp. 39–61. ISBN
[2]
9781843392743.
External links
• AQUASTAT [4]
• CROPWAT [5]
• EuroAquae Portal [6]
• Global Hydrology Resource Center [7] (GHRC)
• Global Runoff Data Center [8] (GRDC)
• hydroinformatics.org [9]
• HYPE OSC project [10]
• International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research [11] (IAHR)
• International Association of Hydrological Sciences [12] (IAHS)
• International Conference on Hyrdoinformatics [13] (HIC)
• International Water Association [14] (IWA)
• Journal of Hyrdoinformatics [15]
Hydroinformatics 40
Notes
This article reuses a few elements from the Wikipedia article [16].
References
[1] https:/ / www. limswiki. org/ index. php?title=Hydroinformatics& action=edit
[2] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=Dr4PAQAAIAAJ
[3] http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=pYPNHUdJvGkC& pg=PA39
[4] http:/ / www. fao. org/ nr/ water/ aquastat/ main/ index. stm
[5] http:/ / www. fao. org/ nr/ water/ infores_databases_cropwat. html
[6] http:/ / www. euroaquae. org/
[7] http:/ / ghrc. msfc. nasa. gov/
[8] http:/ / www. bafg. de/ GRDC/ EN/ Home/ homepage_node. html
[9] http:/ / www. hydroinformatics. org/
[10] http:/ / hype. sourceforge. net/
[11] http:/ / www. iahr. org/ site/ cms/ contentChapterView. asp?chapter=1
[12] http:/ / iahs. info/
[13] http:/ / hic2014. org/
[14] http:/ / www. iwahq. org/
[15] http:/ / www. iwaponline. com/ jh/ toc. htm
[16] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Hydroinformatics
Imaging informatics
Imaging informatics (also known as
radiology informatics or medical imaging
informatics) involves the intersection
between health informatics and
bioinformatics that aims to improve the
efficiency, accuracy, usability, and
reliability of medical imaging services
within the context of the healthcare
environment. "Notably, medical imaging
informatics addresses not only the images
themselves, but encompasses the associated
data to understand the context of the
imaging study; to document observations;
and to correlate and reach new conclusions
about a disease and the course of a medical
problem."
and DICOM as well as organized, sensical transaction diagrams are required for proper data exchange. And because
of all those protocols and standards, software can be created and utilized to analyze, enhance, and even mine medical
images for useful real-world healthcare data.
As radiology is an inherently data-intensive and technology-driven specialty of medicine, radiologists have become
leaders in imaging informatics. However, with the proliferation of digitized images to other fields such as
cardiology, dermatology, surgery, gastroenterology, obstetrics, gynecology, and pathology, advances in imaging
informatics are also being tested and applied in other areas of medicine.
Application
Imaging informatics can help tackle problems and tasks such as the following:
• the creation and management of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and component systems
• the embedding of medical images in electronic medical records
• the development of radiology information systems (RIS)
• the acquisition of images from medical devices
• the development of image processing and enhancement software
• the 3D visualization of medical imaging data
• the integration of speech recognition into imaging apps for quicker reporting turnaround
• the design of imaging facilities
• the development of imaging vocabularies and ontologies
• the mining of data from medical imaging databases
• the development of DICOM, HL7, and other standards
Informatics
A portion of what imaging informatics does involves the technology surrounding the mentioned diagnostic imaging
modalities, including transfer and storage of their digital output. PACS have began playing an important role in
hospitals and other medical environments as early as the 1990s, helping to provide affordable digital storage and
distribution of medical images from numerous modalities. Another important part of imaging informatics includes
the development of software to view, enhance, and analyze output from those modalities. The RIS has played an
important part in that for sure, though open-source image viewing and analysis tools like dcm4che2, OsiriX, and ITK
have also broadened the scope and availability of informatics tools available to technicians and researchers. Of
course, interoperability among the software, PACS, RIS, and even the hospital information system (HIS) are vital
and benefited by protocols and standards like DICOM and HL7.
External links
• American Board of Imaging Informatics [1] (ABII)
• imagescience.org [2]
• Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance [3] (MITA)
• MedPix [4]
• MyPACS.net [5]
• Open Bio Image Alliance [6] (OBIA)
• Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine [7] (SIIM)
• Society for Imaging Science and Technology [8] (IS&T)
Imaging informatics 43
Notes
This article reuses an element or two from the Wikipedia article [9].
References
[1] https:/ / www. abii. org/
[2] http:/ / www. imagescience. org/
[3] http:/ / www. medicalimaging. org/
[4] http:/ / rad. usuhs. edu/ medpix/ index. html
[5] http:/ / www. mypacs. net/
[6] http:/ / www. openbioimage. org/
[7] http:/ / siim. org/
[8] http:/ / www. imaging. org/ ist/ index. cfm
[9] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Imaging_informatics
History
Before the advent of the Internet, public health data, like other healthcare and business data, were collected on paper
forms and stored centrally at the relevant public health agency. As computers became more commonplace, some data
and information would be computerized, requiring a distinct data entry process, storage in various file formats, and
analysis by mainframe computers using standard batch processing. With the coming of the Internet and cheaper
large-scale storage technologies, public health agencies with sufficient resources began transitioning to
web-accessible collections of public health data, and, more recently, to automated messaging of the same
information.
Application
In the United States and other parts of the world, public health informatics is practiced by individuals in public
health agencies at the national, state, and larger local health jurisdiction levels. Additionally, research and training in
public health informatics takes place at a variety of academic institutions. In the United States, the bulk of public
health informatics activities takes place at the state and local level, in the state departments of health and the county
or parish departments of health. In other parts of the world the bulk of activities may occur at a national level, with
local jurisdictions reporting directly to an appropriate government or health-related entity. Activities may include:
Public health informatics 44
• collecting and storing vital statistics such as birth and death records.
• collecting reported communicable disease cases from doctors, hospitals, and laboratories for infectious disease
surveillance.
• sharing infectious disease statistics and trends with other entities, including the public.
• collecting child immunization and lead screening information.
• collecting and analyzing emergency room data to detect early evidence of biological threats.
• collecting hospital capacity information to allow for planning of responses in case of emergencies.
As part of the collection and application of public health data, several challenges still exist. Some entities may
simply not be aware they need to report data to other entities. A lack of resources of either the reporter or collector
may also hinder reporting and sharing of data. In some parts of the world, a lack of interoperability of data
interchange formats (which can be at the purely syntactic or at the semantic level) may lead to under- or
non-reported public health data. Finally, variations in reporting requirements across the states, territories, and
localities pose challenges, which itself may lead to variability of incoming data to public health jurisdictions,
requiring greater data quality standards.
Informatics
Due to the complexity and variability of public health data, like health care data generally, the issue of data modeling
presents a particular challenge. Flat data sets for statistical analysis were the norm; however, today's requirements of
interoperability and integrated sets of data across the public health enterprise require more sophistication. The
relational database is increasingly the norm in public health informatics. Designers and implementers of the many
sets of data required for various public health purposes must find a workable balance between very complex and
abstract data models and simplistic, ad hoc models that untrained public health practitioners come up with and feel
capable of working with.
Another challenge is found in the need to extract usable public health information from the mass of available
heterogeneous data. The public health informaticist is thus required to become familiar with a variety of analysis
tools, ranging from business intelligence tools to produce routine or ad hoc reports, to sophisticated statistical
analysis tools and geographical information systems (GIS) to expose the geographical dimension of public health
trends.
Notes
Some elements of this article are reused from the Wikipedia article [1].
References
[1] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Public_health_informatics
46
Due to the rapid pace at which laboratories and their data management needs shift, the definition of LIMS has
become somewhat controversial. As the needs of the modern laboratory vary widely from lab to lab, what is needed
from a laboratory information management system also shifts. The end result: the definition of a LIMS will shift
based on who you ask and what their vision of the modern lab is. Dr. Alan McLelland of the Institute of
Biochemistry, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow highlighted this problem in the late 1990s by explaining how a LIMS is
perceived by an analyst, a laboratory manager, an information systems manager, and an accountant, "all of them
correct, but each of them limited by the users' own perceptions."
Historically the LIMS, LIS, and process development execution system (PDES) have all performed similar
functions. Historically the term "LIMS" has tended to be used to reference informatics systems targeted for
environmental, research, or commercial analysis such as pharmaceutical or petrochemical work. "LIS" has tended to
be used to reference laboratory informatics systems in the forensics and clinical markets, which often required
special case management tools. The term "PDES" has generally applied to a wider scope, including, for example,
virtual manufacturing techniques, while not necessarily integrating with laboratory equipment.
In recent times LIMS functionality has spread even farther beyond its original purpose of sample management.
Assay data management, data mining, data analysis, and electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) integration are all
features that have been added to many LIMS, enabling the realization of translational medicine completely within a
single software solution. Additionally, the distinction between a LIMS and a LIS has blurred, as many LIMS now
also fully support comprehensive case-centric clinical data.
Laboratory information management system 47
History of LIMS
Up until the late 1970s, the management of laboratory samples and the associated analysis and reporting were
time-consuming manual processes often riddled with transcription errors. This gave some organizations impetus to
streamline the collection of data and how it was reported. Custom in-house solutions were developed by a few
individual laboratories, while some enterprising entities at the same time sought to develop a more commercial
reporting solution in the form of special instrument-based systems.
In 1982 the first generation of LIMS was introduced in the form of a single centralized minicomputer, which offered
laboratories the first opportunity to utilize automated reporting tools. As the interest in these early LIMS grew,
industry leaders like Gerst Gibbon of the Federal Energy Technology Centre in Pittsburgh began planting the seeds
through LIMS-related conferences. By 1988 the second-generation commercial offerings were tapping into relational
databases to expand LIMS into more application-specific territory, and International LIMS Conferences were in full
swing. As personal computers became more powerful and prominent, a third generation of LIMS emerged in the
early 1990s. These new LIMS took advantage of the developing client/server architecture, allowing laboratories to
implement better data processing and exchanges.
By 1995 the client/server tools had developed to the point of allowing processing of data anywhere on the network.
Web-enabled LIMS were introduced the following year, enabling researchers to extend operations outside the
confines of the laboratory. From 1996 to 2002 additional functionality was included in LIMS, from wireless
networking capabilities and georeferencing of samples, to the adoption of XML standards and the development of
Internet purchasing.
As of 2012, some LIMS have added additional characteristics that continue to shape how a LIMS is defined.
Examples include the addition of clinical functionality, electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) functionality, as well a
rise in the software as a service (SaaS) distribution model.
Technology
Sample management
Modern LIMS have implemented extensive configurability, as each laboratory's needs for tracking additional data
points can vary widely. LIMS vendors cannot typically make assumptions about what these data tracking needs are,
and therefore vendors must create LIMS that are adaptable to individual environments. LIMS users may also have
regulatory concerns to comply with such as CLIA, HIPAA, GLP, and FDA specifications, affecting certain aspects
of sample management in a LIMS solution. One key to compliance with many of these standards is audit logging of
all changes to LIMS data, and in some cases a full electronic signature system is required for rigorous tracking of
field-level changes to LIMS data.
databases to standardized database management systems such as Oracle ... and SQL" has arguably had one of the
biggest impacts on how data is managed and exchanged in laboratories.
Additional functions
Aside from the key functions of sample management, instrument and application integration, and electronic data
exchange, there are numerous additional operations that can be managed in a LIMS. This includes but is not limited
to:
audit management
fully track and maintain an audit trail
barcode handling
assign one or more data points to a barcode format; read and extract information from a barcode
chain of custody
assign roles and groups that dictate access to specific data records and who is managing them
compliance
follow regulatory standards that affect the laboratory
customer relationship management
handle the demographic information and communications for associated clients
document management
process and convert data to certain formats; manage how documents are distributed and accessed
instrument calibration and maintenance
schedule important maintenance and calibration of lab instruments and keep detailed records of such activities
inventory and equipment management
measure and record inventories of vital supplies and laboratory equipment
manual and electronic data entry
provide fast and reliable interfaces for data to be entered by a human or electronic component
method management
provide one location for all laboratory process and procedure (P&P) and methodology to be housed and
managed
personnel and workload management
organize work schedules, workload assignments, employee demographic information, and financial
information
quality assurance and control
guage and control sample quality, data entry standards, and workflow; reports
create and schedule reports in a specific format; schedule and distribute reports to designated parties
time tracking
claculate and maintain processing and handling times on chemical reactions, workflows, and more
Laboratory information management system 50
Thick-client
A thick-client LIMS is a more traditional client/server architecture, with some of the system residing on the
computer or workstation of the user (the client) and the rest on the server. The LIMS software is installed on the
client computer, which does all of the data processing. Later it passes information to the server, which has the
primary purpose of data storage. Most changes, upgrades, and other modifications will happen on the client side.
This was one of the first architectures implemented into a LIMS, having the advantage of providing higher
processing speeds (because processing is done on the client and not the server) and slightly more security (as access
to the server data is limited only to those with client software). Additionally, thick-client systems have also provided
more interactivity and customization, though often at a greater learning curve. The disadvantages of client-side
LIMS include the need for more robust client computers and more time-consuming upgrades, as well as a lack of
base functionality through a web browser. The thick-client LIMS can become web-enabled through an add-on
component.
Thin-client
A thin-client LIMS is a more modern architecture which offers full application functionality accessed through a
device's web browser. The actual LIMS software resides on a server (host) which feeds and processes information
without saving it to the user's hard disk. Any necessary changes, upgrades, and other modifications are handled by
the entity hosting the server-side LIMS software, meaning all end-users see all changes made. To this end, a true
thin-client LIMS will leave no "footprint" on the client's computer, and only the integrity of the web browser need be
maintained by the user. The advantages of this system include significantly lower cost of ownership and fewer
network and client-side maintenance expenses. However, this architecture has the disadvantage of requiring
real-time server access, a need for increased network throughput, and slightly less functionality. A sort of hybrid
architecture that incorporates the features of thin-client browser usage with a thick client installation exists in the
form of a web-based LIMS.
Some LIMS vendors are beginning to rent hosted, thin-client solutions as "software as a service" (SaaS). These
solutions tend to be less configurable than on premise solutions and are therefore considered for less demanding
implementations such as laboratories with few users and limited sample processing volumes.
Another implementation of the thin client architecture is the maintenance, warranty, and support (MSW) agreement.
Pricing levels are typically based on a percentage of the license fee, with a standard level of service for 10 concurrent
users being approximately 10 hours of support and additional customer service, at a roughly $200 per hour rate.
Though some may choose to opt out of an MSW after the first year, it's often more economical to continue the plan
in order to receive updates to the LIMS, giving it a longer life span in the laboratory.
Web-enabled
A web-enabled LIMS architecture is essentially a thick-client architecture with an added web browser component. In
this setup, the client-side software has additional functionality that allows users to interface with the software
through their device's browser. This functionality is typically limited only to certain functions of the web client. The
primary advantage of a web-enabled LIMS is the end-user can access data both on the client side and the server side
of the configuration. As in a thick-client architecture, updates in the software must be propagated to every client
machine. However, the added disadvantages of requiring always-on access to the host server and the need for
cross-platform functionality mean that additional overhead costs may arise.
Laboratory information management system 51
Web-based
Arguably one of the most confusing architectures, web-based LIMS architecture is a hybrid of the thick- and
thin-client architectures. While much of the client-side work is done through a web browser, the LIMS also requires
the additional support of Microsoft's .NET Framework technology installed on the client device. The end result is a
process that is apparent to the end-user through the Microrosoft-compatible web browser, but perhaps not so
apparent as it runs thick-client-like processing in the background. In this case, web-based architecture has the
advantage of providing more functionality through a more friendly web interface. The disadvantages of this setup are
more sunk costs in system administration and support for Internet Explorer and .NET technologies, and reduced
functionality on mobile platforms.
LIMS configurability
LIMS implementations are notorious for often being lengthy and costly. This is due in part to the diversity of
requirements within each lab, but also to the inflexible nature of LIMS products for adapting to these widely varying
requirements. Newer LIMS solutions are beginning to emerge that take advantage of modern techniques in software
design that are inherently more configurable and adaptable — particularly at the data layer — than prior solutions.
This means not only that implementations are much faster, but also that the costs are lower and the risk of
obsolescence is minimized.
LIMS vendors
See the LIMS vendor page for a list of LIMS vendors past and present.
Further reading
• Gibbon, G.A. (1996). "A brief history of LIMS" [1] (PDF). Laboratory Automation and Information Management
32 (1): 1–5. doi [2]:10.1016/1381-141X(95)00024-K [2].
• Wood, Simon (September 2007). "Comprehensive Laboratory Informatics: A Multilayer Approach" [3] (PDF).
American Laboratory. p. 1.
References
[1] http:/ / www. sciencedirect. com/ science/ article/ pii/ 1381141X9500024K
[2] http:/ / dx. doi. org/ 10. 1016%2F1381-141X%2895%2900024-K
[3] http:/ / www. starlims. com/ Intl/ AL-Wood-Reprint-9-07. pdf
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:
• 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
LIMS feature 53
Sample tracking
For most laboratory personnel, knowing that a sample has arrived to
the lab isn't good enough; they need to know where it's located and
what is being done with it. Enter the sample tracking feature. Without
it, many problems arise. In the forensic world, for example, many
samples are linked to a criminal investigation. In this case,
misidentification, contamination, or duplication can become significant
issues: a lost sample is essentially missing evidence, while a duplicated
sample can render it useless as evidence.
After sample reception and its initial handling procedures, many LIMS
can then track sample location as well as chain of custody. Location
tracking usually involves assigning the sample to a particular freezer
location, often down to the granular level of shelf, rack, box, row, and
column. The process of tracking a sample has become more
streamlined with increasing support of 2-D barcode technology. While Where's sample 20110512_122GJH? Sample
tracking functionality will let you know which
handwritten labels were the norm, now barcode support in a LIMS can
lab oven it's in.
"tie together a vast amount of information, clearly relating each sample
LIMS feature 54
to a specific case." Other event tracking such as freeze and thaw cycles that a sample undergoes in the laboratory
may also be required. As each laboratory's needs for tracking additional data points can vary widely, many modern
LIMS have implemented extensive configurability to compensate for varying environments.
The functionality of sample tracking strongly ties into the audit trail and chain of custody features of a LIMS.
As with the feature "multiple data viewing methods," data and trend analysis is also increasingly important in
laboratories that have very specialized data management needs. When even in 2009 genetic scientists in large- and
medium-sized sequencing and core centers were voicing concerns about "a lack of adequate vendor-supported
software and laboratory information management systems (LIMS),", today data management options like the
previously mentioned Geneious Pro are starting to emerge, offering the ability to perform specialized analytical tasks
for the sequencing industry.
As sample experimentation and data analysis are important parts of most if not all laboratories, such functionality —
which has often come in the form of a separate application or analysis device — will likely continue to merge into
LIMS and other data management solutions.
Query capability
As was the case before the advent of databases and
electronic data management solutions, today researchers
must search through sample results, experiment notes,
and other types of data to better draw conclusions about
their research. Whereas this used to mean browsing
through laboratory notebooks, Excel spreadsheets, or
Access databases, now powerful query tools exists within
data management tools like a LIMS. Not only can data be
searched for based on name, number, or vendor, LIMSs
like eBioSys' eLab and Mountain States Consulting's
MSC-LIMS allow for queries of attached meta-data like Advanced query tools allow researchers to better complete project
user ID, project number, task number, sample type, objectives.
Import data
Data can originate from numerous places in the laboratory. The ability to import that data into a LIMS can be
beneficial, especially when an instrument can't be connected or an external client provides a data feed independent of
the LIMS. Some LIMS like Bridge-Soft's QMS even allow to cross-reference laboratory nomenclature from received
data sources with the recipient's. And of course instrument interfacing allows for even more importation options.
Additional data validation procedures may be applied to the imported data to guarantee information homogeneity.
Additionally, some LIMS may allow for the import and integration of non-normalized legacy data tables with LIMS
data tables into a single database.
LIMS feature 57
Export to MS Excel
While Microsoft Excel has long been used within the laboratory setting, a slow shift towards relational databases and
LIMS occurred in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Additional concerns with the difficulties of Excel's validation and
compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and other regulations have led many labs to turn to data management
solutions that are easier to validate. Nevertheless, laboratories continue to use Excel in some fashion, and thus Excel
integration or data exportation in Excel format is a real need for LIMS customers. LIMS with this feature allow raw,
processed, or imported data to be exported in the Excel format for further analysis and dissemination.
Data warehouse
A LIMS' data warehouse serves the important function of storing, extracting, and managing the data that laboratories
crank out for the purposes or analysis, reporting, and process management, typically separate from the primary
storage database. Data warehouses also offer the benefit of speeding up queries, making queries and data mining
more user-friendly, and smoothing out data gaps.
LIMS feature 58
Deadline control
Deadline control is functionality within a LIMS that allows users to manage and be notified of events that occur
within the laboratory. With this functionality users can also be notified of upcoming deadlines on anything from
sample analysis to license renewal.
Note that this functionality may also feasibly fall under the task and event scheduling or alarms features. As deadline
control seems to be advertised as a notable feature by only a few vendors, it seems even more likely that this
functionality is considered part of scheduling or alarms.
Production control
There are many types of businesses that produce goods, and in most cases there is a research laboratory involved at
some point in the process. This is especially true in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, where production
measurements such as yield, volume, activity, and impurity are vital. As LIMSs have already recorded such
information during tests and analysis, the addition of production control functionality seems natural. Some LIMS
take a very active approach to this. For example, 2nd Sight Solutions' OhNo! features production control as major
functionality for the synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals. Other LIMS may have less pronounced production
functionality, while still offering the ability to track the production process in and out of the lab. And yet other
LIMSs like dialog's diaLIMS offer robust production-based functionality but as a module or add-on to the base
LIMS software.
The types of functionality that may fall under this feature include:
• recipe management
• consumable tracking
• batch traceability
• production planning
• enterprise resource planning
Inventory management
Laboratories use a wide array of inventory, from reagents
to glassware, from radiopharmaceuticals to laboratory
baths. With that comes the need to know how much/many
and the frequency of use. For this, most LIMS products
now include some sort of inventory management
functionality.
Case management
The laboratory information system (LIS) has played an important role in the case management tasks of
patient-centric and clinical laboratories. However, some LIMS have gained case management functionality,
effectively blurring the lines between LIS and LIMS.. Self-proclaimed LIMS products have emerged in the clinical,
public health, and veterinary industries, areas that have historically been served by LIS software. When also
considering the fields of law enforcement and forensic science, case management has an increasingly important role
in some LIMS. Functionality seen in the case management feature includes:
• case accessioning and assignment
• disease tracking
• trend analysis
• clinical history follow-up
• out-of-range result alerts
LIMS feature 60
Workflow management
Workflow management is common in the laboratory, acting as a
graphical representation of planned sequential steps to either fully or
partially automate a process within the lab. Separate standards-based
workflow management systems (in the form of a software component)
have traditionally performed this task. However, in the 2000s LIMS
vendors began incorporating workflow management functionality into
their LIMS software, reducing the headaches that customization of a
LIMS often brought.
Modern commercial and open-source LIMS solutions often feature
Capturing workflow in the lab is becoming more workflow management functionality, including:
commonplace for the LIMS.
• attribute definition of activities
Specification management
Specification (spec) management is vital to not only the manufacturing and research industries but also to a host of
other laboratories requiring precise measurements and infallible test methods. Just as the ASTM offers standards and
specs for LIMS, so too do LIMS users have standards and specs for their laboratory. With spec management in place
within the LIMS, laboratories can then:
• enforce standard operating procedures and business rules
• create specs down to a project or sample level
• validate recipes and procedures
• accept or reject sample batches
• document internal and external spec history
Note that some of the functionality of spec management may cross over into the realm of quality control and data
validation.
are all feasible with customer management functionality. This process is often made simpler through the use of a
more context-neutral entity creation system, which allows for more flexible management of contacts.
This feature may also be referred to as contact management, an address book module, or a customer service module.
Billing management
While the finances of a laboratory are important, they've typically been handled separately as a business process.
However, some LIMS include additional functionality to make handling financial transactions and documentation of
all sorts possible within the LIMS. In theory, such functionality brings the possibility of keeping more of a
laboratory's data centrally located and queryable. This feature may include:
• payment processing
• expense reporting
• price quotes
• revenue management
• workload tracking of billable hours
• bill of materials
• grant management
Regulatory compliance
The topic of whether or not a LIMS meets regulatory compliance is often a complex one. While Title 21 CFR Part
11 has arguably had the largest influence on a electronic data management system's compliance, other influential
standards have shaped the way LIMS and other systems handle and store data. Other compliance-based codes,
standards, and regulations include:
• ASTM
• ASCLD/LAB
• Classified data
• Freedom of information legislation (various)
• GALP and GAMP
• HIPAA
• Health Level 7
• ICD
• ISO/IEC 17025
• ISO 9000/9001
• ISO/TS 16949
• ODBC
• TNI and NELAP
• Title 40 CFR Part 3
With so many codes, standards, and regulations, LIMS consumers are advised to contact vendors with their user
requirements and ask how the vendor's software meets and/or exceeds those requirements.
LIMS feature 62
QA/QC functions
The quality management functions of a LIMS allow users to maintain a level of necessary quality across many of the
functions in a laboratory. From running quality assurance tests to ensuring employed researchers are proficient at
certain tasks, the QA/QC functionality of a LIMS is largely responsible for the output of consistent data and
manufactured products in and out of the lab.
Common functionality includes:
• single or batch QA/QC tests
• quality control charts and reports
• proficiency testing
• document management
• instrument maintenance
• data acceptance/rejection
• certificates of analysis (COA)
• data types defined by QC analysis
Performance evaluation
As document management becomes increasingly prevalent in LIMS, it only makes sense to also collate and store all
the documentation associated with employee training and certification. Changes to laboratory techniques, scientific
understanding, and business practices force researchers to learn, reevaluate, and demonstrate competency in order to
maintain quality levels in the laboratory. Evaluations can frequently extend beyond staff members, however. Clinics,
visit types, vendors, or test species can also be tracked and evaluated based on custom criteria. The performance
evaluation functionality of a LIMS makes this possible.
That functionality typically includes the ability to maintain training records and history, and also to link that training
to a technique or piece of equipment. Afterwards, the staff member, vendor, etc. can be marked as competent or
certified in the equipment, knowledge, or process. Periodical assessment of the training and its practical
effectiveness can later be performed. Productivity of an entity or process can also be gauged over a certain date range
based on tracked time, pre-determined milestones, or some other criteria.
Audit trail
As codes and regulations like Title 21 CFR Part 11 mandate "computer
systems (including hardware and software), controls, and attendant
documentation" utilize electronic signatures and audit trails, LIMS
developers must put serious thought into how their software handles
audit trail functionality. The audit trail — documentation of the
sequence of activities that have affected an action — must be thorough
and seamlessly integrated into the software.
Chain of custody
The chain of custody (COC) of an item is of varying importance, depending on the type of laboratory. A highly
regulated laboratory that works under Code of Federal Regulation or other guidelines makes tracking COC a vital
part of its operations. This is especially true in forensic labs, which depend on continuous accountability of their
evidence collection, retention, and disposal procedures. As with an audit trail, a laboratory depends on recorded
information like user ID, time stamp, and location ID to maintain a robust and accurate COC. Barcodes, inventory
management, and configurable security roles all play an important part in maintaining chain of custody.
Data normalization
For the purposes of describing LIMS functionality, "data normalization" specifically refers to the process of ensuring
incoming/imported data into the LIMS is standardized to the same format of existing LIMS data.
Here's an example to better explain this issue. When a LIMS is initially configured, in most if not all cases a clear
standard can be set for how logged samples and their associated measurements pre- and post-analysis are recorded in
the system. Perhaps all temperatures will be recorded in Celsius to two decimal places. If temperature data imported
from a spreadsheet or a lab instrument is not in this format, the LIMS can normalize the incoming data to match the
standard already set for existing LIMS temperature data. This ensures consistency within the LIMS database and
typically leads to better data validation efforts later on.
Note: Some LIMS developers may include data normalization functionality within what they may refer to as data
validation functionality. The line between these two may be blurred or not exist at all.
Data validation
For the purposes of describing LIMS functionality, "data validation" specifically refers to the process of ensuring
existing data in the LIMS — either pre-analysis or post-analysis — sufficiently meets any number of standards or
thresholds set for sample login, sample analysis, or any other data management process in the LIMS. This validation
process may be completely automatic and system-based, or it may also include additional steps on the part of the
user base utilizing additional LIMS functionality, including verification of standard operating procedures (SOPs),
QC samples, and QA approval.
Note: This functionality shouldn't be confused with the process of validating the LIMS itself, which is an entirely
different process partially falling under regulatory compliance and involves the process of ensuring "the software is
performing in a manner for which it was designed."
LIMS feature 64
Data encryption
The existence of this functionality in LIMS software generally indicates the LIMS has the ability to protect the
integrity and authenticity of its housed data through the use of a variety of technologies which makes data
unreadable except to those possessing a key/right/etc. to unlock/read the data. This functionality is especially vital to
the Web-enabled LIMS, which transfers information over the Internet in a client-server relationship. As a wide
variety of encryption technologies exist, it's generally a good idea to consult with the developers of a LIMS to
determine the strengths and weaknesses of their employed encryption methods.
Version control
Version control is a form of safeguard which helps preserve data integrity. This is typically done by creating a
modifiable new version of a piece of information rather than allowing the original to be modified. Such versioning
may be applied to a wide variety of digital information housed in the LIMS, including test methods, training
certifications, instrument logs, specifications, and process and procedure (P&P) documentation. In LIMS like
LabWare LIMS, reference data can also be versioned while also retaining the original relationship between samples
and test results, including the version of reference data current at the time lab testing is performed. Information
tracked with such revisions includes attributes like user name, time the edit was made, and what exactly was edited.
This also benefits those managing audit trails and chains of custody.
Other LIMS may employ a different form of version control called file
locking, which simply puts the affected information into a read-only
mode for users while someone else is busy editing it. Another popular
strategy is to, rather than locking the file, allow multiple people edit to
a piece of information, later merging the various edits. Potential LIMS
buyers may need to inquire with developers to determine what type of
versioning scheme is used in the vendor's software.
Environmental monitoring
Some LIMS like Core LIMS and Oracle Health Sciences LabPas allow users to monitor the environmental
conditions of not only sample storage containers but also the entire laboratory itself. Attributes like humidity, air
quality, and temperature may be monitored to ensure sample storage units and experiments maintain desired
conditions. Alarms may be able to be configured to notify staff if a storage container's environmental attributes go
beyond a certain threshold. Manufacturers utilizing a LIMS like NOVA-LIMS may also be able to employ more
advanced environmental tracking features in the plant to guarantee a more consistent, higher quality product is
created.
LIMS feature 65
Custom reporting
Reporting is a vital part of a LIMS, as it allows users to gain a clearer picture of collected data and potential trends.
At a minimum a number of pre-configured report styles come standard with a LIMS. However, some LIMS are more
flexible than others, offering the ability to customize reports in numerous ways. The most popular attributes of
custom reporting include custom headers, custom information placement, charts, pivot tables, and multiple output
formats.
Note: Some LIMS vendors will offer custom reporting as an option as an added cost, depending on the level of
customization required.
Report printing
Today's LIMS software almost universally offers the ability to print reports and other materials, so this feature may
seem a bit redundant to list. Nonetheless, printer support is a feature worth confirming when considering a piece of
LIMS software.
Label support
The label — typically affixed to a sample container — is a vital part of the sample tracking process. Identifying
information such as sample number, batch number, and barcodes are printed on such labels to ensure optimized
sample management and more precise sample data. As such, some LIMS allow users to design and print labels
directly from the software.
Barcode support
Barcodes offer many advantages to laboratory techs handling samples,
including more accurate data input, tighter sample/instrument
associations, tighter sample/study associations, and more room for
human-readable information on a label. Given such advantages, many
LIMS developers have integrated barcode support into their laboratory
information management systems, including support for symbologies
like Code 128, Code 39, and Interleaved 2 of 5. Aside from printing
options, a LIMS may also offer support for a variety of bar code
readers.
The word "Wikipedia" encoded in Code 128 and Barcode support and label support are typically found together in
Code 39
LIMS software, but not always, thus their separation into two features
of a LIMS.
LIMS feature 66
Export to PDF
A LIMS with this feature is able to collect and save information into a Portable Document Format (PDF).
Export to MS Word
A LIMS with this feature is able to collect and save information into a Microsoft Office Word format.
Fax integration
A LIMS with this feature is able to connect with a fax machine and send information to it via manual input,
automatically, and/or at scheduled intervals.
Email integration
A LIMS with this feature is able to integrate with and use the electronic mail information exchange method to send
reports, alerts, and more via manual input, automatically, and/or at scheduled intervals.
Base functionality
To hide the contents of this section for easier reading of other sections, click the "Collapse" link to the right.
Administrator management
The administrator management tools of a LIMS allow lab technicians to set up the LIMS most optimally for the
laboratory. Through the administrator management interface of a LIMS, other features may be accessed like setting
up user roles and scheduling automatic data backups.
Like report printing, administrator management is nearly ubiquitous in LIMS software, generally considered a
mandatory feature. However, for the purposes of being thorough, it's important to point out its existence.
LIMS feature 67
Modular
This feature indicates that a LIMS has an intentional modular design, which separates some functionality into
manageable components of the overall system. Generally speaking, a modular design allows for 1. the structured
addition of new functionality to a LIMS and 2. the limiting of overall effects on the system design as new
functionality is added.
External monitoring
This feature allows clients outside the laboratory to monitor the status of sample batches, test results, and more via
an online Web portal or, less commonly, as activity alerts sent via e-mail, fax, or SMS.
Messaging
The messaging feature of a LIMS may refer to one (or both) of two
things:
• a built-in instant messaging system that allows users to converse
with each other through text messages real-time
• an SMS text messaging integration that allows the users or the
LIMS itself to send messages or alerts to a user's mobile or smart
phone
Multilingual
If a LIMS is listed as multilingual, its an indication the LIMS interface
can be configured to display more than one language depending on the
preference a user or administrator chooses. Some LIMS interfaces can
only be displayed in one of two languages (English or German, for Instant messaging clients built into a LIMS often
example), while others come configured with support for dozens of make it easier to collaborate.
languages.
Network-capable
This feature is perhaps archaic and/or obvious, but it is mentioned nonetheless. It's generally applied to a
non-Web-based LIMS installed over a local or wide-area computer network, essentially indicating the LIMS is not
an isolated application, but rather one that can interface with other instances of the LIMS or other networked
instruments.
Usage-based cost
While rare, some LIMS vendors allow potential clients to license and utilize the vendor's software under a
usage-based cost model. An example of this model in use is Bytewize AB's O3 LimsXpress, which has a cost
directly related to the amount of samples processed each month.
References
History of LIS
Advances in computational technology in the early
1960s led some to experiment with time and data
management functions in the healthcare setting.
Company Bolt Beranek Newman and the
Massachusetts General Hospital worked together to
create a system that "included time-sharing and
multiuser techniques that would later be essential to the
Hospitals and labs around the world depend on a laboratory
implementation of the modern LIS." At around the information system to manage and report patient data and test results.
same time General Electric announced plans to
program a hospital information system (HIS), though those plans eventually fell through.
Aside from the Massachusetts General Hospital experiment, the idea of a software system capable of managing time
and data management functions wasn't heavily explored until the late 1960s, primarily because of the lack of proper
technology and of communication between providers and end-users. The development of the Massachusetts General
Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System (MUMPS) in the mid-'60s certainly helped as it suddenly allowed for a
Laboratory information system 70
multi-user interface and a hierarchical system for persistent storage of data. Yet due to its advanced nature,
fragmented use across multiple entities, and inherent difficulty in extracting and analyzing data from the database,
development of healthcare and laboratory systems on MUMPS was sporadic at best. By the 1980s, however, the
advent of Structured Query Language (SQL), relational database management systems (RDBMS), and Health Level
7 (HL7) allowed software developers to expand the functionality and interoperability of the LIS, including the
application of business analytics and business intelligence techniques to clinical data.
Today, web-based and database-centric Internet applications of laboratory informatics software have changed the
way researchers and technicians interact with data, with web-driven data formatting technologies like Extensible
Markup Language (XML) making LIS and EMR interoperability a much-needed reality. SaaS and cloud computing
technologies have further changed how the LIS is implemented, while at the same time raising new questions about
security and stability.
LIS vendors
See the LIS vendor page for a list of LIS vendors past and present.
Further reading
• Henricks, Walter H. (09 October 2012). "LIS Basics: CP and AP LIS Design and Operations" [1] (PDF).
Pathology Informatics 2012. Walter H. Henricks, MD.
• Park, Seung Lyung; Pantanowitz, Liron; Sharma, Guarav; Parwani, Anil Vasdev (March 2012). "Anatomic
Pathology Laboratory Information Systems: A Review" [2]. Advances in Anatomic Pathology 19 (2): 81–96. doi
[2]
:10.1097/PAP.0b013e318248b787 [3]. (Alternate URL [4])
References
[1] http:/ / www. pathinformatics. pitt. edu/ sites/ default/ files/ 2012Powerpoints/ 01HenricksTues. pdf
[2] http:/ / ebookbrowse. com/ anatomic-pathology-laboratory-information-systems-a-review-slpark-et-all-adv-anat-pathol-2012-pdf-d344405134
[3] http:/ / dx. doi. org/ 10. 1097%2FPAP. 0b013e318248b787
[4] https:/ / docs. google. com/ gview?url=http:/ / bpa-pathology. com/ uploads/ file/ docs/ Anatomic+ Pathology+ Laboratory+ Information+
Systems+ -+ A+ Review+ -+ SLPark+ et+ all. + -+ Adv+ Anat+ Pathol+ 2012. pdf& chrome=true
LIS feature 72
LIS feature
You can find a listing of all LIS vendors — and by extension, the features their products offer — on the LIS vendor page.
Sample tracking
For most laboratory personnel, knowing that a sample has arrived to
the lab isn't good enough; they need to know where it's located and
what is being done with it. Enter the sample tracking feature. Without
it, many problems arise. In the forensic world, for example, many
samples are linked to a criminal investigation. In this case,
misidentification, contamination, or duplication can become significant
issues: a lost sample is essentially missing evidence, while a duplicated
sample can render it useless as evidence.
After sample reception and its initial handling procedures, many LIS
can then track sample location as well as chain of custody. Location
tracking usually involves assigning the sample to a particular freezer,
oven, or other location, often down to the granular level of shelf, rack,
box, row, and column. The process of tracking a sample has become
more streamlined with increasing support of 2-D barcode or
radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology. While handwritten
labels were the norm, now barcode and RDIF support in a LIS can "tie
together a vast amount of information, clearly relating each sample to a
Where's sample 20110512_122GJH? Sample
specific case." Other event tracking such as freeze and thaw cycles that tracking functionality will let you know which
a sample undergoes in the laboratory may also be required. As each lab oven it's in.
laboratory's needs for tracking additional data points can vary widely,
many modern LIMS and LIS have implemented extensive configurability to compensate for varying environments.
The functionality of sample tracking strongly ties into the audit trail and chain of custody features of a LIS.
LIS feature 74
Data mining
Data mining, in the field of computational science, involves "the process of discovering interesting and useful
patterns and relationships in large volumes of data" and includes three computational steps: model-learning, model
evaluation, and model usage. As informatics software allows both research and clinical laboratories to collect and
manage increasing quantities of data, a corresponding demand for tools capable of modeling that data is appearing.
For example, public health laboratories may wish to utilize data mining for statistical analysis and surveillance of
populations for specific diseases. LIMSs like LabWare LIMS and LISs like Orchard Harvest are examples of
laboratory informatics software which incorporate data mining and reporting tools.
LIS feature 76
Query capability
As was the case before the advent of databases and electronic data management solutions, today researchers must
search through test results, patient notes, and other types of data to better draw conclusions from experiments,
diagnose patient illnesses, and plan pharmaceutical research activities. Whereas this used to mean browsing through
laboratory notebooks, Excel spreadsheets, or Access databases, now powerful query tools exists within data
management tools like the LIS and ELN. A flexible search algorithm can be implemented to allow users to search a
dataset by patient name (full or partial) or by any accessioning number. Or more advanced query tools may be
implemented to collate and search across multiple datasets.
Query functionality often includes the ability to:
• search both transactional data and archived data tables
• search multiple databases via an application programming interface (API) or open database connectivity (ODBC)
connection
• filter and sort data
• collate queried data for further analysis and visualization
• create ad-hoc queries
Import data
Data can originate from numerous places in the laboratory. The ability to import that data into a LIS can be
beneficial, especially when an instrument can't be connected or external clients collaborating on a project need to
submit relevant data. Of course instrument interfacing allows for even more importation options. Additional data
validation procedures may be applied to the imported data to guarantee information homogeneity. For the LIS, one
of the common sources of importing data is a separate electronic medical record (EMR) system, for collecting
patient data and test orders.
LIS feature 77
Export to MS Excel
While Microsoft Excel has long been used within the laboratory setting, a slow shift towards relational databases and
LIMS occurred in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Additional concerns with the difficulties of Excel's validation and
compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and other regulations have led many labs to turn to data management
solutions that are easier to validate. Nevertheless, laboratories continue to use Excel in some fashion, and thus Excel
integration or data exportation in Excel format is a real need for LIS customers. LISs with this feature allow raw,
processed, or imported data to be exported in the Excel format for further analysis and dissemination elsewhere in
the LIS or externally from it.
LIS feature 78
Data warehouse
An LIS's data warehouse serves the important function of storing, extracting, and managing the data that
laboratories, physician offices, and other facilities produce for the purposes of analysis, reporting, and dissemination,
typically separate from the primary storage database. Data warehouses also offer the benefit of speeding up queries,
making queries and data mining more user-friendly, and smoothing out data gaps.
Inventory management
Laboratories use a wide array of inventory, from reagents to glassware, from radiopharmaceuticals to laboratory
baths. With that comes the need to know how much/many and the frequency of use. For this, some LIS products
(especially those for pathology labs) now offer limited or full-featured inventory management functionality, which
may include the ability to:
• register the origin and demographics of incoming materials.
• track used and in-use items via barcodes or RFID tags.
• track inventory reduction based on usage and shipping out of the lab.
• create alerts for when items reach a certain stock level.
• calculate inventory cost and fluctuation.
LIS feature 79
Workflow management
Workflow management is common in the laboratory, acting as a
graphical representation of planned sequential steps to either automate
or clarify a process or experiment within the lab. Separate
standards-based workflow management systems (in the form of a
software component) have traditionally performed this task. However,
in the 2000s vendors began incorporating workflow management
functionality into their laboratory informatics software, reducing
customization headaches in the process.
Specification management
Specification (spec) management is vital to not only the manufacturing and research industries but also to a host of
other laboratories requiring precise measurements and infallible test methods. Just as the ASTM offers standards and
specs for laboratory informatics software, so too do users have standards and specs for their laboratory.
Spec management has primarily been seen in a manufacturing execution system (MES) or a LIMS, but occasionally
a LIS may appear which includes such functionality. With spec management in place, laboratories can then:
• enforce standard operating procedures and business rules.
• create specs down to a project or sample level.
• validate recipes and procedures.
• accept or reject sample batches.
• document internal and external spec history.
Note some of the functionality of spec management may cross over into the realm of quality control and data
validation.
through the use of a more context-neutral entity creation system, which allows for more flexible management of
contacts.
This feature may also be referred to as contact management, an address book module, or a customer service module.
Regulatory compliance
The topic of whether or not a LIS meets regulatory compliance is often a complex one. While Title 21 CFR Part 11
has arguably had the largest influence on an electronic data management system's compliance, other influential
standards have shaped the way laboratory informatics systems handle and store data. Other compliance-based codes,
standards, and regulations include:
• ASTM
• ASCLD/LAB
• Classified data
• Freedom of information legislation (various)
• GALP and GAMP
• HIPAA
• Health Level 7
• ICD
• ISO/IEC 17025
• ISO 9000/9001
• ISO/TS 16949
• ODBC
• TNI and NELAP
• Title 40 CFR Part 3
With so many codes, standards, and regulations, LIS consumers are advised to contact vendors with their user
requirements and ask how the vendor's software meets and/or exceeds those requirements.
LIS feature 82
QA/QC functions
The quality management functions of a LIS allow users to maintain a level of necessary quality across many of the
functions in a laboratory. Some of the activities quality assurance / quality control functionality allows for includes:
• force random review of cases by second pathologist before case verification
• receive and process QC results from laboratory analyzers
• create user rules
• set up custom alerts and flags for out-of-range results
• observe standard deviations in outcome research
• review and sign off on data electronically
• delta checking
Performance evaluation
As document and file management plays an important role in clinical and research laboratories, it only makes sense
to collate and store all the associated data for future reference, including documentation relating to individual
training and performance. Changes to laboratory techniques, scientific understanding, and business practices force
lab technicians and researchers to learn, reevaluate, and demonstrate competency in order to maintain quality levels
in the laboratory. Evaluations can frequently extend beyond staff members, however. Clinics, visit types, vendors, or
test species can also be tracked and evaluated based on custom criteria. The performance evaluation functionality of
a LIS makes this possible.
That functionality typically includes the ability to maintain training records and history, and also to link that training
to a technique or piece of equipment. Afterwards, the staff member, vendor, etc. can be marked as competent or
certified in the equipment, knowledge, or process. Periodical assessment of the training and its practical
effectiveness can later be performed. Productivity of an entity or process can also be gauged over a certain date range
based on tracked time, pre-determined milestones, or some other criteria.
Audit trail
As codes and regulations like Title 21 CFR Part
11 mandate "computer systems (including
hardware and software), controls, and attendant
documentation" utilize electronic signatures and
audit trails, LIS developers must put serious
thought into how their software handles audit
trail functionality. The audit trail —
documentation of the sequence of activities that
have affected an action — must be thorough and
seamlessly integrated into the software.
• user notes
Chain of custody
The chain of custody (COC) of an item is of varying importance, depending on the type of laboratory. A highly
regulated laboratory that works under Code of Federal Regulation or other guidelines makes tracking COC a vital
part of its operations. This is especially true in forensic labs, which depend on continuous accountability of their
evidence collection, retention, and disposal procedures. As with an audit trail, a laboratory depends on recorded
information like user ID, time stamp, and location ID to maintain a robust and accurate COC. Barcodes and RFID
tags, inventory management, and configurable security roles all play an important part in maintaining chain of
custody.
Data normalization
For the purposes of describing LIS functionality, "data normalization" specifically refers to the process of ensuring
incoming/imported data into the LIS is standardized to the same format of existing data.
Here's an example to better explain this issue. When a LIS is initially configured, in most if not all cases a clear
standard can be set for how logged test results and their associated measurements pre- and post-analysis are recorded
in the system. Perhaps all temperatures will be recorded in Celsius to three decimal places. If temperature data
imported from a spreadsheet or a lab instrument is not in this format, the LIS can normalize the incoming data to
match the standard already set for existing temperature data. This ensures consistency within the database and
typically leads to better data validation efforts later on.
Note: Some LIS developers may include data normalization functionality within what they may refer to as data
validation functionality. The line between these two may be blurred or not exist at all.
LIS feature 84
Data validation
For the purposes of describing LIS
functionality, "data validation" specifically
refers to the process of ensuring existing
data in the LIS — either pre-analysis or
post-analysis — sufficiently meets any
number of standards or thresholds set for
any given data management process. This
validation process may be completely
automatic and system-based, or it may also
include additional steps on the part of the
user base utilizing additional LIS
functionality, including verification of
standard operating procedures (SOPs), QC
samples, and QA approval.
Data encryption
The existence of this functionality in a LIS indicates the software has the ability to protect the integrity and
authenticity of its housed data through the use of a variety of technologies which makes data unreadable except to
those possessing a key/right/etc. to unlock/read the data. This functionality is especially vital to the web-enabled LIS,
which transfers information over the Internet in a client-server relationship. As a wide variety of encryption
technologies exist, it's generally a good idea to consult with the developers of a LIS to determine the strengths and
weaknesses of their employed encryption methods.
Version control
Version control is a form of safeguard which helps preserve data integrity and thus ties in with the topic of
regulatory compliance. This is typically done by creating a modifiable new version of a piece of information rather
than allowing the original to be modified. Such versioning may be applied to a wide variety of digital information
housed in the LIS, including templates, training certifications, instrument logs, specifications, and process and
procedure (P&P) documentation. Information tracked with such revisions includes attributes like user name, time the
edit was made, and what exactly was edited. This also benefits those managing audit trails and chains of custody.
Other LIS vendors may employ a different form of version control called file locking, which simply puts the affected
information into a read-only mode for users while someone else is busy editing it. Another popular strategy is to,
rather than locking the file, allow multiple people to edit a piece of information, later merging the various edits.
Potential LIS buyers may need to inquire with developers to determine what type of versioning scheme is used in the
vendor's software.
LIS feature 85
Environmental monitoring
While not common at all, a few LIS may allow users to monitor the environmental conditions of not only sample
storage containers but also the entire laboratory itself. Attributes like humidity, air quality, and temperature may be
monitored to ensure sample storage units and experiments maintain desired conditions. This monitoring may be done
by treating the storage container as a device, which must be interfaced with the LIS. Alarms may be able to be
configured to notify staff if a storage container's environmental attributes go beyond a certain threshold.
Custom reporting
Reporting often provides useful information representation for gaining a clearer picture of collected data and
potential trends. At a minimum, a number of pre-configured report templates typically come standard with a LIS.
However, other systems are more flexible than others, offering the ability to customize reports in numerous ways.
The most popular attributes of custom reporting include custom headers, custom information placement, charts, pivot
tables, and multiple output formats.
Note: Some LIS vendors may offer custom reporting as an option as an added cost, depending on the level of
customization required.
Synoptic reporting
Synoptic reporting is a specific type of reporting applicable to pathology and other associated laboratories. Synoptic
reporting essentially involves a structured, pre-formatted "checklist" of clinically and morphologically relevant data
elements (ideally passed to a relational database where they are efficiently organized, searched, and retrieved), with
the intent of making reporting more efficient, uniform, and relevant to internal and external researchers. This style of
reporting has the advantage of obviating the need for transcription services, reducing specimen turnaround time, and
prioritizing the presentation of large amounts of diagnostic information. Some LISs, especially those oriented
towards pathology, may include this specialized functionality. In some cases, a configurable templates or form may
be utilized to structure a report in a synoptic format, providing similar functionality to a separate synoptic reporting
module.
LIS feature 86
Report printing
Today's software almost universally offers the ability to print reports and other materials, so this feature may seem a
bit redundant to list. Nonetheless, printer support is a feature worth confirming when considering a piece of
laboratory informatics software.
Label support
The label — typically affixed to a sample container or piece of equipment — is a vital part of many laboratory
operations. Identifying information such as sample number, batch number, and barcodes are printed on such labels to
ensure optimize managing the location of items in a lab. As such, numerous LISs allow users to design and print
labels directly from the software.
Barcode support and label support are typically found together in LIS software, but not always, thus their separation
into two features.
Export to PDF
A LIS with this feature is able to collect and save information into a Portable Document Format (PDF).
Export to MS Word
A LIS with this feature is able to collect and save information into a Microsoft Office Word format.
Fax integration
A LIS with this feature is able to connect with a fax machine and send information to it via manual input,
automatically, and/or at scheduled intervals.
LIS feature 87
Email integration
A LIS with this feature is able to integrate with and use the electronic mail information exchange method to send
reports, alerts, and more manually, automatically, and/or at scheduled intervals.
Base functionality
To hide the contents of this section for easier reading of other sections, click the "Collapse" link to the right.
Administrator management
The administrator management tools of a LIS allows researchers to set up the software most optimally for the facility
and its projects. Through the administrator management interface, other features may be accessed like setting up user
roles and scheduling automatic data backups.
Like report printing, administrator management is nearly ubiquitous in laboratory informatics software, generally
considered a mandatory feature. However, for the purposes of being thorough, it's important to point out its
existence.
Modular
This feature indicates that a LIS has an intentional modular design, which separates some functionality into
manageable components of the overall system. Generally speaking, a modular design allows for 1. the structured
addition of new functionality to a LIS and 2. the limiting of overall effects on the system design as new functionality
is added.
External monitoring
This feature allows clients and/or collaborators outside the laboratory to monitor the status of experiments, test
results, and more via an online web portal or, less commonly, as activity alerts sent via e-mail or SMS.
Messaging
The messaging feature of a LIS may refer to one of two (or both)
things:
• a built-in instant messaging system that allows users to converse
with each other through text messages real-time
• an SMS text messaging integration that allows the users or the LIS
itself to send messages or alerts to one or more user's mobile or
smart phone
Commenting
Clinical data collection and research collaboration require data sharing
and communication tools to be most effective. One of the collaborative
An instant messaging client built into a LIS often
makes it easier to collaborate. communication features of some LISs is commenting on test results,
patient records, or study protocols.
LIS feature 89
Multilingual
If a LIS is listed as multilingual, its an indication the software interface can be configured to display more than one
language depending on the preference a user or administrator chooses. Some LIS interfaces can only be displayed in
one of two languages (English or German, for example), while others come configured with support for dozens of
languages.
Network-capable
This feature is perhaps archaic and/or obvious, but it is mentioned nonetheless. It's generally applied to a
non-web-based LIS installed over a local or wide-area computer network, essentially indicating the LIS is not an
isolated application, but rather one that can interface with other instances or other networked instruments.
Usage-based cost
While rare, some software vendors allow potential clients to license and utilize the vendor's software under a
usage-based cost model. An example of this model in use is Bytewize AB's O3 LimsXpress, which has a cost
directly related to the amount of samples processed each month.
References
90
CDMSs, specifically the analog-to-digital converter sampling rates. Some vendors were estimating at the time that
data acquisition sampling rates on the order of 100 to 300 Hz would be needed to keep up with the new wave of
speedier chromatography devices. Additional concerns of scalability and remote access were becoming important
due to the expansion of pharmaceutical and chemical companies expanding into parts of Latin America, South
America, and the Far East.
CDMS vendors
See the CDMS vendor page for a list of CDMS vendors past and present.
References
[1] McDowall, R.D. (1999). "Chromatography Data Systems I: The Fundamentals" (http:/ / www. 21cfrpart11. com/ files/ library/ compliance/
cds_1. pdf) (PDF), pp. 1-2.
members. The consortium at that time envisioned a collaborative ELN that "teams of scientists worldwide can use to
reliably capture, manage, securely share, and permanently archive and retrieve all common data and records
generated by research and development and testing labs." That same year development of an enterprise-wide ELN at
Kodak's research facilities in England was in full swing. The Kodak ELN was "implemented as a collection of Lotus
Notes databases and applications," making it arguably one of the first enterprise ELN solutions in use at the time.
In 1998 one of the first web-based versions of an ELN was introduced in the form of the University of Oregon's
Virtual Notebook Environment (ViNE), "a platform-independent, web-based interface designed to support a range of
scientific activities across distributed, heterogeneous computing platforms." This innovation would go on to inspire
vendors in the 2000s to develop web-based thin-client ELNs for laboratories everywhere. Yet it likely wasn't until
the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) in June 2000 that the true legal
implications of a fully electronic laboratory notebook would have on the industry. If an ELN were to be responsible
for providing validation during the patent processes and be valid for other types of audits, a mechanism for
authenticating the origin of the ideas would be necessary. The ESIGN act meant that electronic records could be
authenticated and digital signatures made legally binding, lending further relevancy to ELNs. Instead of searching
through notebooks and piles of documents, printing material, and submitting thousands of pages for an FDA audit,
ELN users could suddenly collate and submit electronic records, saving time and headaches.
Enthusiasm for ELNs began to pick up again in the early 2000s, with a strong case for further data integration into
ELNs being made at the CENSA-supported International Quality & Productivity Center (IQPC) conference in
London during September 2004. During that conference the push for stronger data integration was made, with the
base premise that "ELNs would improve corporate strategy by allowing information to be used more intelligently
with the help of decision-support software." By early 2007, industry-specific ELNs were pushing growth in the
market: Scientific Computing World estimated 83 percent of related organizations declaring interest in ELNs, with
43 percent of those organizations seriously considering an evaluation or purchase.
Despite the beginnings of an economic downturn in the late 2000s, Atrium Research later estimated that ELN's
market potential was around $1.7 billion. During this time scientists and academics — traditionally slow to adopt
technological change — were gradually warming up to the benefits of an electronic laboratory notebook. Academics
in particular realized the problems the high turnover postdoc rate created in research laboratories. Postodocs would
depart from the university, leaving PIs and directors scratching their heads on where the data ended up. ELNs
changed that, allowing much more persistent data that can be found and referenced even after a postdoc departs.
The movement towards ELN integration into other laboratory functions during the 2000s eventually led to the
blurring of what an ELN actually is. In early 2007 Scientific Computing World reported that the definition of an
ELN varied among scientists, with 35 percent of them stating they were "clear about the difference between a LIMS
and an ELN." Today it's possible to see in some vendors' offerings the formerly distinct entity that was ELN to now
be completely integrated into a LIMS.
suitable for its intended purposes. Evidence to show that this is the case is often provided by a software requirements
specification (SRS) that lays out the intended uses and needs that the ELN will meet. The SRS typically includes one
or more testing protocols that, when followed, demonstrate that the ELN meets the requirements of the specification
and that the requirements are satisfied under worst-case conditions. Security, audit trails, prevention of unauthorized
changes without substantial collusion of otherwise independent personnel (i.e. those having no interest in the content
of the ELN such as independent quality unit personnel) are all fundamental to the ELN. Finally, one or more reports
demonstrating the results of the testing in accordance with the predefined protocols are required prior to release of
the ELN software for use. If the reports show that the software failed to satisfy any of the SRS requirements, then
corrective and preventive action (CAPA) must be undertaken and documented. Such CAPA may extend to minor
software revisions, or changes in architecture or major revisions. CAPA activities need to be documented as well.
ELN vendors
See the ELN vendor page for a list of ELN vendors past and present.
Further reading
• LabCompliance News [1]
• Taylor, Keith T. (2006). "The status of electronic laboratory notebooks for chemistry and biology" [2] (PDF).
Current Opinion in Drug Discovery & Development 9 (3): 348–353. Retrieved 06 May 2011.
References
[1] http:/ / www. labcompliance. com/
[2] http:/ / www. symyx. com/ products/ pdfs/ Electronic_laboratory_notebooks. pdf
References
Scientific data management system 95
An SDMS can be seen as one potential solution for handling unstructured data, which can make up nearly 75 percent
of a research and development unit's data. This includes PDF files, images, instrument data, spreadsheets, and other
forms of data rendered in many environments in the laboratory. Traditional SDMSs have focused on acting as a
nearly invisible blanket or wrapper that integrate information from corporate offices (SOPs, safety documents, etc.)
with data from lab devices and other data management tools, all to be indexed and searchable from a central
database. An SDMS also must be focused on increasing research productivity without sacrificing data sharing and
collaboration efforts.
Some of the things a standard SDMS may be asked to do include, but are not limited to[2]:
• retrieve worklists from LIMS and convert them to sequence files
• interact real-time with simple and complex laboratory instruments
• analyze and create reports on laboratory instrument functions
• perform complex calculations and comparisons of two different sample groups
• monitor environmental conditions and react when base operating parameters are out of range
• act as an operational database that allows selective importation/exportation of ELN data
• manage workflows based on data imported into the SDMS
• validate other computer systems and software in the laboratory
Scientific data management system 96
SDMS vendors
See the SDMS vendor page for a list of SDMS vendors past and present.
References
[1] Wood, Simon (2007). "Comprehensive Laboratory Informatics: A Multilayer Approach" (http:/ / www. starlims. com/
AL-Wood-Reprint-9-07. pdf), pp. 3.
[2] Heyward, Joseph E. II (2009). "Selection of a Scientific Data Management System (SDMS) Based on User Requirements" (https:/ /
scholarworks. iupui. edu/ handle/ 1805/ 2000), pp. 1–5 (PDF).
97
21 CFR Part 11
The Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 11 (21 CFR Part 11) provides compliance information regarding
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) guidelines on electronic records and electronic signatures. Within
this part, requirements are created to help ensure security, integrity, and confidentially of electronic records and to
ensure electronic signatures are as legally binding as hand-written signatures.
Practically speaking, Part 11 requires drug makers, medical device manufacturers, biotech and biologics companies,
contract research organizations, and other FDA-regulated industries, with some specific exceptions, to implement
controls, including audits, system validations, audit trails, electronic signatures, and documentation for closed and
open software and systems involved in processing specific electronic data. This primarily includes data to be
maintained by the FDA predicate rules and data used to demonstrate compliance to a predicate rule. A predicate rule
is any requirement set forth in the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Public Health Service Act, or any FDA
regulation other than Part 11. The rule also applies to submissions made to the FDA in electronic format, but not to
paper submissions by electronic methods, though paper submissions may eventually be prohibited by the FDA.
History
By the early 1990s, food and drug manufacturers approached the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about
the possibility of electronic submissions with electronic signatures. However, at that time the government did not
allow for digital signatures. In July 1992, the FDA began soliciting comments about the process of using electronic
signatures.
In March 1997, the FDA issued Part 11 regulations which, in the words of the FDA, were "intended to permit the
widest possible use of electronic technology, compatible with FDA's responsibility to protect the public health."
Various keynote speeches by FDA insiders early in the 21st century (in addition to compliance guides and draft
guidance documents) as well as strong efforts by the FDA to motivate industry to move to e-filing resulted in many
companies like Eli Lilly, Agilent Technologies, and other businesses rapidly being forced to change their methods
and systems to adapt to the new standards.
However, many entities expressed concerns about the Title 11 conditions, including concerns the regulations would
"unnecessarily restrict" the use of technology, add significant compliance costs beyond what was intended, and stifle
technological innovation while reducing public health benefit. In November 2002, the FDA released the guidance
document "Guidance for Industry 21 CFR Part 11; Electronic Records; Electronic Signatures, Electronic Copies of
Electronic Records" to the public for commenting. On February 3, 2003, the FDA withdrew that document, stating
"we wanted to minimize industry time spent reviewing and commenting on the draft guidance when that draft
guidance may no longer represent our approach under the [current good manufacturing practice] initiative," adding it
would afterwards "intend to exercise enforcement discretion with regard to certain Part 11 requirements." Further
guidance documents were withdrawn later that month, culminating in a final guidance document in August 2003
stating the government body would re-examine Part 11 and make necessary changes. However, the FDA reiterated
despite its retraction of the guidance documents "21 CFR Part 11 is not going away, and neither is the agency's
demand for electronic record integrity." The retraction of guidance and change in policy, however, led many IT
members in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry in late 2004 to state one of the key problems they face as
the lack of clear guidelines from the FDA about what is required for compliance.
21 CFR Part 11 98
The FDA had indicated it would produce a revised version of Part 11 by the end of 2006, after its Third Annual FDA
Information Management Summit had concluded. Those revisions never arrived, and little in the way of updates on
the topic arrived. On July 8, 2010, the FDA announced it would begin to audit facilities working with drugs "in an
effort to evaluate industry's compliance and understanding of Part 11 in light of the enforcement discretion," leaving
some to wonder if this was an indicator the regulation and/or its guidance would finally see a revision.
Structure
The structure of Part 11 is as follows:
Subpart A — General Provisions
§ 11.1 Scope [1]
§ 11.2 Implementation [2]
§ 11.3 Definitions [3]
Subpart B — Electronic Records
§ 11.10 Controls for closed systems [4]
§ 11.30 Controls for open systems [5]
§ 11.50 Signature manifestations [6]
§ 11.70 Signature/record linking [7]
Subpart C — Electronic Signatures
§ 11.100 General requirements [8]
§ 11.200 Electronic signature components and controls [9]
§ 11.300 Controls for identification codes/passwords [10]
Subpart A
This is essentially the preamble of the regulations, explaining to what and who the regulations apply as well as how
they'll apply. Definitions of common terms appearing in the regulations can also be found here, including a
clarification in the difference between a digital and electronic signature.
Subpart B
This section covers the requirements applicable to electronic records and their management. Several requirements
are addressed, including "how to ensure the authenticity, integrity, and, when appropriate, the confidentiality of
electronic records"; what content a signature should contain; and how electronic records and their signatures should
be linked. It also covers topics like system validation, data traceability, audit control, and version control.
Subpart C
This final section addresses the requirements specific to electronic signatures and their use. General requirements for
electronic signatures, their components and controls, and password controls are all addressed. Additionally, this
section addresses requirements for more advanced biometric-based signatures.
Further reading
• "Electronic Code of Federal Regulations - Title 21: Food and Drugs - Part 11: Electronic Records; Electronic
Signatures" [11]. U.S. Government Printing Office.
• "CFR - Code of Federal Regulations - Title 21 - Part 11 Electronic Records; Electronic Signatures" [12]. U.S.
Food and Drug Administration.
• Huber, Ludwig (15 November 2012). "Tutorial: 21 CFR Part 11 - Electronic Records and Electronic Signatures"
[13]
. LabCompliance.
References
[1] http:/ / www. accessdata. fda. gov/ scripts/ cdrh/ cfdocs/ cfcfr/ CFRSearch. cfm?fr=11. 1
[2] http:/ / www. accessdata. fda. gov/ scripts/ cdrh/ cfdocs/ cfcfr/ CFRSearch. cfm?fr=11. 2
[3] http:/ / www. accessdata. fda. gov/ scripts/ cdrh/ cfdocs/ cfcfr/ CFRSearch. cfm?fr=11. 3
[4] http:/ / www. accessdata. fda. gov/ scripts/ cdrh/ cfdocs/ cfcfr/ CFRSearch. cfm?fr=11. 10
[5] http:/ / www. accessdata. fda. gov/ scripts/ cdrh/ cfdocs/ cfcfr/ CFRSearch. cfm?fr=11. 30
[6] http:/ / www. accessdata. fda. gov/ scripts/ cdrh/ cfdocs/ cfcfr/ CFRSearch. cfm?fr=11. 50
[7] http:/ / www. accessdata. fda. gov/ scripts/ cdrh/ cfdocs/ cfcfr/ CFRSearch. cfm?fr=11. 70
[8] http:/ / www. accessdata. fda. gov/ scripts/ cdrh/ cfdocs/ cfcfr/ CFRSearch. cfm?fr=11. 100
[9] http:/ / www. accessdata. fda. gov/ scripts/ cdrh/ cfdocs/ cfcfr/ CFRSearch. cfm?fr=11. 200
[10] http:/ / www. accessdata. fda. gov/ scripts/ cdrh/ cfdocs/ cfcfr/ CFRSearch. cfm?fr=11. 300
[11] http:/ / www. ecfr. gov/ cgi-bin/ retrieveECFR?gp=& SID=04a3cb63d1d72ce40e56ee2e7513cca3& r=PART& n=21y1. 0. 1. 1. 8
[12] http:/ / www. accessdata. fda. gov/ scripts/ cdrh/ cfdocs/ cfcfr/ cfrsearch. cfm?cfrpart=11
[13] http:/ / www. labcompliance. com/ tutorial/ part11/
40 CFR Part 3
The Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 3 (40 CFR Part 3) — sometimes referred to as the Cross-Media
Electronic Reporting Rule (CROMERR) — provides for electronic reporting (in lieu of a paper document) to the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Within this part, requirements are created to ensure that electronic
reporting to the EPA is enacted in a satisfactory way to satisfy federal or authorized program reporting requirements,
including those requiring an electronic signature.
History
On August 31, 2001, the EPA "published a notice of proposed rulemaking, announcing the goal of making electronic
reporting and electronic recordkeeping available under EPA regulatory programs." However, the EPA had been
working on plans related to such a proposal (referred to as Cross-Media Electronic Reporting) well before, stating in
its review of its final rule that the process actually "reflects more than ten years of interaction with stakeholders,"
including "electronic reporting pilot projects conducted with state agency partners, including the States of
Pennsylvania, New York, Arizona, and several others." This also involved collaboration with more than half of U.S.
states in May 1997 on the State Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange Steering Committee (SEES) and a
series of conferences starting in 1999 to acquire stakeholders' thoughts. Public commenting closed on February 27,
2002, with the EPA receiving 184 collection of written comments. The EPA made additional adjustments to the
proposal, which culminated in a final version of CROMERR that was codified into Title 40 as Part 3 on October 13,
2005 and made effective January 11, 2006.
On December 24, 2008, minor adjustments were made to CROMERR that extended compliance dates for existing
systems making the transition to electronic filing to the EPA.
40 CFR Part 3 100
Structure
The structure of Part 3 is as follows:
Subpart A — General Provisions
§ 3.1 Who does this part apply to? [1]
§ 3.2 How does this part provide for electronic reporting? [2]
§ 3.3 What definitions are applicable to this part? [3]
§ 3.4 How does this part affect enforcement and compliance provisions of Title 40? [4]
Subpart B — Electronic Reporting to EPA
§ 3.10 What are the requirements for electronic reporting to EPA? [5]
§ 3.20 How will EPA provide notice of changes to the Central Data Exchange? [6]
Subpart C — [Reserved]
Subpart D — Electronic Reporting Under EPA-Authorized State, Tribe, and Local Programs
§ 3.1000 How does a state, tribe, or local government revise or modify its authorized program to allow
electronic reporting? [7]
§ 3.2000 What are the requirements authorized state, tribe, and local programs' reporting systems must meet?
[8]
Subpart A
This is essentially the preamble of the regulations, explaining to what and who the regulations apply as well as how
they'll apply. Definitions of common terms appearing in the regulations can also be found here, including a
description of electronic signature devices.
Subpart B
This section covers the requirements applicable to electronic record formats and their submission to the EPA's
Central Data Exchange (CDX) or other related EPA systems. It also provides guidelines on how the EPA will notify
CDX users of hardware and software changes that affect transmission.
Subpart C
Subpart C is blank, "reserved for future EPA electronic recordkeeping requirements."
Subpart D
This final section provides in-depth requirements for revising state, local, and tribal government programs for
electronic submissions as well as outlining the reporting system requirements. In particular it lays out a list of
requirements for data generated from electronic document receiving systems, including security, audit trail, quality
control, and electronic signatures.
40 CFR Part 3 101
Further reading
• CROMERR Fact Sheet [10] (PDF)
• "Cross-Media Electronic Reporting" [11]. Federal Register. OFR/GPO. 13 October 2005.
• "CROMERR 101: Fundamentals for States, Tribes, and Local Governments" [12] (PDF). U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
References
[1] http:/ / www. ecfr. gov/ cgi-bin/ text-idx?c=ecfr& sid=5ff3a0efed913ef8fae9e225869688a2& rgn=div5& view=text& node=40:1. 0. 1. 1. 3&
idno=40#se40. 1. 3_11
[2] http:/ / www. ecfr. gov/ cgi-bin/ text-idx?c=ecfr& sid=5ff3a0efed913ef8fae9e225869688a2& rgn=div5& view=text& node=40:1. 0. 1. 1. 3&
idno=40#se40. 1. 3_12
[3] http:/ / www. ecfr. gov/ cgi-bin/ text-idx?c=ecfr& sid=5ff3a0efed913ef8fae9e225869688a2& rgn=div5& view=text& node=40:1. 0. 1. 1. 3&
idno=40#se40. 1. 3_13
[4] http:/ / www. ecfr. gov/ cgi-bin/ text-idx?c=ecfr& sid=5ff3a0efed913ef8fae9e225869688a2& rgn=div5& view=text& node=40:1. 0. 1. 1. 3&
idno=40#se40. 1. 3_14
[5] http:/ / www. ecfr. gov/ cgi-bin/ text-idx?c=ecfr& sid=5ff3a0efed913ef8fae9e225869688a2& rgn=div5& view=text& node=40:1. 0. 1. 1. 3&
idno=40#se40. 1. 3_110
[6] http:/ / www. ecfr. gov/ cgi-bin/ text-idx?c=ecfr& sid=5ff3a0efed913ef8fae9e225869688a2& rgn=div5& view=text& node=40:1. 0. 1. 1. 3&
idno=40#se40. 1. 3_120
[7] http:/ / www. ecfr. gov/ cgi-bin/ text-idx?c=ecfr& sid=5ff3a0efed913ef8fae9e225869688a2& rgn=div5& view=text& node=40:1. 0. 1. 1. 3&
idno=40#se40. 1. 3_11000
[8] http:/ / www. ecfr. gov/ cgi-bin/ text-idx?c=ecfr& sid=5ff3a0efed913ef8fae9e225869688a2& rgn=div5& view=text& node=40:1. 0. 1. 1. 3&
idno=40#se40. 1. 3_12000
[9] http:/ / www. ecfr. gov/ cgi-bin/ text-idx?c=ecfr& sid=5ff3a0efed913ef8fae9e225869688a2& rgn=div5& view=text& node=40:1. 0. 1. 1. 3&
idno=40#ap40. 1. 3_12000. 1
[10] http:/ / www. epa. gov/ CROMERR/ documents/ cromerr_fact_sheet. pdf
[11] https:/ / www. federalregister. gov/ articles/ 2005/ 10/ 13/ 05-19601/ cross-media-electronic-reporting
[12] http:/ / www. epa. gov/ cromerr/ training/ cromerr101/ cromerr_course_summary. pdf
ASTM E1578-13 102
ASTM E1578-13
ASTM E1578-13 (titled Standard Guide for Laboratory Informatics) is an active standard developed by ASTM
International, specifically Subcommittee E13.15 on Analytical Data. According to a 2012 press release from the
committee, the standard exists primarily because "the use of electronic laboratory notebooks, cloud computing, and
the adoption of lean principles has lead to an evolution in the use of LIMS and related analytics currently employed
across laboratory environments."
As of December 2014[1], seven goals are associates with the standard as it relates to laboratory information
management systems and other laboratory informatics applications:
• to provide educational material to those new to laboratory informatics
• to provide educational material to those already applying laboratory informatics to laboratories and associated
areas
• to provide educational material to those who develop and distribute laboratory informatics applications
• to describe and recommend a standardized body of terminology to both developers and users
• to describe and recommend a body of requirements that are essential to system functions
• to provide recommendations for tasks secondarily related to laboratory informatics, including implementation and
training
• to provide recommendations for integrating laboratory informatics applications and processes into workflow
History
The standard was previously released as E1578-93 (1993), E1578-93(1999) (1999), and E1578-06 (2006). The
current standard was approved at the end of 2013.
External links
• ASTM E1578-13 at ASTM International [2]
References
[1] https:/ / www. limswiki. org/ index. php?title=ASTM_E1578-13& action=edit
[2] http:/ / www. astm. org/ Standards/ E1578. htm
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments 103
History
On December 5, 1967, the U.S. enacted Public Law
90-174, which included in Section 5 the "Clinical
Laboratories Improvement Act of 1967." CLIA '67
set regulations on the licensing of clinical
laboratories and the movement of samples in and
out of them across state lines. Laboratories would
be eligible for a full, partial, or exempt CLIA-67
license, depending on the laboratory's conducted
tests.
However, by the mid-1980s the relevancy of CLIA '67 to a vastly changed procedural and technological clinical
laboratory landscape began to be questioned. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health for Planning and
Evaluation (ASPE) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services commissioned a study to assess the
effectiveness of federal regulations affecting clinical laboratories and their goal of protecting the public health. On
April 8, 1986, the Final Report on Assessment of Clinical Laboratory Regulations by Michael L. Kenney and Don P.
Greenberg was submitted to the ASPE.
The analysis found that many federal regulations are technically obsolescent and many may be
operationally unnecessary as a result of changing laboratory technology and changed federal
reimbursement policies. Among changes recommended by the HHS-funded analysis are: (a) the
regulatory classification system based upon physical location of laboratories is no longer appropriate
and should be replaced with a classification system reflecting laboratory functions; (b) a single, uniform
set of federal regulations should be developed that covers all civilian laboratories receiving federal
reimbursement or operating in interstate commerce; (c) a revised federal regulatory system should
emphasize measures of performance such as personnel and inspection requirements; and (d) clinical
laboratory regulations should be based upon objective data to the maximum extent possible.
On August 5, 1988, a new set of proposed regulations were put forth by the Health Care Financing Administration as
Medicare, Medicaid and CLIA Programs; Revision of the Clinical Laboratory Regulations for the Medicare,
Medicaid, and Clinical Laboratories Improvement Act of 1967 Programs. The proposal aspired "to remove outdated,
obsolete and redundant requirements, make provision for new technologies, place increased reliance on outcome
measures of performance, and emphasize the responsibilities and duties of personnel rather than the formal
credentialing requirements and detailed personnel standards in existing regulations." This ultimately led to the
proposal becoming law on October 31, 1988 under Public Law 100-578 as the Clinical Laboratory Improvement
Amendments of 1988.
Regulations for implementing CLIA continued to be developed afterwards, with the Department of Health and
Human Services considering thousands of comments to the proposed regulations. The final regulations were
published February 28, 1992, set to be effective on September 1 of the same year. The new CLIA '88 put into place
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments 104
regulations concerning test complexity, certification, proficiency testing, patient test management, personnel
requirements, quality assurance, and other processes in the clinical laboratory. However, phase-in effective dates
were extended on several occasions afterwards: on December 6, 1994 in the Federal Register (59 FR 62606), May
12, 1997 in the Federal Register (62 FR 25855), October 14, 1998 in the Federal Register (63 FR 55031), and
December 29, 2000 in the Federal Register (65 FR 82941).
On January 24, 2003, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services submitted their final rule (68 FR 3639),
effective April 24, 2003, affecting QC requirements for laboratories and qualification requirements for lab directors.
The final rule also made revisions to 42 CFR 493, including the renaming, reorganizing, and consolidation of similar
requirements into one section, the deletion of duplicate requirements, and the rewording of the requirements to better
clarify their original intent. It also addressed requirements regarding the entire testing process, making those
requirement better correlate with the workflow of a lab specimen in the laboratory, from acquisition to reporting of
results, including the subdivision of testing into pre-analytic, analytic, and post-analytic phases.
CLIA program
The CLIA program sets standards and issues certificates for clinical laboratory testing. CLIA defines a clinical
laboratory as any facility which performs laboratory testing on specimens derived from humans for the purpose of
providing information for:
• diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of disease or impairment.
• health assessments.
The CLIA program is designed to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and timeliness of test results regardless of where
the test was performed. Each specific laboratory system, assay, and examination is graded for level of complexity by
assigning scores of "1," "2," or "3" for each of seven criteria. A test scored as a "1" is the lowest level of complexity,
while a test scored "3" indicates the highest level. A score of "2" is assigned when the characteristics for a particular
test are ranked primarily between low- and high-level in description.
The seven criteria for categorization are:
1. Knowledge
2. Training and experience
3. Reagents and materials preparation
4. Characteristics of operational steps
5. Calibration, quality control, and proficiency testing materials
6. Test system troubleshooting and equipment maintenance
7. Interpretation and judgment
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has the primary responsibility for the operation of the CLIA
program. Within CMS, the program is implemented by the Center for Medicaid and State Operations, Survey and
Certification Group, and the Division of Laboratory Services.
The CLIA Program is funded by user fees collected from over 244,000 laboratories, most located in the United
States.
While a waived test is deemed to have an acceptably low level of risk, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) reminds administrators and recipients of such tests that no test is 100 percent safe:
Although CLIA requires that waived tests must be simple and have a low risk for erroneous results, this
does not mean that waived tests are completely error-proof. Errors can occur anywhere in the testing
process, particularly when the manufacturer's instructions are not followed and when testing personnel
are not familiar with all aspects of the test system. Some waived tests have potential for serious health
impacts if performed incorrectly... To decrease the risk of erroneous results, the test needs to be
performed correctly, by trained personnel and in an environment where good laboratory practices are
followed.
In November 2007, the CLIA waiver provisions were revised by the United States Congress to make it clear that
tests approved by the FDA for home use automatically qualify for CLIA waiver.
List of tests
A list of tests categorized by the FDA as waived since 2000 can be found at the FDA website [1]. As of February 17,
2015, the list included 6,669 separate test devices.
Further reading
• Kenney, Michael L. (February 1987). "Quality Assurance in Changing Times: Proposals for Reform and Research
in the Clinical Laboratory Field" [2] (PDF). Clinical Chemistry 33 (2): 328–336. PMID [4] 3542302 [3].
External links
• 42 CFR 493 at the U.S. Government Printing Office [4]
• CLIA Law & Regulations at CDC [5]
• Chronology of CLIA Related Documents in the Federal Register & Code of Federal Regulations [6]
Notes
A couple elements of this article are reused from the Wikipedia article [7].
References
[1] http:/ / www. accessdata. fda. gov/ scripts/ cdrh/ cfdocs/ cfClia/ testswaived. cfm
[2] http:/ / www. clinchem. org/ content/ 33/ 2/ 328. full. pdf
[3] http:/ / www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/ pubmed/ 3542302
[4] http:/ / www. gpo. gov/ fdsys/ granule/ CFR-2011-title42-vol5/ CFR-2011-title42-vol5-part493/ content-detail. html
[5] http:/ / wwwn. cdc. gov/ clia/ Regulatory/ default. aspx
[6] http:/ / wwwn. cdc. gov/ CLIA/ Regulatory/ Chronology. aspx
[7] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Clinical_Laboratory_Improvement_Amendments
Good Automated Laboratory Practices 106
History
Work on GALP was first started by the EPA in 1989 as an extension of its pre-existing good laboratory practice
(GLP) requirements to what they saw as a state of increasing automation in laboratories. An additional revision was
released in 1995 by the EPA.
The GALP's creation was based on six principles:
1. The system must provide a method of assuring the integrity of all entered data.
2. The formulas and decision algorithms employed by the system must be accurate and appropriate.
3. An audit trail that tracks data entry and modifications to the responsible individual is a critical element in the
control process.
4. A consistent and appropriate change-control procedure capable of tracking the system operation and application
software is a critical element in the control process.
5. Control of even the most carefully designed and implemented system will be thwarted if appropriate user
procedures are not followed.
6. Consistent control of a system requires the development of alternative plans for system failure, disaster recovery,
and unauthorized access.
Impact
GALP had a variable regulatory impact on laboratories and organizations early on. Pharmaceutical and biologics
laboratories could practically ignore the regulations while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EPA
used GALP as a key guiding factor in its standards and contract renewal considerations. The Department of Energy
and Superfund programs tightly followed GALP's standards while others viewed GALP as something to be loosely
interpreted.
References
Good Automated Manufacturing Practice 107
History
GAMP's origins can be traced to the United Kingdom in 1988, when software developers David Forrest and Colin
Jones, through their company FJ Systems, developed real-time control and production information management
control systems for pharmaceutical manufacturers. They worked with ICI Pharmaceuticals' Tony Margetts on the
problem of validating systems that were increasingly becoming more software-based than mechanical- and
electrical-based. This culminated in a five-page document called VMAN I, mapping the older installation
qualification (IQ), operational qualification (OQ), and performance qualification (PQ) phases of equipment
validation to a more modern software validation lifecycle. A second version was created upon additional feedback.
GAMP itself was eventually founded in 1991 (with the previously mentioned Margetts as chairman of the editorial
board) to deal with the evolving U.S. Food and Drug Administration expectations for Good Manufacturing Practice
(GMP) compliance of manufacturing and related systems. GAMP published its first draft guidance in February 1994,
with version 1.0 of it arriving in March 1995. Soon afterwards the organization entered into a partnership with ISPE,
formally becoming part of ISPE in 2000. GAMP 4 was released a year later, followed by GAMP 5 in 2008. GAMP
has enjoyed the support of numerous regulatory authorities over the years spanning the United States, Europe, and
Good Automated Manufacturing Practice 108
Publications
GAMP 5
ISPE has published a series of good practice guides for the industry on several topics involved in drug
manufacturing. The most well-known is The Good Automated Manufacturing Practice (GAMP) Guide for Validation
of Automated Systems in Pharmaceutical Manufacture. The last major revision (GAMP 5) was released in February
2008.
The guidance generally states that pharmaceutical computer systems should be built with several key ideas in mind:
1. Make product and process understanding clear.
2. Approach the life cycle from the standpoint of a quality management system.
3. Make life cycle activities scalable.
4. Ensure quality risk management is science-based.
5. Leverage supplier involvement into the system.
System categorization
Software systems borne from these principles can be categorized into one of four GAMP 5 categories. (Note:
"Category 2: Firmware" was removed from GAMP with revision five.) These classifications act as built-in risk and
difficulty assessments that support different validation approaches:
Category 1: Infrastructure software - This includes "established or commercially available layered software" and
"infrastructure software tools" that are themselves validated from within rather than from the infrastructure.
Category 3: Non-configured products - This includes "software that is used as installed" and potentially "software
that is configurable (category 4) but is used either unconfigured or with the standard defaults provided by the
software supplier."
Category 4: Configured products - This includes products where "the user has the means and knowledge to change
the functionality of the device in a way that changes the results outputted by the device. As a direct consequence, this
triggers increased validation effort."
Category 5: Custom applications - This includes any "application, module, user-defined program, or macro" that has
been written in-house or by a third party that "needs to be specified, version controlled, built, and tested (including
integration testing with the commercial application, as applicable) as a minimum to ensure the quality of the
software."
Other guides
As of February 2015, the ISPE has 13 guides, the latest published in October 2014, titled A Risk-Based Approach to
Regulated Mobile Applications.
External links
• International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) website [1]
• GAMP 4 guide [2] (PDF)
• GAMP 5 guide [3]
Good Automated Manufacturing Practice 109
References
[1] http:/ / www. ispe. org
[2] http:/ / www. ssfa. it/ allegati/ GDL_GIQAR_GCP_GampGuidelineMilano06. pdf
[3] http:/ / www. slideshare. net/ ProPharmaGroup/ overview-of-computerized-systems-compliance-using-the-gamp-5-guide
History
Initial
In 1994, U.S. President Bill Clinton attempted to overhaul the national health care system but didn't receive the
support he needed. In 1995, Senators Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) introduced a
comparatively pared down proposal called the Health Insurance Reform Act of 1995 (S 11028), later referred to
informally as the Kassebaum/Kennedy Bill. The proposal called for health insurance portability for employees,
medical savings accounts, increased deductibility of health insurance for the self-employed, and tax breaks for
long-term care insurance. The legislation successfully made it out of the Senate Labor and Human Resources
Committee on August 2, 1995, only to be stalled "because of opposition from conservative senators who shared
industry concerns over the group-to-individual portability provisions."
With desire to get some sort of health care reform legislation passed, Clinton referenced the stalled bill in his January
1996 State of the Union address on several occasions. Though some feared the ploy by Clinton would ultimately sink
the bill, it inevitably resulted in bipartisan cooperation so no one side could take credit for the bill. On February 7,
1996, the two parties agreed to further discuss the legislation in the House and Senate. This resulted in several
events: the House of Representatives created an alternative bill (HR 3103) that drew on characteristics of S 11028,
passing on March 28; the Senate passed a version of the original S 11028 on April 23 but without controversial
attachments like medical savings accounts. However, differences between the House and Senate bills caused
problems. "The House bill, for example, included provisions allowing for medical savings accounts, a limit on
monetary damages in medical malpractice lawsuits and a reduction in states' authority to regulate health insurance
purchasing pools created by small businesses." Additionally, a provision on mental health coverage was found on the
Senate bill that was omitted from the House version. It took several weeks of debating to make concessions on these
topics.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 110
A Republican-led compromise was offered on June 10, however debate raged on. It wasn't until a July 25
compromise between Kennedy and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer (R-TX) on medical savings
accounts that momentum shifted. Provisions on mental illness and medical malpractice were eventually dropped
from the proposal on July 31, with both House and Senate agreeing on the final version on August 1 and August 2
respectively. On August 21, 1996, the legislation was signed into law by President Clinton and codified as Public
Law 104-191, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
Amendments
The administrative simplification provisions in HIPAA meant more work had to be done in regards to the legislation.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began work on the HIPAA Privacy Rule in 1999,
"which set out detailed regulations regarding the types of uses and disclosures of personally identifiable health
information that are permitted by the covered entities." However, large volumes of comments and Executive branch
changes in 2000 slowed the process down. Several more years of corrections and requests for comments followed,
culminating in the release of the Final Rule on August 14, 2002 as 45 CFR Part 160 and Subparts A and E of Part
164. Most health plans were expected to be in compliance by April 14, 2003, though some exceptions existed.
Despite the Privacy Rule, many still argued that the legislation wasn't suitable enough to prevent mishandling of
personal health information and that it was impeding research. These concerns mixed with few incidents of
enforcement in the first few years after the 2003 compliance date prompted additional review by the HHS. On
February 16, 2006, HHS issued the Final Rule regarding HIPAA enforcement, to be effective March 16, 2006.
Additional updates to the enforcement rule came with the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical
Health Act (HITECH) Act, enacted on February 17, 2009. The Act added "several provisions that strengthen the
civil and criminal enforcement of the HIPAA rules" by adding categories of violations and tier levels of penalty
amounts. HIPAA and the HITECH statutes were further revised in January 2013 (effective March 26, 2013) "to
strengthen the privacy and security protection for individuals’ health information," update the Breach Notification
Rule, "strengthen the privacy protections for genetic information," and revise other portions of HIPAA rules "to
improve their workability and effectiveness."
Structure
HIPAA is divided into five titles, each with their own subtitles:
Title I: Health Care Access, Portability, and Renewability
Subtitle A - Group Market Rules
Subtitle B - Individual Market Rules
Subtitle C - General and Miscellaneous Provisions
Title II: Preventing Health Care Fraud and Abuse; Administrative Simplification; Medical Liability Reform
Subtitle A - Fraud and Abuse Control Program
Subtitle B - Revisions to Current Sanctions for Fraud and Abuse
Subtitle C - Data Collection
Subtitle D - Civil Monetary Penalties
Subtitle E - Revisions to Criminal Law
Subtitle F - Administrative Simplification
Subtitle G - Duplication and Coordination of Medicare-Related Plans
Title III: Tax-Related Health Provisions
Subtitle A - Medical Savings Accounts
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 111
Description
Title I of HIPAA contains three subtitles that protect health insurance coverage for workers and their families when
they change or lose their jobs.
Title II of HIPAA contains seven subtitles. One of the most important for expanding HIPAA is Subtitle F, the
Administrative Simplification (AS) provisions, requiring the establishment of national standards for electronic health
care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers. Title II also addresses
the security and privacy of health data, with the intent of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation's
health care system by encouraging the widespread use of electronic data interchange in the U.S. health care system.
Title III of HIPAA modifies the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to revise available tax deductions for health insurance,
clarify how pre-tax money could be applied health payments, and regulate long-term care services and how they're
contracted. Other tax-related issues like IRA distribution and organ donor tax refund payments are covered by this
title, in total spread out over eight subtitles.
Title IV of HIPAA modifies both the IRC and the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to describe requirements for
and enforcement of how group health plans could legally manage and cover patients' pre-existing conditions as well
as their continuation of coverage. This information is supplied over two subtitles.
Title V of HIPAA contains three subtitles that amend the IRC concerning miscellaneous issues such as interest
deductions on loans related to company-owned life insurance, how individuals who lose their U.S. citizenship shall
be treated tax-wise, and the removal of certain limitations on interest allocation.
Enforcement
On February 16, 2006, HHS issued the Final Rule regarding HIPAA enforcement. It became effective on March 16,
2006. The Enforcement Rule set civil money penalties for violating HIPAA rules and established procedures for
investigations and hearings for HIPAA violations. Before the enforcement rule, the deterrent effects of the legislation
seemed negligible, with few prosecutions for violations. Enforcement operations were ratcheted up further with the
passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) in 2009, which
greatly increased the financial penalties that could be applied to entities in non-compliance.
By the end of 2014, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS) reported investigating 106,522
HIPAA complaints against national pharmacy chains, major health care centers, insurance groups, hospital chains
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 112
and other small providers since April 2003. The HHS reported 23,314 of those cases had been resolved by requiring
changes in privacy practice or by corrective action. 10,566 cases were investigated and found that HIPAA was
followed correctly. Another 68,412 cases were found to be ineligible for enforcement because, for example, a
violation occurred before HIPAA became effective, a case was withdrawn by the pursuer, or an activity did not
actually violate the rules.
According to the HHS, the most commonly investigated compliance issue, by order of frequency, have been:
1. incorrectly used or revealed protected health information (PHI);
2. insufficient protection mechanisms for PHI;
3. insufficient mechanisms for patients to access their PHI;
4. insufficient administrative protections and tools for managing electronic PHI; and
5. usage and disclosure of more PHI than minimally necessary.
The HHS also stated the entities most likely to be responsible for infractions, by order of frequency, have been:
1. private practices;
2. general hospitals;
3. outpatient facilities;
4. pharmacies; and
5. health plans (group health plans and health insurance issuers).
Assessed impact
The enactment of HIPAA caused major changes in the way physicians and medical centers operate. The complex
legalities and potentially stiff penalties associated with HIPAA, as well as the increase in paperwork and the cost of
its implementation, were causes for concern among physicians and medical centers. Many of those concerns were
expressed in an August 2006 paper published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. It mentioned a University
of Michigan study that demonstrated how the implementation of the HIPAA Privacy rule resulted in a drop from 96
percent to 34 percent in the proportion of follow-up surveys completed by study patients being followed after a heart
attack.
By 2013, views on the impact of HIPAA were mixed. Leon Rodriguez, director of the HHS' Office for Civil Rights
said of HIPAA:
Whereas many thought HIPAA would "bankrupt" healthcare, shut down research, and otherwise
paralyze the industry, instead the industry has learned the benefits of the transaction and code set
standards through the ease of electronic transactions. And the balance of the [HIPAA] Privacy and
Security protections have paved the way to real benefits for consumers through greater access to quality
care.
In an article for the Houston Chronicle, writer and business consultant Lisa Dorward stated the following for patients
requesting personal health information:
Direct cost to patients is minimal; health care institutions can charge the patient only for copying and
postage costs for delivery of the documents. On the other hand, costs to health care providers are high
and can strain already overburdened budgets. Some clinics and hospitals have had to reconstruct or
remodel existing registration areas to comply with HIPAA's privacy regulations.
Writing for the Loyola Consumer Law Review, attorney and legal writer Anna Colvert wrote:
Generally, HIPAA is considered a step in the right direction regarding patient privacy, and it has
resulted in more descriptive and detailed privacy policies; however, it has not improved the online
privacy practices of these organizations. While HIPAA is a solid foundation in protecting patients’
healthcare information there is more work to be done..."
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 113
A May 2013 Computerworld reported on a survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute that found 51 percent of
respondents believed "HIPAA compliance requirements can be a barrier to providing effective patient care" and 59
percent "cited the complexity of HIPAA requirements as a major barrier to modernizing the healthcare system."
Further reading
• "Public Law 104 - 191 - Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996" [1]. U.S. Government
Publishing Office.
• "S. 1028 (104th): Health Insurance Reform Act of 1995" [2]. GovTrack.us. Civic Impulse, LLC.
• "Bill Makes Health Insurance ‘Portable’" [3]. CQ Almanac 1996 52: 6-28–6-39. 1997.
References
[1] http:/ / www. gpo. gov/ fdsys/ pkg/ PLAW-104publ191/ content-detail. html
[2] https:/ / www. govtrack. us/ congress/ bills/ 104/ s1028
[3] http:/ / library. cqpress. com/ cqalmanac/ document. php?id=cqal96-1092479
Health Level 7
Health Level Seven (HL7) is an
international non-profit
volunteer-based organization involved
with the development of international
health care informatics interoperability
standards. The HL7 community
consists of health care experts and
information scientists collaborating to
create standards for the exchange,
management, and integration of
electronic health care information.
History
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) got involved with standardizing network exchanges of data
between computers around 1979, creating the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) standards model. These formal OSI
standards ranged across seven levels, from OSI Level 1 (physical layer, e.g. communication over coaxial cable) to
OSI Level 7 (application layer, e.g. communication between clinical software). By 1981, researchers at University of
California - San Francisco had created a proprietary protocol that unbeknownst to them at the time fit under the OSI
Level 7 model. The protocol was developed for clinical purposes such that "computers exchanged several core
messages, including the synchronization of patient admission-discharge-transfer information, orders from clinical
areas, and the display of textual results to the clinical areas."
By 1985, Simborg Systems (which developed hospital information systems) sought to have a non-proprietary
protocol created because "standardization efforts at the time was either fragmented, in a different direction or with a
different scope." This led to a push to create a new standards organization, with initial meetings occurring at the end
of March 1987. The meetings produced the term "HL7" and prompted a non-profit organization to be created,
eventually known as Health Level Seven International. Version 1.0 of the HL7 specification was released in October
1987. The direction of HL7 was largely led by Simborg Systems; however, with greater practical use seen in
furthering the protocol and non-profit, the first non-Simborg Systems chairperson, Ed Hammond, took the reigns in
1989. By June 1990, Version 2.1 was published and included mechanisms for results reporting and billing. By the
early- to mid-1990s news of HL7 was beginning to spread to international clinical sectors, particularly parts of
Europe, including Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
In June 1994 the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) awarded Health Level 7 International status as an
accredited standards developer. Version 2.2 became an official ANSI standard in February 1996. HL7 had roughly
1,700 members from various health care industries around the globe by the late 1990s.
Version 3.0 of the HL7 standard was released in late 2005, which internationalized it and made it more consistent
and precise. Where the 2.x standards eventually received wide adoption for their flexibility and available
implementation options, the 3.0 standards, in contrast, departed from that flexibility in order to be more "definite and
testable, and provide the ability to certify vendors' conformance." In 2009, Corepoint Health reported that most HL7
messaging was occurring using 2.3 and 2.3.1 models, with 3.0-based messages representing only a tiny fraction of all
interfaces; in 2012 Corepoint Health's Rob Brull estimated that more than 90 percent of all healthcare systems were
still utilizing 2.x models. That trend continued, with several experts proclaiming the standard to be more or less a
failure.
In early 2012, HL7 announced the HL7 FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) initiative, which would
utilize the best aspects of both 2.x and 3.0 standards, optimally resulting in a standard that is 20 percent the size of
3.0 but still meet the operation requirements of 80 percent of systems using the standard. FHIR is being built on
RESTful web services and provides modular, extensible "resources" to provide some flexibility but within a more
fixed framework. In December 2014, HL7 announced the Argonaut Project, meant "to hasten current FHIR
development efforts in order to create practical and focused guidelines and profiles for FHIR by the spring of 2015."
Standards
In total HL7 develops conceptual standards (e.g., HL7 RIM), document standards (e.g., HL7 CDA), application
standards (e.g., HL7 CCOW), and messaging standards (e.g., HL7 v2.x and v3.0). Messaging standards are
particularly important because they define how information is packaged and communicated from one party to
another. Such standards set the language, structure, and data types required for seamless integration from one system
to another. Business use of the HL7 standards requires a paid organizational membership in HL7, Inc. HL7 members
can access standards for free, and non-members can buy the standards from HL7 or ANSI.
Health Level 7 115
HL7 v2.x and 3.0 are the primary standards from the organization. They provide a framework for data exchange
among clinical and healthcare systems in an ideal format. The 2.x standards are flexible, with several implementation
options, loosely geared towards "clinical interface specialists" working to move clinical data in the application space.
The 3.0 standards are designed to be more fixed, precise, and international, geared towards governments and end
users of clinical applications.
While HL7 v2.x and 3.0 are the primary standards, a few other important standards and components are associated
with HL7, as detailed below.
Further reading
• Introduction to HL7 Standards [1]
• Spronk, René (05 September 2014). "The Early History of Health Level 7" [2]. Ringholm BV.
External links
• Health Level 7 International [3]
• HL7 Wiki [4]
• HL7 FHIR [5]
References
[1] http:/ / www. hl7. org/ implement/ standards/ index. cfm
[2] http:/ / www. ringholm. com/ docs/ the_early_history_of_health_level_7_HL7. htm
[3] http:/ / www. hl7. org/
[4] http:/ / wiki. hl7. org/ index. php?title=Main_Page
[5] http:/ / wiki. hl7. org/ index. php?title=FHIR
ISO 9000
ISO 9000 is a family of standards
related to quality management systems
and designed to help organizations
ensure that they meet the needs of
customers and other stakeholders. The
standards are published by the
International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) and are
available through national standards
bodies. ISO 9000 deals with the
fundamentals of quality management
systems , including the eight
management principles on which the
family of standards is based.
A General Motors assembly plant advertises its ISO 9001 certification.
History
The ISO 9000 family of standards was originally built on several British standards developed in the early 1970s: BS
9000, BS 5179, and BS 5750. These quality assurance standards were initially related to the electronics
manufacturing industry and set guidelines on managing supply-side quality through auditing and contractual
documentation. However, the history of ISO 9000 can be traced back even further to the publication of the United
States Department of Defense MIL-Q-9858 standard in 1959. MIL-Q-9858 was revised into the NATO AQAP series
of standards in 1969, which in turn were revised into the BS 5179 series of guidance standards published in 1974,
and finally revised into the BS 5750 series of requirements standards in 1979.
As the idea of company certification of meeting a certain level of quality became more attractive, the push for a more
rigorous international standard (primarily led by the British Standards Institute [BSI]) resulted in the creation of the
ISO 9000 family in 1987. Originally based on BS 5750, the ISO 9000 family started out with three quality
management models and a set of guidelines for following them:
• ISO 9001:1987 Model for quality assurance in design, development, production, installation, and servicing
• ISO 9002:1987 Model for quality assurance in production, installation, and servicing
• ISO 9003:1987 Model for quality assurance in final inspection and test
• ISO 9004.1:1987 Quality management and quality system elements - Part 1: Guidelines
3. That same year Rajan and Tamimi showed that ISO 9001 certification resulted in superior stock market
performance and suggested that shareholders were richly rewarded for investing in the certified companies.
4. In 2005, Corbett et al. showed in 2005 similar superior performance, atating that "three years after certification,
the certified firms do display strongly significant abnormal performance under all control-group specifications."
5. That same year, Sharma linked increases in "operating efficiency, growth in sales, and overall financial
performance" gains with ISO 9000 certification.
6. Naveha and Marcus claimed in 2007 that manufacturers in the U.S. automotive industry that implemented ISO
9001 saw superior operational performance soon after.
7. A 2011 survey from The British Assessment Bureau showing 44 percent of their certified clients had won new
business due to becoming certified.
While the connection between superior financial performance and ISO 9001 may be seen from the examples cited,
there remains no proof of direct causation, though longitudinal studies such as those of Corbett et al. may suggest it.
Other researchers such as Heras et al. have suggested that while there is some evidence of this, the improvement is
partly driven by the fact that there is a tendency for better performing companies to seek ISO 9001 certification.
Further reading
• Cochran, Craig (2008). ISO 9001 in Plain English [1]. Paton Professional. pp. 178. ISBN [2] 9781932828207.
External links
• ISO 9000 [2] at the International Organization for Standardization
Notes
This article reuses a few elements from the Wikipedia article [3].
References
[1] https:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=-GplCM5xTYYC
[2] http:/ / www. iso. org/ iso/ iso_9000
[3] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ ISO_9000
ISO/IEC 17025
ISO/IEC 17025 is an International
Organization for Standardization (ISO)
standard used by testing and
calibration laboratories to provide a
basis for accreditation of laboratory
quality systems. There are many
commonalities with the ISO 9000
family of standards, but ISO/IEC
17025 adds in the concept of
competence to the equation, applying
directly to those organizations that
produce testing and calibration results.
Even military testing and calibration labs like the Navy Standards Laboratory (WPP) opt
ISO/IEC 17025 was originally known as ISO/IEC Guide 25, first released in 1978, with subsequent editions
following in 1982 and 1990. Guide 25 was created with the belief that "third party certification systems [for
laboratories] should, to the extent possible, be based on internationally agreed standards and procedures." In the mid-
to late 1990s, an update to Guide 25 was required. However, the ISO decided to convert the guide into a standard
and introduce tight compatibility with ISO 9001, which was also being revised, such that ISO 9001 would be treated
as a master standard and the next evolution of Guide 25 to be treated as a standard to be specifically applied to
testing and calibration laboratories.
ISO/IEC 17025:1999 was issued by the ISO in late 1999 and was internationally adopted in 2000. A second release
— ISO/IEC 17025:2005 — was made on May 12, 2005 after it was agreed that it needed to have its wording more
closely aligned with the 2000 version of ISO 9001. The most significant changes introduced greater emphasis on the
responsibilities of senior management, as well as explicit requirements for continual improvement of the
management system itself, particularly communication with the customer.
ISO/IEC 17025:1999 became defunct in May 2007.
ISO/IEC 17025 120
The standard
The ISO/IEC 17025 standard itself comprises five elements: scope, normative references, terms and definitions,
management requirements, and technical requirements. Two annexes are also included. In particular the management
and technical requirements are the most important sections, with the management requirement section detailing the
operation and effectiveness of the quality management system within the laboratory and the technical requirements
section detailing the factors which determine the correctness and reliability of the tests and calibrations performed in
laboratory.
The standard is organized as follows:
Scope
The scope of the standard is described over six points. It states what type of testing and calibration is covered; who
it's applicable to; the purpose for the standard; what's not covered; and how it relates to ISO 9001.
Normative references
This section states both ISO/IEC 17000 and the International Vocabulary of Metrology (VIM) are vital to applying
the standard.
Management requirements
The requirements for the operational effectiveness of a laboratory's quality management system are outlined in this
section. The requirements are broken down into 15 subsections:
4.1 Organization
4.2 Management system
4.3 Document control
4.4 Review of requests, tenders and contracts
4.5 Subcontracting of tests and calibrations
4.6 Purchasing services and supplies
4.7 Service to the customer
4.8 Complaints
4.9 Control of nonconforming testing and/or calibration work
4.10 Improvement
4.11 Corrective action
4.12 Preventive action
4.13 Control of records
4.14 Internal audits
4.15 Management reviews
ISO/IEC 17025 121
Technical requirements
The requirements for staff competence, methodologies, equipment testing and calibration, and test methods are
outlined in this section. The requirements are broken down into 10 subsections:
5.1 General
5.2 Personnel
5.3 Accommodation and environmental conditions
5.4 Test and calibration methods and method validation
5.5 Equipment
5.6 Measurement traceability
5.7 Sampling
5.8 Handling of test and calibration items
5.9 Assuring the quality of the test and calibration results
5.10 Reporting the results
Annexes
Two annexes and a bibliography are included. Annex A: Nominal cross-references to ISO 9001:2000 provides links
between this standard and ISO 9001, important as this standard includes requirements not covered in ISO 9001.
Annex B: Guidelines for establishing applications for specific fields gives accreditation seekers explanations of
specific requirements to better complete their applications.
Accreditation
Laboratories use ISO/IEC 17025 to implement a quality system aimed at improving their ability to consistently
produce valid results. It is also the basis for accreditation from an accreditation body. Since the standard is about
competence, accreditation is simply formal recognition of a demonstration of that competence. A prerequisite for a
laboratory to become accredited is to have a documented quality management system. The usual contents of the
quality manual follow the outline of the ISO/IEC 17025 standard.
National accreditation bodies are primarily responsible for accrediting laboratories to ISO/IEC 17025. Laboratories
can use either a domestic organization or some other internationally recognized body in cases where the domestic
organization "has either no international recognition or where it lacks recognition in parts of the world relevant to the
laboratory’s operations." Laboratories typically select a range of common and frequently used methodologies that
could readily benefit and demonstrate a comprehensive quality system that those methodologies run under.
ISO/IEC 17025 122
Further reading
• "Complying with ISO 17025" [1] (PDF). United Nations Industrial Development Organization. October 2009. pp.
106.
External links
• ISO 17025:2005 [2]
• ISO 17025:2005 [3] on the ISO Online Browsing Platform
References
[1] http:/ / www. unido. org/ fileadmin/ user_media/ Publications/ Pub_fr/ Complying_with_ISO_17025_A_practical_guidebook. pdf
[2] http:/ / www. iso. org/ iso/ catalogue_detail. htm?csnumber=39883
[3] https:/ / www. iso. org/ obp/ ui/ #iso:std:iso-iec:17025:ed-2:v1:en
ISO/TS 16949
ISO/TS 16949 is an International
Organization for Standardization (ISO)
technical specification for the
development of a quality management
system, specifically for the
development, production, and, when
relevant, installation and servicing of
automotive-related products. The
standard provides for continual
improvement of these processes,
emphasizing defect prevention and the
reduction of variation and waste in the
supply chain. It is based on the ISO
Manufacturers of automotive parts supplied to automakers most certainly must get
9001 standard.
ISO/TS 16949 certified to remain competitive.
History
ISO/TC 16949 is based on DaimlerChrysler, Ford, and General Motors' QS-9000 quality systems standards as well
as the ISO 9000 family of standards. In June 1988, at the ASQ Automotive Division conference, a group of parts
suppliers suggested to the attending vice presidents the need for a set of quality assessment standards separate from
the ISO 9000 standards, which were introduced only a year earlier. At that time suppliers noted that ISO 9000
"lacked some elements in current automotive industry documents, such as business plans, customer satisfaction,
continuous improvement, manufacturing capabilities, and much of the advanced quality planning content." The
QS-9000 manual — based on content from ISO 9001 — was eventually released in August 1994, followed by a
second edition in February 1995, which caught on worldwide with other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
A few months later, at a European QS-9000 implementation meeting, representatives for the U.S. automakers
learned that similar efforts had already been underway in the forms of "VDA 6.1 in Germany, AVSQ in Italy, and
EAQF in France." A desire to further unify these disparate standards was expressed, resulting in the creation of the
International Automotive Task Force (IATF).
ISO/TS 16949 123
The ISO Technical Committee (TC) 176, responsible for quality management and assurance standards, took notice
and, not wanting to fraction ISO 9000 standards into sector-specific branches, attempted to convince the IATF to
adopt ISO 9000. However, after several meetings, the TC 176 agreed the family of standards was not comprehensive
enough for the automotive industry and vowed to include updates in the next version. Though the technical
committee worked with the IATF, their needs were different enough that the automotive-specific changes would not
be able to make it into the upcoming 2000 iteration. By November 1997, the two groups agreed on using the ISO
technical report as a tool for the requirements, which would be based off of ISO 9001:1994.
By the time the first draft document was created in the fall of 1998, a new type of ISO document became available: a
Technical Specification (TS). The IATF agreed to this format, and in November 1998, ISO/TS 16949 was initially
approved as the first ISO Technical Specification, with a second official printing arriving in March 1999. In March
2002, a revised ISO/TS 16949:2002 was released to align with changes to ISO 9001, putting more focus on how "to
improve effectiveness and efficiency of the entire process instead of a narrow focus on mere compliance with
standards." The current version is ISO/TS 16949:2009. It was released in July 2009 and draws off of ISO 9001:2008,
"emphasizing defect prevention and the reduction of variation and waste in the supply chain."
The standard
ISO/TS 16949 applies to the design, development, production and, when relevant, installation and servicing of
automotive-related products. The requirements are intended to be applied throughout the supply chain, with vehicle
assembly plants being encouraged to seek ISO/TS 16949 certification so as to improve system and process quality,
to increase customer satisfaction, to identify problems and risks in production process and supply chain, and to take
preventive measures to ensure effectiveness.
The technical specification is organized as follows:
Introduction
This section introduces the perceived importance of quality management systems as well as adopting a process-based
approach to their development and implementation. It also addresses its relationship to the ISO 9001, 9004 and
14001 standards.
Scope
The scope and application of the standard is described as defining "the quality management system requirements for
the design and development, production and, when relevant, installation and service of automotive-related products."
Normative references
This section states the definitions in ISO 9000:2005 are vital to applying the specification.
Management responsibility
This section outlines the managerial responsibilities associated with designing and implementing a quality
management system. These responsibilities are broken into six subsections:
5.1 Management commitment
5.2 Customer focus
5.3 Quality policy
5.4 Planning
5.5 Responsibility, authority and communication
5.6 Management review
Resource management
This section outlines the requirements for managing the various resources needed to develop and maintain a quality
management system as well as improve its effectiveness. These responsibilities are broken into four subsections:
6.1 Provision of resources
6.2 Human resources
6.3 Infrastructure
6.4 Work environment
Product realization
The requirements for managing the aspects of a quality management system that directly affects how products are
designed, produced, and shipped are covered in this section, which spans six subsections:
7.1 Planning of product realization
7.2 Customer-related processes
7.3 Design and development
7.4 Purchasing
7.5 Production and service provision
7.6 Control of monitoring and measuring equipment
Annex A
Annex A: Control plan "shows the correspondence between ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004."
Certification
Manufacturers get ISO/TS 16949 certified based of the certification rules issued by the International Automotive
Task Force (IATF). Those certification rules changed in April 2014, "intended to strengthen the value of the
certification as seen by the customers of the scheme, i.e. the automotive OEMs who receive the products that are
produced by the suppliers certified to the scheme." The new rules place extra emphasis on customer-measured
performance as well as audit planning, including additional controls on site extensions, ring fencing, and
nonconformity management. In March 2014, standards institute BSI outlined all the changes that took place to the
certification process in their document Presentation by BSI on the main changes to the IATF ISO/TS 16949
certification scheme.
Certifications last three years, and according to the new rules, the first recertification audit should be completed
within exactly three years of the initial Stage 2 audit.
Further reading
• Lomas, Frank (14 March 2014). "Presentation by BSI on the main changes to the IATF ISO/TS 16949
certification scheme" [1] (PDF). The British Standards Institution.
External links
• ISO/TS 16949 standards at the International Organization for Standardization [2]
References
[1] http:/ / www. bsigroup. com/ LocalFiles/ en-US/ Documents/ TS16949changespresentations. pdf
[2] http:/ / www. iso. org/ iso/ catalogue_detail?csnumber=52844
The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board 126
History
The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) was officially founded in the fall of 1974. Around
the same time, a national examination of forensic science laboratories began, culminating in 1977 with the revelation
that many mistakes were being made in those labs. The problematic statistics that came out of that research partially
drove the ASCLD to create the Laboratory Accreditation Board (LAB) in the summer of 1981. The ASCLD/LAB
eventually incorporated as a non-profit corporation in Missouri on February 4, 1988. By June 1992, the organization
had accredited 128 laboratories, including its first international laboratory, located in Adelaide, Australia. By the
spring of 2014 that total was 403.
On April 22, 2016, ANAB announced that it had signed "an affiliation agreement with The American Society of
Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB), merging ASCLD/LAB into ANAB."
ANAB stated that with the merger ASCLD/LAB employees would be kept, the ASCLD/LAB brand would be
maintained, and "current ASCLD/LAB customers will continue to be accredited under the ASCLD/LAB
accreditation symbol."
Accreditation
ASCLD/LAB accredited forensic laboratories and certain forensic breath alcohol calibration programs to help them
"demonstrate that its technical operations and overall management system meet ISO/IEC 17025:2005 requirements
and applicable ASCLD/LAB-International supplemental requirements." Application review, on-site assessments,
quality review, and, if necessary, corrective action resolutions were conducted before the final review and
accreditation decision. The International accreditation typically was good for four years as long as the lab remained
compliant and maintained obligations such as notification of significant changes to primary policies, resources,
organization, and legal ownership.
The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board 127
Compliance
After acceptance, ASCLD/LAB used its Annual Accreditation Audit Report, proficiency testing reports, and
laboratory visits to monitor a crime lab's compliance with the body's accreditation standards. In the unusual case of a
laboratory failing to comply with those standards, the ASCLD at times opted to place the lab on probation. Examples
of such probationary action included the Nassau County, New York crime lab in 2007 and 2010 and the El Paso
Police Department in 2011. Once on probation, the affected lab had to satisfy certain conditions before being able to
again operate and eventually be removed from the probationary period, including but not limited to submitting lab
analyses for external technical reviews. In extreme cases of non-compliance, the ASCLD at times also chose to
suspend the lab for a period of time or even revoke the lab's accreditation.
External links
• ASCLD [1]
• ASCLD/LAB [2] (archived)
References
[1] http:/ / www. ascld. org/
[2] https:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20160413040425/ http:/ / www. ascld-lab. org/
History
The NELAC Institute (TNI) was formed on November 6, 2006 as a collaboration between the National
Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC) and the Institute for National Environmental
Laboratory Accreditation (INELA) with "the vision that all entities generating environmental data in the United
States be accredited to a national standard."
With the original 2003 NELAC Standard and 2005 updates to ISO/IEC 17025 as their guide, TNI continued work on
revising the NELAC Standard, culminating in the release of its new standards in July 2011. The revisions both made
ISO/IEC 17025 adherence mandatory and added analysis requirements for "five new contaminants and lower limits
for existing contaminants."
External links
• The NELAC Institute [2]
• National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program [3]
• TNI LAMS [4]
References
[1] https:/ / www. limswiki. org/ index. php?title=The_NELAC_Institute& action=edit
[2] http:/ / www. nelac-institute. org/ index. php
[3] http:/ / www. nelac-institute. org/ newnelap. php
[4] http:/ / lams. nelac-institute. org/
129
For this free public domain version of the guide, we've added more vendors, updated new information, and added
links to video demonstrations of their systems, with the goal of providing the accurate information you need to make
decisions for your lab. This guide also strives to be different from any buyer's guide that has ever come before by
including pricing. For the first time you have real information as well as pricing so you can quickly pursue only the
vendors and products that make sense for you and your lab. While in the past vendors have refrained from providing
public pricing, the trend is arguably changing towards a more open information process, though not without its own
set of caveats. In theory, that means prices should decrease as LIMS become commodities that labs can compare and
contrast in a more competitive fashion.
At the core all labs are in the business of producing reports, data... essentially information. Everything else is just a
means to that central goal. So in a very real sense, information management is the core of any lab. In a world where
we use the latest technology for most of our daily tasks and pleasures, why do so many labs still rely on hand-written
notes and spreadsheets? Spend thousands of dollars on a sophisticated analytical instrument yet hesitate when faced
with purchasing an information management system? Why? The primary reason is price priorities.
Since LIMS are increasingly becoming commodities, driving down prices, potential buyers don't need to make the
tough decision of one or the other anymore. As technology has improved, smaller LIMS companies have emerged,
along with affordable SaaS online subscription models that are trustworthy. This means any lab can put their
resources where they belong: in information and its management.
Laboratory, Scientific, and Health Informatics Buyer's Guide 130
How do I find the right LIMS, and how much will it cost?
To hide the contents of this section for easier reading of other sections, click the "Collapse" link to the right.
OK, LIMS are getting more affordable, but where do you start? You may know the needs of your lab and how it
runs, but perhaps you don't know LIMS and are intimidated by all the options. Take heart! This guide features a
compiled list of major and minor players to help you make initial comparisons. However, you'll first need to gauge
your lab's informatics needs in order to determine which products are worth investigating further. Of course your
lab's analysis requirements, reporting and data sharing constraints, instrument interfacing, barcoding needs, quality
assurance processes, etc. are very important factors. But LIMS vary in numerous ways, and other important factors
exist. Price should certainly be considered, although value is ultimately more important than a low price. Other
important considerations:
• Should we purchase licenses or "rent" them via subscription?
• Does the software need to be on-site, or is a SaaS hosted option more practical?
• Is a modular or complete system better for us?
• What is the best licensing/rental scheme for us? Show we consider site, named user, concurrent user, or
workstation licenses?
• Is the company qualified and trustworthy?
The company
As important as the LIMS and its functions are to you, the company is at least as important. Make no mistake: this is
a relationship you are entering into. This is not like selecting a piece of furniture. A LIMS is like a living, dynamic
entity, and you'll need to interact with the vendor from time to time even with the most trouble-free system. Of
course that interaction will be particularly intense in the beginning as they provide installation, provisioning,
training, and other set-up services. Take your cue from your initial dealings with them. Just like in any relationship,
they will be presenting their best side to you then. If the vendor return calls or emails late or fails to follow through
with what they say they'll do, then you can bet it will be much worse once you are their customer. So yes, do the
Laboratory, Scientific, and Health Informatics Buyer's Guide 132
usual: research their years in business, size, staff qualifications, references, etc., but also ask yourself if you would be
comfortable doing business with the vendor in the long term.
The functionality
And now we come to what probably has weighed most on your mind since you had the first idea you might need a
LIMS: functions and features. The functionality of the LIMS is paramount, so it is important you first have an idea
of what a LIMS can do, and then you can begin to decide which functions and features you need or want.
Licenses
If the software has a purchased license type (as opposed to rented/subscription), then you will of course have to pay
for those. Keep in mind what we said earlier about named vs. concurrent user pricing. Other methods include by site,
by CPU or server, by workstation, or by unlimited user corporate level licensing. Arguably the lack of
standardization in this area has contributed as much as anything to the vagueness that has surrounded LIMS pricing
for so long. The linked vendor profiles in the next section feature pricing information for licenses for the included
vendors. (Remember: the primary criterion for inclusion is publicly available pricing.) Review and compare, but
make sure you factor in pricing method.
Subscriptions
These include two possible items:
1. rented or SaaS LIMS
2. annual maintenance, support, and warranty (MSW)
The cost of LIMS rental is equivalent to the licensed type, but a lump sum up front is not required. These can run
anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars a month for a single user up to maybe $2000 or so for 20+ users. Just like
purchased licenses, however, these can be priced by site, concurrent or named users, etc., so make sure you compare
like with like or at least factor these considerations in as you shop. And your rental may be annual instead of
monthly. In most cases it does include all IT services and maintenance, support, and warranty, including updates, at a
specified level.
Laboratory, Scientific, and Health Informatics Buyer's Guide 134
The second type of subscription cost is annual MSW, and you need to factor that into your budgeting if you are
buying LIMS licenses. Typically it is priced at around 15 percent of the license fee and is available at graduated
levels. A certain level may be standard for a certain number of licenses (for example, 10 hours of support and
additional services available at $200 per hour for a 10-concurrent user LIMS), but you can buy a higher level of
support and cheaper rate for additional services if you want to pay extra. One thing to keep in mind: with an MSW
you will certainly need coverage as you go through your first year. If you think you can then drop it, think again. A
modern LIMS should be built on technology that can give it a much longer life span than those in years past. That is
dependent on staying updated. If you lose that update path, your LIMS will expire prematurely. If you decide later to
renew MSW, you may find yourself liable for the missed years before the vendor will bring you current.
Services
Your LIMS is a function of the cost of the LIMS itself plus the services involved in its implementation plus, in the
case of a licensed LIMS, annual MSW. Many first-time LIMS buyers neglect to factor in the cost of services when
budgeting. As mentioned earlier, any LIMS will require services to get going, and you may want more if there are
extras you need or want. Services break down more or less like this:
Basic implementation services
• kickoff meeting (planning, coordination, communication procedures, etc.)
• training
• setup (enter users, configure profiles, departments, tests, screens, etc.)
• create main report(s)
• go live support
Additional or optional services
• instrument interfaces
• additional reports
• data migration from a previous system
• interfaces to other systems or databases
• special customizations
• web portal configuration
• validation
• standards certification support
You may need other services. Rates for services vary from vendor to vendor, but a good rule of thumb for initial
budgeting purposes is to figure service costs to be roughly equal to the licensing cost or to a year's worth of LIMS
subscription.
For free open-source laboratory informatics software, please see the open-source laboratory informatics software page.
Click the link of each vendor to find useful product information, pricing information, and demo videos.
Laboratory, Scientific, and Health Informatics Buyer's Guide 135
Scilligence Corporation Yes 23 No No Yes No Prices for self-hosted ELN Enterprise edition are
not publicly available.
LabArchives, LLC Yes 18 No No Yes No Pricing only available for non-profit entities;
for-profit prices not public.
Abbott Informatics Corporation Yes 5 Yes No Yes Yes Pricing only available for LIMS, not ELN or
SDMS.
BiochemLab Solutions No 4 No No Yes No Free ad-based and paid ad-free versions of ELN
exist.
Biomed Systems Ltd. Yes 2 Yes No No No LIMS available with ELN as add-on
ChemBytes No 0 No No Yes No
Dassault Systèmes SA Yes 0 No No Yes No Pricing only available for cloud ELN.
Terra Systems OÜ No 0 No Yes No No Pricing only available for MiniLIS, not other
products.
Lab Careers
Lab Careers [2] is a LinkedIn-associated group for the viewing and posting of job openings for laboratory, scientific,
and health lab careers.
LIMS Forum
LIMS Forum [3] is a LinkedIn-associated group for those interested in laboratory, scientific, and health informatics.
LIMS University
LIMS University [4] is a free and open-access learning and teaching resource for those wanting to learn more about
laboratory informatics or LabLynx's ELab system.
Laboratory, Scientific, and Health Informatics Buyer's Guide 137
LIMSfinder
LIMSfinder [5] is a web portal for those looking for a LIMS and related information, services, products, news,
events, resources, jobs, etc.
LIMSpec
LIMSpec [6] (.zip file) is a collection of templates — from lab requirements assessment to LIMS vendor and system
questionnaires, validation documents, and more — for identifying LIMS needs and matching them with what's out
there. It's complete with instructions and examples to help guide you through the process.
External links
• original LIMS Buyer's Guide page [7]
References
[1] http:/ / creativecommons. org/ licenses/ by-sa/ 3. 0/
[2] http:/ / www. labcareers. com
[3] http:/ / www. limsforum. com
[4] http:/ / www. limsuniversity. com/
[5] http:/ / www. limsfinder. com/
[6] http:/ / files. limstitute. com/ share/ limstitute/ downloadlimspec. zip
[7] http:/ / limsbook. com/
Open-source laboratory informatics software 138
3D Slicer
AdLIMS
BASE
Bika LIMS
BonsaiLIMS
C4G BLIS
Caisis
Care2X
ClearHealth
ClinCapture
CyNote
Dcm4che2
Dicoogle
ELabFTW
Electronic Laboratory Notebook (PNNL software)
Eln
Free D Path
Indigo ELN
IPath
Open-source laboratory informatics software 139
ITK
JuliaBase
Jupyter Notebook
KNIME
LabKey Server
LabStoRe
LabTrove
LabWiki
LAMA
LIIS
Mirth Connect
MISO
MolabIS
Ms-lims
Open enventory
Open-LIMS
OpenBIS
OpenCDMS
OpenChrom
OpenClinic GA
OpenClinica
OpenCryobank
OpenELIS
OpenEpi
OpenFreezer
OpenLabFramework
OpenMEDIS
OpenMRS
OpenSpecimen
OpenVista
OsiriX
PHYAURA EHR
PiMS
ProtLIMS
S
Open-source laboratory informatics software 140
[1] Fairfield, IL, U.S. "We provide project management, system development, code
A Byte of Advice, Inc. Services
modification, support and training"; experience with [1]
page
LabVantage and PerkinElmer products
[6] Atlanta, GA, U.S. Provides a wide range of services, particularly with SCC and
Atlanta Consultant Services
Cerner products [5]
page
[7] Phoenix, AZ, U.S. LIS implementation, interface testing and validation, project
BC Solutions, LLC Services
management and consulting, data conversion/migration [8]
page
BGASoft, Inc. dba LIMS ABC Fort Lauderdale, Business analysis, lab process improvement, enterprise and Services
FL, U.S. cloud architecture, LIMS implementation, etc. [9]
page
Laboratory informatics consultants 141
Bika Lab Systems (Pty) Ltd. Western Cape, LIMS requirement analysis, design, customization, Services
South Africa configuration, and testing; training; project management, etc. [10]
page
[18] Carmel, IN, U.S. Provides a wide range of services "to all types of clinical
Clinical Lab Consulting, LLC Services
laboratories including governmental, academia, [19]
page
hospital, reference and physician office laboratories."
Cosine Consultants Ltd. Strovolos, Cyprus Software customization, data management system consulting, Services
Fission LIMS, etc. [22]
page
[23] Wayne, PA, U.S. Computer system validation, FDA compliance, LIMS, system
Covex, LLC Services
and network management, engineering, etc. [24]
page
CSols, Inc. Newark, DE, U.S. Laboratory informatics strategic services, ELN and LIMS Services
implementation, computer system validation, and [25]
page
laboratory vendor-specific technologies
[27] Kibworth "We deliver the knowledge and expertise regarding information
Feltham Associates, Ltd. Services
Harcourt, U.K. needs, laboratory and radiology computer [28]
page
systems applications and the supporting infrastructure."
[31] Paris, France eLearning tools, clinical trial management systems, LIMS, ELN, Services
Fructeam SARL
SDMS, SAP [31]
page
[32] Ann Arbor, MI, "GeoMetrick Enterprises has solved LIMS problems for large
GeoMetrick Enterprises Services
U.S. and small companies in wide array of industries." [33]
page
[34] Pacifica, CA, U.S. LIMS selection, implementation, and change management;
HPFM, Inc. Services
computer system validation; quality [34]
page
management systems, etc.
[41] Sugar Land, TX, Laboratory informatics, LIMS, LIS, ELN, data analytics,
LabAnswer, Inc. Services
U.S. managed services, etc. [42]
page
[43] Cambridge, MA, Laboratory informatics, LIMS, LIS, ELN, project management,
LabCentrix, LLC Services
U.S. data migration, computer system validation, etc. [44]
page
[49] Celbridge, Ireland Laboratory and scientific informatics, 21 CFR Part 11, project
Laboratory Systems Consulting Services
management, etc. [50]
page
[60] Chennai, India Laboratory informatics, LIMS, testing and validation, system
NXG Group, Inc. Services
integration management, business consulting, etc. [61]
page
[66] Oslo, Norway Laboratory informatics, LIMS, CDMS, 21 CFR Part 11,
Segalstad Consulting AS Services
computer system validation, quality management, etc. [67]
page
[72] Palo Alto, CA, Laboratory informatics, microbiological and chemistry services, Services
Validation Systems, Inc.
U.S. quality management systems, [72]
page
computer system validation, etc.
General laboratory
These consultancies offer general help to laboratories, including management and quality control among other things
(location represents headquarters):
[79] St. Louis, MO, U.S. Laboratory start-up, pre-inspection evaluation, post-inspection
AMS Medical Laboratories Services page
correction, workflow improvement, [80]
profitability analysis, procedure development, etc.
Franklin Lakes, NJ, Laboratory start-up and consolidation, preanalytical best practices
Becton, Dickinson and Company Services page
[85] U.S. training, etc. [86]
[93] Austin, TX, U.S. Laboratory start-up, regulatory compliance, workflow improvement,
Catalyst Consulting Services page
profitability analysis [94]
[95] Ann Arbor, MI, Laboratory design and start-up, laboratory implementation and
Chi Solutions, Inc. Services page
U.S. management planning, anatomical pathology services, [96]
quality assessment, etc.
[97] Tampa, FL, U.S. Laboratory design and start-up, laboratory implementation and
Colaborate, LLC Services page
management planning, laboratory informatics, [98]
performance analysis, etc.
[99] Southfield, MI, U.S. Emphasis on forensic science, laboratory design and planning,
Crime Lab Design Services page
feasibility studies, civil and mechanical [100]
engineering, workflow management, etc.
Laboratory informatics consultants 144
[105] Knoxville, TN, U.S. Laboratory and physician practice accounting, compliance,
DoctorsManagement Services page
development, and operation improvement [105]
[110] Garden Grove, CA, Laboratory start-up, laboratory operations, regulatory assistance
Gnosis International, LLC Services page
U.S. [111]
[116] Burr Ridge, IL, U.S. Laboratory, science, and research building design and renovation
Ketchmark & Associates, Inc. Services page
[117]
[118] Abilene, TX, U.S. Data management, quality managementm, regulatory guidance,
Lab Advisory Bureau Services page
training, accreditation prep [119]
[120] Calabasas, CA, U.S. Compliance management, workflow improvement, training, procedure Services page
Lab IQ, LLC
development, feasibility studies, etc. [120]
[121] Napa, CA, U.S. Laboratory, science, and research building design and renovation;
Laboratory by Design, Inc. Services page
project management and administration [122]
Raleigh, NC, U.S. Laboratory start-up, consulting, and staffing; systems selection and
Laboratory Start-Up Consultants Services page
[123] validation; feasibility studies, standard [123]
operating procedure development, etc.
[124] Houston, TX, U.S. Laboratory audit preparation, corrective and preventative action
Labtopia, Inc. Services page
programs, quality assurance, [125]
project management, regulatory requirements, technical writing, etc.
[126] Carlsbad, CA, U.S. Laboratory audit preparation, DoD accreditation, litigation support,
LDC, Inc. Services page
data validation, training [127]
Nath Healthcare Business Solutions, Stafford, TX, U.S. Regulatory requirements, training and support, custom reporting and Services page
[130] analytics, trend analysis [131]
LLC
OnTarget Consulting Services, LLC Atlanta, GA, U.S. Accreditation prep, operational and risk assessment, training, process Services page
[132] management [133]
[136] Conshohocken, PA, Pathology laboratory design, start-up, and management; systems
Lab Solutions, Inc. Services page
U.S. selection and validation; [137]
inspection preparation; technical writing; staff evaluation and
competency development; etc.
Jackson, TN, U.S. Laboratory CLIA compliance, regulatory review, and inspection
Physicians Office Consulting, LLC Services page
[138] services; laboratory start-up and development [139]
[140] FL and NJ, U.S. Regulatory compliance, review, and inspection services; training
POC Consultants, LLC Services page
[141]
[142] Escondido, CA, Laboratory design and start-up, corrective action management,
Polestar Labs Services page
U.S. profitability analysis, instrument management [142]
Beverly, MA, U.S. Laboratory program development, laboratory design and start-up,
Quality Systems and Compliance, Services page
[143] pre-inspection evaluation, post-inspection correction, [144]
Inc.
workflow improvement, quality assurance, point-of-care testing
assistance, etc.
[145] Basalt, CO, U.S. Laboratory program assessment and enhancement, laboratory
Rodric Consulting, LLC Services page
restructuring and consolidation, compliance assessment, [146]
LIS implementation, CLIA and accreditation assistance, etc.
[147] Corona, CA, U.S. Laboratory compliance, maintenance, and benchmarking programs;
rpl Laboratory Solutions, Inc. Services page
feasibility analysis; technical writing; [148]
laboratory informatics project management; LIS; EHR; safety
services; etc.
Laboratory design
These consultancies offer specific help to laboratories in the field of design and organization of a laboratory (location
represents headquarters):
[158] Pasadena, CA, U.S. Laboratory design, benchmarking, and workflow; vivarium design
Jacobs Consultancy, Inc. Services page
[159]
[162] Santa Rosa, CA, U.S. Laboratory design, feasibility studies, test menu development,
Knapp-Frazer Consulting Services page
instrument evaluation, [163]
licensing and accreditation, technical writing
[168] Irvine, CA, U.S. Laboratory design, renovation, relocation, and construction
LCS Constructors, Inc. Services page
[169]
[171] San Diego, CA, U.S. Laboratory assessment, benchmarking, and design
Research Facilities Design Services page
[172]
[173] Geneva, Switzerland Wide array of services, including laboratory assessment and
SGS S.A. Services page
design for the petrochemical industry [174]
References
[1] http:/ / www. 888byteinc. com/ html/ html. html
[2] http:/ / new. abb. com/ service
[3] http:/ / www. aseeei. com/
[4] http:/ / www. astrixsoftware. com/
[5] http:/ / www. astrixsoftware. com/ consulting/ consulting-services
[6] http:/ / www. cernerconsultant. com/
[7] http:/ / www. bcsolutionsrfn. com/
[8] http:/ / www. bcsolutionsrfn. com/ services/
[9] http:/ / www. limsabc. com/
[10] http:/ / www. bikalabs. com/ services
[11] http:/ / www. blcllc. com/
[12] http:/ / www. brevitasconsulting. com/ index. php
[13] http:/ / www. brevitasconsulting. com/ index. php/ what-we-do/ it-and-information-solutions
[14] http:/ / www. chemtech. com. br/ en/
[15] http:/ / www. chemtech. com. br/ en/ industrial-it/
[16] http:/ / www. clevr. com. au/
[17] http:/ / www. clevr. com. au/ services/
[18] http:/ / www. clinicallabconsulting. com/
[19] http:/ / www. clinicallabconsulting. com/ general-consulting/
[20] http:/ / www. consultants-lab. com/
[21] http:/ / consultants-lab. com/ lab-consulting
[22] http:/ / www. cosine. com. cy/ index. php/ services
[23] http:/ / www. covexllc. com/
[24] http:/ / www. covexllc. com/ services. php
[25] http:/ / www. csolsinc. com/ services/
Laboratory informatics consultants 147
General IT
Following is a list of questions that either apply to the larger IT environment, or to both the larger environment and
to individual systems. The auditor must be sure to evaluate both where necessary. For instance, an organization may
have a robust password policy which is managed by a centralized identity management tool. This is important
evaluate in terms of general security around the systems in scope. At the same time, the specific system may or may
not leverage the corporate IDM and thus it’s identity management should be evaluated on its own merits.
• For iterative development approaches, are previous versions of deliverables (such as requirements lists)
archived in some fashion? - GPSV 5.2.1
• Is there an audit trail for modifications to system documentation? - 21 CFR 11.10(k)(2)
• For commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), has the vendor been evaluated for its quality systems? - GPSV 6.3
• Is there some form of traceability that permits tracking of test results and verification activities to specific
requirements? - GPSV 5.2.2
• Are adequate change control systems in place during the development and implementation processes? GPSV
3.3
• For each of the other elements of this checklist that apply directly to an electronic record system, has
appropriate validation work been undertaken to establish that the system complies with the checklist item?
Access Controls
• Do formal procedures exist governing user account creation for electronic records systems.
• Do formal procedures exist governing access to network and server resources that are used to operate electronic
records systems?
System Specific
Fraud Detection
• Is the system designed to either prevent record alteration or make such alteration apparent? 21 CFR 11.10(a)
Audit Trails
• Does the system maintain an audit trail that tracks changes to electronic records? 21 CFR 11.10(e)
• Are the audit trail records time stamped? 21 CFR 11.10(e)
• Are the audit trail records system generated, such that human intervention is not required? 21 CFR 11.10(e)
• Are audit trail records secured such that they cannot be modified by users of the system? 21 CFR 11.10(e)
• Is the audit trail data available for export (printing or electronic) to support agency review? 21 CFR 11.10(e)
Access Controls
• Does the identity management systems have minimum password complexity/strength requirements? Do these
minimums seem reasonable? 21 CFR Part 11 Final Rule Section 130
• Do these id systems have policies regarding password change frequency? 21 CFR 11.300(b)
• Do identity management systems prevent the creation of duplicate user ID’s?
Electronic Signatures
• Is the electronic signature system engineered in such a way as to ensure that the signatures cannot be attached to
other records, or cannot be removed from the records they are attached to? - 21 CFR 11.70
• Is the system engineered such that in order to apply someone else’s signature to a file that collaboration is
required between two or more individuals? (this is largely covered by the identity management controls). - 21
CFR 11.200(a)(3)
• If a signature event only requires one signature element, is it only in the case of being part of a continuous period
of system access? - 21 CFR 11.200(a)(1)(i)
• Are their suitable loss management procedures in place to address compromised passwords, or lost/stolen
authentication devices (such as RSA ID tokens)? - 21 CFR 11.300(c)
• Is the system designed to alert security and/or management in the event of an apparent attempt at unauthorized
use of electronic signatures? Does the system automatically take steps to lock out users associated with these
attempts? - 21 CFR 11.300(d)
• Is there a system for the periodic testing of tokens and cards to ensure that they are still operating as expected and
have not been altered? If not, is there something in the nature of the tokens/cards that would render them unusable
should alteration be attempted? - 21 CFR 11.300(e)
• Is there a password reset method that does not require system administrators to know a user’s password? - 21 CFR
Part 11 Final Rule Section 123
• Are user passwords suitably encrypted in any persistent data store, such that elucidating the original password
would require extraordinary means?
• Are controls in place to ensure that password reset instructions are sent to the correct individual?
Process Controls
• Does the system have a mechanism to establish differing levels of authority to perform tasks in the system? - 21
CFR 11.10(g)
• Does the system have a mechanism for preventing steps being taken out of sequence (e.g., signing a record before
data has been entered, or releasing a record before the review step was completed)? - 21 CFR 11.10(f)
Reference material
21 CFR Part 11
Subpart A — General Provisions
§ 11.1 Scope [1]
§ 11.2 Implementation [2]
§ 11.3 Definitions [3]
Subpart B — Electronic Records
21 CFR Part 11: Audit guidelines and checklist 154
Others
• 21 CFR Part 211 [11]: Current Good Manufacturing Practice for Finished Pharmaceuticals
• 21 CFR Part 820 [12]: Quality System Regulation
Administrative safeguards
Security Management Process
• Does a detailed risk assessment exist regarding potential vulnerabilities to the confidentiality, integrity, and
availability of PHI?
• Does the assessment identify actions to mitigate certain risks? Have these actions been taken, or have plans been
generated to take these actions?
• Does a policy exist specifying sanctions to be taken against employees who fail to comply with security policies
and procedures?
• Is there a system in place for regular review of system activity, including things such as audit logs and incident
reports?
• Is there a clear requirement for communication with system administrators and IT staff regarding affected
accounts?
• If a health clearinghouse is part of a larger organization, confirm that adequate controls exist that prevent the
larger organization from accessing PHI.
• Do the PHI access procedures apply to the IT/IS organization? That is, is access to PHI only allowed for IT/IS
employees with a legitimate business reason to access that data? Are IT/IS employees adequately trained in the
HIPAA regulations, internal policies and procedures regarding PHI?
Contingency Plan
• Does the organization have a comprehensive disaster preparedness/business continuity plan?
• Does the plan included a backup and recovery procedure for all system data?
• Does the plan adequately address how operations can be continued under various scenarios?
• Does the plan include procedures for testing the various elements of the plan to ensure they are still valid?
• Does the plan address the criticality of the various systems in its design?
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act: Audit guidelines and checklist 158
Evaluation
• Is a periodic re-evaluation of security standards undertaken?
• Does the re-evaluation take into account changes in the current state of IT security and the environment of threats
facing secured systems, as well as the current state of the regulations?
Physical safeguards
Facility Access Controls
• Is the facility containing the system (this includes electronic access points that connect to the system in a
"non-secure" manner) sufficiently protected from unauthorized access?
• Is access to application and database servers further restricted to only those personnel who are authorized to
directly interact with those elements of the system (i.e., system administrators).
• Is there a system that limits access to facilities and areas within facilities to authorized personnel? Does this
system implement a mechanism for confirming the identify of individuals accessing the facility (e.g., through a
electronic key access system)
• Does this system apply to visitors as well?
• Is access to systems used for testing and revision of software similarly restricted? Evaluate the access restrictions
to tools that could be used to modify and deploy the software. Ensure that these access restrictions are addressed
via SOP.
Workstation Use
• Do procedures exist which govern the class of workstation that can be used to access PHI?
Workstation Security
• Are workstations that are used to access PHI appropriately restricted?
• If workstations can directly interact with PHI without additional controls, are the workstations secured in
appropriately restricted areas?
Technical safeguards
Access Control
• Do systems with access to PHI have a robust authentication process for gaining access?
• Do these system require that all users have a unique id?
• Are password assignment, change, recovery, and related processes designed in such a way so as to ensure that the
user gaining access to PHI is who they say they are?
• Is there a mechanism for gaining access to necessary PHI in the event of an emergency? Is this mechanism
designed such that it's invocation during non-emergencies would not be achievable in a non-obvious way?
• Does this system automatically log off users after a defined period of inactivity?
• Does the system maintain PHI in an encrypted state?
Audit Controls
• Do systems used for PHI maintain audit trails which record, in a secure manner, all activities within the system.
Are the audit trails reviewed periodically?
Integrity
• Are policies and procedures in place to ensure that PHI has not been altered or destroyed in an unauthorized
manner?
• Are electronic mechanisms employed to corroborate that PHI has not been altered or destroyed in an unauthorized
manner?*
• If PHI is transmitted outside of the responsible entity (i.e., via the internet), is the data transmitted in such a way
so as to prevent unauthorized access (via ssl or similar protocols?)
• Are security certificates on servers involved in managing PHI current, and authenticated by a recognized third
party certifying organization?
Organizational requirements
Business associate contracts
• Are business associates required contractually to adhere to the regulations with regard to PHI they maintain?
• Do business associate agreements exist with third party data/application hosting services?
• Do business associate agreements extend, contractually, to agents/subcontractors?
• Is it clear within the terms of the business associate agreements that the business associate must immediately
report any breaches or incidents?
• Is it clear within the terms of the business associate agreements that the relationship can be terminated if the
associate fails to comply with the requirements of the regulations?
• Do records exist of audits and other reviews of business associates? If breeches or violations of the regulation
have occurred, have appropriate actions been taken, up to and including termination of the agreement?
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act: Audit guidelines and checklist 160
Documentation requirements
Documentation
• Are the procedures required by the regulations maintained in written (or alternatively electronic, but signed)
form?
• Are actions and activities which are required to be documented maintained in written form (or electronic
alternatives)?
• Is there a retention policy regarding the policies and procedures? Does the policy require that such documents be
maintained for at least 6 years after either the date of its creation or of its effective date (whichever is later)?
• Does a review system exist for these policies and procedures to ensure that they are current?
Printing or saving
The print/export options in the navigation on the far left give you a few options for saving this and other pages,
printing them for later.
Notice you'll have to open 1.5 and 1.6 in separate pages to view, print, and save them.
Note: Tables are currently not being rendered in PDFs as we like through the MediaWiki Collection extension [1].
While we sure would love for you to make a PDF of this document, be warned: the tables don't format as intended,
using either the "Create a book" or "Download as PDF" processes. For now you're best off selecting "Printable
version" and printing that instead.
Company name
Physical address
Website
Contact e-mail
Years in business
b. The vendor provides a detailed project plan that includes the project team, timeline, deliverables, and risk and
issue management procedures.
c. The vendor explains their overall project approach, deliverables, time constraints, and any other criteria for the
project.
d. The vendor provides reliable cost estimates and pricing schedules, including all products and services in the
scope of work.
e. The vendor details the amount of time and staff that the purchaser will have to provide for the implementation
process.
Laboratory information management system (LIMS) questionnaire 162
f. The vendor can explain the maintenance and support offered during and after implementation, including times
and methods of availability, issue escalation and management, etc.
g. The vendor provides a support schedule for the implementation process, including optional support levels,
their function, and availability.
h. The vendor provides support during the "go-live" period between system validation/operational deployment
and final acceptance/beginning of maintenance and support agreements.
i. The vendor provides a gap analysis after initial system installation, identifying the deliverables or tasks
remaining.
j. The vendor provides a table linking each deliverable to the corresponding user requirement specification it
fulfills.
k. The vendor uses a consistent training methodology for educating new users.
m. The vendor provides user, administrator, developer, installation, and reference manuals.
r. The vendor provides well-documented system upgrades that authorized users can independently install.
t. The vendor provides an optional comprehensive set of test codes suitable for use by the purchaser.
1.2.1 General IT
1.2.1 General IT
a. The system operates with a traditional client-server architecture, with software installed on each machine that
needs to access the system.
b. The system operates with a web-based interface, hosted on a server and accessed via a web browser on most
any machine.
c. The system contains a single, centralized database that supports multiple sites and departments.
d. The system's database conforms to the Open Database Connectivity Standard (ODBC).
e. The system is designed so upgrades to the back-end database do not require extensive reconfiguration or
effectively cripple the system.
h. The system applies log-in security to all servers and workstations accessing it.
j. The system applies Secured Socket Layer (SSL) encryption on the web client interface.
k. The system encrypts client passwords in a database, with support for multi-case and special characters.
m. The system provides data archiving functionality, including a configurable scheduled archive, for all contained
data, without requiring an off-line mode or human interaction with the data to be archived.
n. The system allows automated backup and restore capability without support intervention, as well as manual
backups.
b. The system utilizes a non-proprietary database such as Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server.
a. The system supports 21 CFR Part 11 and 40 CFR Part 3 requirements, including login security, settable
automatic logouts, periodic requirements for mandatory password changes, limits on reusability of passwords, and
full electronic signature.
f. The system meets government requirements for handling classified information and documents.
g. The system maintains audit and specification violation trails of all data manipulation — such as result and
header information changes — as consistent with all applicable regulations and standards.
h. The system maintains audit trails at least as long as the records to which they pertain.
i. The system's audit log retains all data, prohibits any deletions, allows user comments, and allows reporting of
contained information.
j. The system provides additional persistent auditing capabilities, such as the audit of cancelled tests and scheduled
system functions.
Laboratory information management system (LIMS) questionnaire 164
k. The system provides user-selectable NELAP-compliant internal chain of custody that tracks all specimens and
associated containers from the time they are collected until disposed of.
l. The system provides the ability to insert/manage secure electronic and/or digital signatures.
m. The system incorporates automatic date and time stamping of additions, changes, etc.
n. The system can automatically validate and approve data prior to being moved to the main database.
1.3.2 Security
1.3.2 Security
a. The system allows administrators and other authorized users to configure multiple levels of user rights and
security by site location, department, group, role, and/or specific function.
c. The system features and enforces adjustable rules concerning password complexity, reuse, and expiration.
d. The system can lock a user out after a specified number of consecutive failed log-in attempts.
d. Does your system provide automatic logout based on keyboard or mouse inactivity?
e. The system provides the option for automatic user logout based on keyboard or mouse inactivity.
f. The system makes authority checks to ensure only authorized individuals can use the system to perform an
operation.
g. The system allows authorized users to modify records, while also maintaining an audit trail of such actions.
h. The system allows authorized users to manually delete records, while also maintaining an audit trail of such
actions.
i. The system prompts users to declare a reason for making changes to or deleting data in the system.
j. The system provides email notification of lockout, security access, and improper workstation access.
k. The system provides a mechanism to allow a user read-only access to stored data.
l. The system allows authorized users to generate a detailed user access record.
n. The system allows authorized users to query and print chain of custody for items, cases, projects, and batches.
p. The system automatically tracks when supervisors review critical result values.
q. The system allows automatic and/or manual holds or locks to be placed on data to ensure it goes unaltered or
remains retrievable during a retention period.
r. The system can first feed data from connected non-CFR-compliant instruments through a virtual environment
that is compliant (audit trailed, secure, versioned, etc.) before being stored.
s. The system can control whether users are able to export data to portable long-term storage media like a USB
flash drive or recordable DVD.
u. The system employs checks to enforce permitted sequencing of steps and events.
x. The system prohibits issuing reports outside of qualified areas while also allowing reports to be viewed locally
or remotely based on security application limits and/or specimen ownership.
Laboratory information management system (LIMS) questionnaire 165
a. The system offers non-LIMS trained personnel the ability to easily access system data via an intuitive,
user-friendly Windows-type graphical user interface (GUI) which permits the display of data from specimen points,
projects, and user-defined queries, and can be configured to language, character set, and time zone needs.
b. The system allows authorized users to configure their GUI to a specific language, character set, and time zone.
c. The system permits remote access for users, system admins, and support agents.
d. The system allows for the use of navigation keys to freely move from field to field.
f. The system can send on-screen output to a printer or file without contradicting view-only statuses.
g. The system provides single data entry, automatically populates other data fields, and remembers pertinent and
relevant data so it doesn't need to be re-entered, selected, or searched for.
h. The system eliminates (or significantly reduces) redundant data entry and paper trails.
i. The system contains one or more spell-check dictionaries that allow authorized users to add, edit, or remove
entries.
j. The system provides full database keyword and field search capability, including the use of multiple search
criteria.
k. The system includes the ability to search multiple databases, including those containing legacy data.
l. The system allows users to build, save, and edit queries for future use.
m. The system can automate the search for and extraction of pertinent data, including the export of that data to
external applications for additional processing and calculation.
n. The system cleanly converts migrated data to allow for reporting of historical specimen collections.
o. The system allows for the specification of a retention period for captured data and can enact it based on
date-based fields or a future event.
p. The system can manage and store both sample- and non-sample-related data, including images from microscopes,
GCMS scans of peaks, PDF files, spreadsheets, or even raw data files from instrument runs for later processing.
q. The system can manage and store media objects like digital photos, bitmaps, movies, and audio files.
s. The system's numbering scheme allows for sub-numbering while maintaining parent-child relationships.
t. The system efficiently utilizes standardized data input points and enhanced individual workload tracking.
u. The system captures data from all laboratory processes, ensuring uniformity of statistical reporting and other
electronic data shared with designated users of the data.
v. The system can link objects to other objects, e.g. linking a standard operating procedure (SOP) to a test result.
w. The system notifies users of events like the scheduling, receipt, and completion of tasks.
y. The system has real-time messaging capabilities, including instant messaging to one or more users.
z. The system supports the use of a voice recognition system (for navigation or transcription) or has that
functionality.
Laboratory information management system (LIMS) questionnaire 166
a. The system can be configured to meet the workflow of a laboratory without additional programming.
b. The system architecture is modular or extensible and can easily and efficiently be modified to facilitate the
addition of new functionality as business needs change.
c. The system has an application programming interface (API) or a similar software development toolkit (SDK). If
web-based, the API should support Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), representational state transfer (REST),
or both.
e. The system supports customized screens with user-definable information specific to a customer, department,
analysis, etc.
f. The system allows the administrator to create custom screens, applications, and reports.
g. The system allows a user to independently add fields without requiring reconfiguration of the system, even after
routine upgrades and maintenance.
h. The system allows a user to independently add universal fields on all samples logged into the system at any time
during or after implementation, while neither voiding the warranty nor requiring vendor review at a later date.
i. The system supports the definition and maintenance of edit tables and lists.
k. The system has dynamically configurable limit periods and notification hierarchy.
l. The system allows for the integration of additional printers and scanners both locally and externally.
a. The system tracks status and workflow of the accession throughout the laboratory lifecycle, from submission to
final analysis, including receiving, diagnostic testing, diagnostic test result reporting, and billing.
c. The system allows users to create, manage, and track viewable sample container schemata.
d. The system creates and maintains a unique electronic accession record for each accession received.
e. The system supports standard-format digital picture and document upload and attachment to electronic accession
records.
f. The system supports a user-configurable, spreadsheet-style, templated multi-specimen (batch) login without
requiring additional programming.
g. The system supports the modification of specimen or specimen batch information prior to actual multi-sample
(batch) login.
h. The system supports ad-hoc specimens not predefined in the specimen point list during multi-sample (batch)
login.
Laboratory information management system (LIMS) questionnaire 167
i. The system creates, saves, and recalls pre-login groups for routine samples to simplify recurring logins.
k. The system automatically generates labels for recurring samples and sample groups.
l. The system allows authorized users to generate user-definable or rules-based chain of custodies, worksheets,
routing sheets, and custom labels upon sample login.
m. The system provides a comprehensive view of all samples and projects in the system using a color-coded status
view of the current and scheduled samples via user-configurable templates, all without requiring additional
programming.
n. The system includes environmental monitoring (EM) functionality or integrates with an external EM product.
o. The system prevents a sample from being placed in a report queue until approved.
p. The system includes comprehensive scheduling, tracking, and flow management of samples, including across
multiple sites.
q. The system is capable of geographically organizing sample records and their associated tests for special analysis
and reporting.
r. The system allows authorized users to accept, cancel, re-run, and override attributes of one or multiple tests for a
given sample.
s. The system allows authorized users to review the available test types in the system, including their reference
range and units of measure.
t. The system has a "miscellaneous" test code to allow a test undefined in the system to be ordered and billed.
u. The system allows authorized users to schedule routine samples on an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly basis,
allowing them to be enabled and disabled as a group.
v. The system generates an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly sample collection schedule from a scheduling
database.
w. The system schedules and assign tasks based on available inventory and personnel.
z. The system electronically receives and processes collection and analysis request information and schedules from
third parties.
ab. The system processes automated uploading of field-derived sample collection data.
ac. The system allows users to handle billable and non-billable tests on the same accession.
a. The system supports a variety of test protocols, each capable of storing test comments, test required, and special
information like GCMS conditions or special objects associated with the test.
b. The system provides and enforces normal data range values for diagnostic tests.
d. The system provides for a single test code requiring multiple analytes as targets.
e. The system allows authorized users to make a test code inactive across one or more sites while retaining it for
audit and reporting purposes.
f. The system limits test code authorization to only qualified personnel and maintains their certification(s) to run
assigned tests.
h. The system supports single-component tests such as pH, BOD, CD, etc.
i. The system allows users to specify a single-component, multi-component, or narrative text test or group of tests,
which represent all tests required.
l. The system permits user-generated and modifiable calculations (based on a formulaic language) to be applied to
all tests.
n. The system provides an overview of all outstanding tests/analyses for better coordination of work schedules.
o. The system notifies analysts of applicable safety hazards associated with a sample, reagent, or test before testing
begins.
p. The system electronically transfers an item during testing from one functional area to another.
q. The system's user interface displays visual indicators such as status icons to indicate a sample's status in the
workflow.
r. The system allows file transfer of data from instruments via intelligent interfaces or multi-specimen/multi-test
ASCII files, with full on-screen review prior to database commitment.
s. The system permits manual data entry into an electronic worksheet of test measurements and results.
u. The system prevents out-of-range and other critical results from being posted as final.
v. The system provides colored visual indication of previously entered data as well as new data associated with a
single sample when a result is entered, with the indicator changing color if the value is out of specification.
b. The system automatically reorders a test or orders additional tests if results don't meet lab-defined criteria,
especially when the original sample is still available.
c. The system reads results from previously entered tests to calculate a final result and immediately displays the
calculated result.
d. The system allows authorized users to review all analytical results, including pricing, spec violations, history or
trend analysis by analyte, and comments.
e. The system graphically displays the results of one or more tests in a graph (normalized or otherwise) for the
purpose of visualizing data or searching for possible trends.
f. The system allows on-screen review of the stored test result, diluted result with corrected method detection limits
(MDLs), and qualifiers after running samples for multiple dilutions as in gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
(GC-MS).
g. The system includes data mining tools for model learning, evaluation, and usage.
h. The system displays the standard operating procedure (SOP) associated with each test result to ensure proper
techniques were used.
k. The system is capable of displaying entered order and test comments as an onscreen alert for testing and other
personnel.
l. The system provides for high-volume multi-component transfers of test results, with the ability to automatically
match samples to data files in either a backlog mode or a designated file mode, to parse the data, and to review and
commit the sample data.
m. The system's results validation process accesses all information about a sample or group of samples, including
comments or special information about the sample.
n. The system's results validation process checks each result against its individual sample location specifications
(both warning and specification limits).
o. The system supports validation at the analysis and sample level, while also prohibiting sample validation when
analysis validation is incomplete.
r. The system clearly differentiates released preliminary data from fully validated results.
s. The system validates/approves data prior to being moved to the main database.
t. The system can hold all test results on a sample with multiple tests ordered on it until all work is completed and a
final report is issued.
u. The system fully manages all aspects of laboratory quality control, including the reporting and charting of all
quality control data captured in the lab.
v. The system provides a base for a quality assurance program, including proficiency testing, scheduled
maintenance of equipment, etc.
x. The system allows QA/QC tests to be easily created and associated with the primary analytical test.
Laboratory information management system (LIMS) questionnaire 170
y. The system allows manual entry of QA and QC data not captured as part of the system's regular processes.
ab. The system is able to flag results for aspects other than being out-of-range, including testing location, test
subject age, etc.
ac. The system checks data files for specification and corrects them for specific reporting and analyte limits and
qualifiers like dilution factor, automatically assigning qualifiers based on project analyte limiting.
1.4.6 Instruments
1.4.6 Instruments
d. The system tracks and reports on the usage of attached laboratory instruments.
f. The system automatically (or manually allow an authorized user to) removes an instrument from potential use
when it falls out of tolerance limit or requires scheduled calibration.
g. The system provides a database of preventative maintenance, calibration, and repair records for laboratory
equipment, preferably supported by standardized reporting.
h. The system schedules calibration, verification, and maintenance tasks in the worksheets or work flow process
and make that schedule available for viewing.
i. The system allows users to create and edit instrument maintenance profiles.
a. The system supports a library of common electronic data deliverable (EDD) formats.
b. The system transfers data to and from another record management system.
d. The system imports data from and exports data to Microsoft Word, Excel, and/or Access.
h. The system interfaces with external contract or reference laboratories to electronically send or retrieve
datasheets, analysis reports, and other related information.
i. The system exchanges data with National Identification System (NAIS) tracking systems.
j. The system generates and exchanges data with other systems using Health Level 7 (HL7) standards.
Laboratory information management system (LIMS) questionnaire 171
k. The system leverages the application programming interface (API) of other systems to establish integration
between systems.
l. The system provides a real-time interface for viewing live and stored data transactions and errors generated
by interfaced instruments and systems.
m. The system transmits status changes of specimens, inventory, equipment, etc. to an external system.
n. The system directs output from ad-hoc queries to a computer file for subsequent analysis by other software.
p. The system supports dockable mobile devices and handle information exchange between them and the
system.
q. The system supports the use of optical character recognition (OCR) software.
1.4.8 Reporting
1.4.8 Reporting
a. The system includes a versatile report writer and forms generator that can generate reports from any data in tables.
d. The system allows the development of custom templates for different types of reports.
e. The system maintains template versions and renditions, allowing management and tracking of the template over
time.
g. The system supports report queries by fields/keys, status, completion, or other variables.
i. The system supports multiple web browsers for viewing online reports.
j. The system generates, stores, reproduces, and displays laboratory, statistical, and inventory reports on demand,
including narrative.
k. The system includes several standard reports and query routines to access all specimens with the pending status
through a backlog report that includes the following criteria: all laboratory, department, analysis, submission date,
collection date, prep test complete, location, project, specimen delivery group, and other user-selectable options.
l. The system indicates whether a report is preliminary, amended, corrected, or final while retaining revision history.
n. The system generates management and turn-around time reports and graphs.
p. The system automatically generates laboratory reports of findings and other written documents.
q. The system automatically generates individual and aggregate workload and productivity reports on all operational
and administrative activities.
r. The system automatically generates and transmits exception trails and exception reports for all entered and/or
stored out-of-specification data.
s. The system generates a read-only progress report that allows for printed reports of specimen status and data
collected to date.
t. The system provides an ad-hoc web reporting interface to report on user-selected criteria.
Laboratory information management system (LIMS) questionnaire 172
v. The system generates QA/QC charts for all recovery, precision, and lab control specimens via a full statistics
package, including Levy-Jennings plots and Westgard multi-rule.
w. The system displays history of previous results for an analyte's specimen point in a tabular report, graphic trend
chart, and statistical summary.
x. The system automatically generates and posts periodic static summary reports on an internal web server.
y. The system transmits results in a variety of ways including fax, e-mail, print, and website in formats like RTF,
PDF, HTML, XML, DOC, XLS, and TXT.
z. The system electronically transmits results via final report only when all case reviews have been completed by the
case coordinator.
aa. The system includes a rules engine to determine the recipients of reports and other documents based on definable
parameters.
ab. The system allows database access using user-friendly report writing and inquiry tools.
a. The system allows the creation, modification, and duplication of user profiles.
b. The system allows entry, maintenance, and administration of customers, suppliers, and other outside entities.
c. The system allows customers, suppliers, and other such entities to be flagged as either active or inactive.
d. The system allows the creation, modification, and maintenance of user training records and associated training
materials.
e. The system supports the ability to set up separate security, inventory, reporting, etc. profiles across multiple
facilities.
f. The system allows the management of information workflow, including notifications for requests and exigencies.
g. The system allows the management of documents like SOPs, MSDS, etc. to better ensure they are current and
traceable.
h. The system allows the management and monitoring of resources by analyst, priority, analysis, and instrument.
i. The system allows authorized persons to select and assign tasks by analysts, work group, instrument, test, sample,
and priority.
j. The system allows authorized persons to review unassigned work by discipline and by lab.
k. The system allows authorized persons to review pending work by analyst prior to assigning additional work.
l. The system manages and reports on reference samples, reagents, and other inventory, including by department.
m. The system automatically warns specified users when inventory counts reach a definable threshold and either
prompt for or process a reorder.
n. The system allows authorized users to monitor and report on reference and reagent creation, use, and expiration.
o. The system allows authorized users to search invoice information by invoice number, account number, accession,
payment types, client, or requested diagnostic test(s).
q. The system receives, records, and maintains customer and employee feedback and applies tools to track the
investigation, resolution, and success of any necessary corrective action.
Laboratory information management system (LIMS) questionnaire 173
r. The system includes an incident tracking system for recording, investigating, and managing safety and accident
violations in the laboratory.
s. The system monitors proficiency test assignment, completion, and casework qualification for analytical staff.
u. The system provides analysis tools to better support laboratory functions like resource planning, productivity
projections, workload distribution, and work scheduling, and those tools display information in a consolidated
view, with the ability to drill down to more detailed data.
w. The system captures and maintains patient, submitter, supplier, and other client demographics and billing
information for costing, invoicing, collecting, reporting, and other billing activities.
1.5 System-specific
The system-specific addendum can be found here.
1.6 Industry-specific
The industry-specific addendum can be found here.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
h.
i.
j.
Laboratory information management system (LIMS) questionnaire 174
References
[1] https:/ / www. mediawiki. org/ wiki/ Extension:Collection
Printing or saving
The print/export options in the navigation on the far left give you a few options for saving this and other pages,
printing them for later.
Note: Tables are currently not being rendered in PDFs as we like through the MediaWiki Collection extension [1].
While we sure would love for you to make a PDF of this document, be warned: the tables don't format as intended,
using either the "Create a book" or "Download as PDF" processes. For now you're best off selecting "Printable
version" and printing that instead.
Laboratory information system (LIS) questionnaire 175
Company name
Physical address
Website
Contact e-mail
Years in business
b. The vendor provides a detailed project plan that includes the project team, timeline, deliverables, and risk and
issue management procedures.
c. The vendor explains their overall project approach, deliverables, time constraints, and any other criteria for the
project.
d. The vendor provides reliable cost estimates and pricing schedules, including all products and services in the
scope of work.
e. The vendor details the amount of time and staff that the purchaser will have to provide for the implementation
process.
f. The vendor can explain the maintenance and support offered during and after implementation, including times
and methods of availability, issue escalation and management, etc.
g. The vendor provides a support schedule for the implementation process, including optional support levels,
their function, and availability.
h. The vendor provides support during the "go-live" period between system validation/operational deployment
and final acceptance/beginning of maintenance and support agreements.
i. The vendor provides a gap analysis after initial system installation, identifying the deliverables or tasks
remaining.
j. The vendor provides a table linking each deliverable to the corresponding user requirement specification it
fulfills.
k. The vendor uses a consistent training methodology for educating new users.
m. The vendor provides user, administrator, developer, installation, and reference manuals.
r. The vendor provides well-documented system upgrades that authorized users can independently install.
t. The vendor provides an optional comprehensive set of test codes suitable for use by the purchaser.
1.2.1 General IT
1.2.1 General IT
a. The system operates with a traditional client-server architecture, with software installed on each machine that
needs to access the system.
b. The system operates with a web-based interface, hosted on a server and accessed via a web browser on most
any machine.
c. The system contains a single, centralized database that supports multiple sites and departments.
d. The system's database conforms to the Open Database Connectivity Standard (ODBC).
e. The system is designed so upgrades to the back-end database do not require extensive reconfiguration or
effectively cripple the system.
h. The system applies log-in security to all servers and workstations accessing it.
j. The system applies Secured Socket Layer (SSL) encryption on the web client interface.
k. The system encrypts client passwords in a database, with support for multi-case and special characters.
m. The system provides data archiving functionality, including a configurable scheduled archive, for all contained
data, without requiring an off-line mode or human interaction with the data to be archived.
n. The system allows automated backup and restore capability without support intervention, as well as manual
backups.
b. The system utilizes a non-proprietary database such as Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server.
a. The system supports 21 CFR Part 11 and 40 CFR Part 3 requirements, including login security, settable
automatic logouts, periodic requirements for mandatory password changes, limits on reusability of passwords, and
full electronic signature.
f. The system supports AABB (American Association of Blood Banks), College of American Pathologists, (CAP),
The Joint Commission (TJC), and/or any additional requirements or standards.
g. The system meets government requirements for handling classified information and documents.
h. The system can create reports for and route samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Food and Drug Administrations (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other contract laboratories.
i. The system maintains audit and specification violation trails of all data manipulation — such as result and header
information changes — as consistent with all applicable regulations and standards.
j. The system maintains audit trails at least as long as the records to which they pertain.
k. The system's audit log retains all data, prohibits any deletions, allows user comments, and allows reporting of
contained information.
l. The system provides additional persistent auditing capabilities, such as the audit of cancelled tests and scheduled
system functions.
m. The system provides user-selectable NELAP-compliant internal chain of custody that tracks all specimens and
associated containers from the time they are collected until disposed of.
n. The system provides the ability to insert/manage secure electronic and/or digital signatures.
o. The system incorporates automatic date and time stamping of additions, changes, etc.
p. The system can automatically validate and approve data prior to being moved to the main database.
Laboratory information system (LIS) questionnaire 178
1.3.2 Security
1.3.2 Security
a. The system allows administrators and other authorized users to configure multiple levels of user rights and
security by site location, department, group, role, and/or specific function.
c. The system features and enforces adjustable rules concerning password complexity, reuse, and expiration.
d. The system can lock a user out after a specified number of consecutive failed log-in attempts.
e. The system provides the option for automatic user logout based on keyboard or mouse inactivity.
f. The system makes authority checks to ensure only authorized individuals can use the system to perform an
operation.
g. The system allows authorized users to modify records, while also maintaining an audit trail of such actions.
h. The system allows authorized users to manually delete records, while also maintaining an audit trail of such
actions.
i. The system prompts users to declare a reason for making changes to or deleting data in the system.
j. The system provides email notification of lockout, security access, and improper workstation access.
k. The system provides a mechanism to allow a user read-only access to stored data.
l. The system allows authorized users to generate a detailed user access record.
n. The system allows authorized users to query and print chain of custody for items, cases, projects, and batches.
p. The system automatically tracks when supervisors review critical result values.
q. The system allows automatic and/or manual holds or locks to be placed on data to ensure it goes unaltered or
remains retrievable during a retention period.
r. The system can first feed data from connected non-CFR-compliant instruments through a virtual environment
that is compliant (audit trailed, secure, versioned, etc.) before being stored.
s. The system can control whether users are able to export data to portable long-term storage media like a USB
flash drive or recordable DVD.
u. The system employs checks to enforce permitted sequencing of steps and events.
x. The system prohibits issuing reports outside of qualified areas while also allowing reports to be viewed locally
or remotely based on security application limits and/or specimen ownership.
Laboratory information system (LIS) questionnaire 179
a. The system offers non-LIS trained personnel the ability to easily access system data via an intuitive, user-friendly
Windows-type graphical user interface (GUI) which permits the display of data from specimen points, projects, and
user-defined queries, and can be configured to language, character set, and time zone needs.
b. The system allows authorized users to configure their GUI to a specific language, character set, and time zone.
c. The system permits remote access for users, system admins, and support agents.
d. The system allows for the use of navigation keys to freely move from field to field.
f. The system can send on-screen output to a printer or file without contradicting view-only statuses.
g. The system provides single data entry, automatically populates other data fields, and remembers pertinent and
relevant data so it doesn't need to be re-entered, selected, or searched for.
h. The system eliminates (or significantly reduces) redundant data entry and paper trails.
i. The system contains one or more spell-check dictionaries that allow authorized users to add, edit, or remove
entries.
j. The system provides full database keyword and field search capability, including the use of multiple search
criteria.
k. The system includes the ability to search multiple databases, including those containing legacy data.
l. The system allows users to build, save, and edit queries for future use.
m. The system can automate the search for and extraction of pertinent data, including the export of that data to
external applications for additional processing and calculation.
n. The system cleanly converts migrated data to allow for reporting of historical specimen collections.
o. The system allows for the specification of a retention period for captured data and can enact it based on
date-based fields or a future event.
p. The system can manage and store both sample- and non-sample-related data, including images from microscopes,
GCMS scans of peaks, PDF files, spreadsheets, or even raw data files from instrument runs for later processing.
q. The system can manage and store media objects like digital photos, bitmaps, movies, and audio files.
s. The system's numbering scheme allows for sub-numbering while maintaining parent-child relationships.
t. The system efficiently utilizes standardized data input points and enhanced individual workload tracking.
u. The system captures data from all laboratory processes, ensuring uniformity of statistical reporting and other
electronic data shared with designated users of the data.
v. The system can link objects to other objects, e.g. linking a standard operating procedure (SOP) to a test result.
w. The system notifies users of events like the scheduling, receipt, and completion of tasks.
y. The system has real-time messaging capabilities, including instant messaging to one or more users.
z. The system supports the use of a voice recognition system (for navigation or transcription) or has that
functionality.
ac. The system can handle patient case management and assignment.
ad. The system provides physician, clinic, and contract lab management tools.
ae. The system provides outreach and call list management tools.
ah. The system monitors turnaround time, from test request to clinician review.
a. The system can be configured to meet the workflow of a laboratory without additional programming.
b. The system architecture is modular or extensible and can easily and efficiently be modified to facilitate the
addition of new functionality as business needs change.
c. The system has an application programming interface (API) or a similar software development toolkit (SDK). If
web-based, the API should support Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), representational state transfer (REST),
or both.
e. The system supports customized screens with user-definable information specific to a customer, department,
analysis, etc.
f. The system allows the administrator to create custom screens, applications, and reports.
g. The system permits users to create templates and worksheets for standardizing analysis pages, patient pages, test
ordering pages, and/or the reporting processes.
h. The system allows a user to independently add fields without requiring reconfiguration of the system, even after
routine upgrades and maintenance.
i. The system allows a user to independently add universal fields on all specimens logged into the system at any
time during or after implementation, while neither voiding the warranty nor requiring vendor review at a later date.
j. The system provides flexible and customizable mapping dictionaries for interconversion of different standards
and more.
k. The system supports the definition and maintenance of edit tables and lists.
m. The system supports customization of test pick lists based on specialty utilization.
o. The system has dynamically configurable limit periods and notification hierarchy.
q. The system provides optional configuration choices for biobanks and blood banks.
r. The system allows for the integration of additional printers and scanners both locally and externally.
Laboratory information system (LIS) questionnaire 181
a. The system tracks status and workflow of the accession throughout the laboratory lifecycle, from submission to
final analysis, including receiving, diagnostic testing, diagnostic test result reporting, and billing.
c. The system allows users to create, manage, and track viewable specimen container schemata.
d. The system creates and maintains a unique electronic accession record for each accession received.
e. The system supports standard-format digital picture and document upload and attachment to electronic accession
records.
f. The system supports a user-configurable, spreadsheet-style, templated multi-specimen (batch) login without
requiring additional programming.
g. The system features order entry rules for better managing duplicate orders, rejecting inappropriate tests,
identifying inappropriate containers, rerouting tests to outside labs, etc.
h. The system supports the modification of specimen or specimen batch information prior to actual multi-specimen
(batch) login.
i. The system supports ad-hoc specimens not predefined in the specimen point list during multi-specimen (batch)
login.
j. The system creates, saves, and recalls pre-login groups for routine specimens to simplify recurring logins.
l. The system allows standing orders and test schedules to be defined for future orders.
m. The system automatically generates labels for recurring specimens and specimen groups.
n. The system can automatically split and manage orders requiring multiple testing locations.
o. The system can differentiate "investigation use only" and "research use only" tests.
p. The system can automatically generate and manage administrative documents for genetics tests.
q. The system allows authorized users to generate user-definable or rules-based chain of custodies, worksheets,
routing sheets, and custom labels upon specimen login.
r. The system provides a comprehensive view of all specimens and projects in the system using a color-coded
status view of the current and scheduled specimens via user-configurable templates, all without requiring
additional programming.
s. The system includes environmental monitoring (EM) functionality or integrates with an external EM product.
t. The system prevents a specimen from being placed in a report queue until approved.
u. The system includes comprehensive scheduling, tracking, and flow management of specimens, including across
multiple sites.
v. The system is capable of geographically organizing specimen records and their associated tests for special
analysis and reporting.
w. The system allows authorized users to accept, cancel, re-run, and override attributes of one or multiple tests for
a given patient.
x. The system allows authorized users to review the available test types in the system, including their reference
range and units of measure.
z. The system has a "miscellaneous" test code to allow a test undefined in the system to be ordered and billed.
Laboratory information system (LIS) questionnaire 182
aa. The system automatically runs medical necessity checks (based on diagnosis codes) on a requested test.
ab. The system automatically makes duplicate order checks and notifies applicable users upon detection.
ac. The system can import and utilize the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS') National and Local
Coverage Determinations files.
ad. The system can track and manage advance beneficiary notices (ABNs) from CMS as needed.
ae. The system allows authorized users to schedule routine specimens on an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly
basis, allowing them to be enabled and disabled as a group.
af. The system generates an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly specimen collection schedule from a scheduling
database.
ag. The system schedules and assign tasks based on available inventory and personnel.
ah. The system supports automatic assignment and scheduling of analysis requests.
ai. The system receives accession/analysis request information from web-enabled forms.
aj. The system electronically receives and processes collection and analysis request information and schedules
from third parties.
ak. The system can capture and store patient demographics, risk factors, and epidemiology data such as exposure
data from third-party test requests.
am. The system processes automated uploading of field-derived specimen collection data.
an. The system allows users to handle billable and non-billable tests on the same accession.
a. The system supports a variety of test protocols, each capable of storing test comments, test required, and special
information like GCMS conditions or special objects associated with the test.
b. The system provides and enforces normal data range values for diagnostic tests.
d. The system provides for a single test code requiring multiple analytes as targets.
e. The system allows authorized users to make a test code inactive across one or more sites while retaining it for
audit and reporting purposes.
f. The system limits test code authorization to only qualified personnel and maintains their certification(s) to run
assigned tests.
h. The system supports single-component tests such as pH, BOD, CD, etc.
i. The system allows users to specify a single-component, multi-component, or narrative text test or group of tests,
which represent all tests required.
l. The system can effectively manage histology and cytology testing protocols.
m. The system allows for user-definable and procedure-specific protocols for HIV specimens.
Laboratory information system (LIS) questionnaire 183
n. The system permits user-generated and modifiable calculations (based on a formulaic language) to be applied to
all tests.
p. The system provides an overview of all outstanding tests/analyses for better coordination of work schedules.
q. The system notifies analysts of applicable safety hazards associated with a specimen, reagent, or test before
testing begins.
r. The system electronically transfers an item during testing from one functional area to another.
s. The system's user interface displays visual indicators such as status icons to indicate a specimen's status in the
workflow.
t. The system allows file transfer of data from instruments via intelligent interfaces or multi-specimen/multi-test
ASCII files, with full on-screen review prior to database commitment.
u. The system permits manual data entry into an electronic worksheet of test measurements and results.
w. The system prevents out-of-range and other critical results from being posted as final.
x. The system provides colored visual indication of previously entered data as well as new data associated with a
single specimen when a result is entered, with the indicator changing color if the value is out of specification.
b. The system automatically reorders a test or orders additional tests if results don't meet lab-defined criteria,
especially when the original specimen is still available.
c. The system can record test results in or map them to the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms
(SNOMED CT) and/or Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) standards.
d. The system reads results from previously entered tests to calculate a final result and immediately displays the
calculated result.
e. The system allows authorized users to review all analytical results, including pricing, spec violations, history or
trend analysis by analyte, and comments.
f. The system graphically displays the results of one or more tests in a graph (normalized or otherwise) for the
purpose of visualizing data or searching for possible trends.
g. The system provides tools for graphical patient and analyte trend plotting.
h. The system allows on-screen review of the stored test result, diluted result with corrected method detection limits
(MDLs), and qualifiers after running specimens for multiple dilutions as in gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
(GC-MS).
i. The system includes data mining tools for model learning, evaluation, and usage.
j. The system displays the standard operating procedure (SOP) associated with each test result to ensure proper
techniques were used.
m. The system is capable of displaying entered order and test comments as an onscreen alert for testing and other
personnel.
n. The system provides for high-volume multi-component transfers of test results, with the ability to automatically
match specimens to data files in either a backlog mode or a designated file mode, to parse the data, and to review
and commit the specimen data.
o. The system's results validation process accesses all information about a specimen or group of specimens,
including comments or special information about the specimen.
p. The system's results validation process checks each result against its individual specimen location specifications
(both warning and specification limits).
q. The system supports validation at the analysis and specimen level, while also prohibiting specimen validation
when analysis validation is incomplete.
t. The system clearly differentiates released preliminary data from fully validated results.
u. The system validates/approves data prior to being moved to the main database.
v. The system can hold all test results on a specimen with multiple tests ordered on it until all work is completed
and a final report is issued.
w. The system fully manages all aspects of laboratory quality control, including the reporting and charting of all
quality control data captured in the lab.
x. The system provides a base for a quality assurance program, including proficiency testing, scheduled
maintenance of equipment, etc.
z. The system allows QA/QC tests to be easily created and associated with the primary analytical test.
aa. The system allows manual entry of QA and QC data not captured as part of the system's regular processes.
ad. The system is able to flag results for aspects other than being out-of-range, including testing location, patient
age, etc.
ae. The system is able to automatically report any diagnostic test results deemed "suspect" or "positive" for
reportable diseases.
af. The system checks data files for specification and corrects them for specific reporting and analyte limits and
qualifiers like dilution factor, automatically assigning qualifiers based on project analyte limiting.
1.4.6 Instruments
Laboratory information system (LIS) questionnaire 185
1.4.6 Instruments
d. The system tracks and reports on the usage of attached laboratory instruments.
f. The system automatically (or manually allow an authorized user to) removes an instrument from potential use
when it falls out of tolerance limit or requires scheduled calibration.
g. The system provides a database of preventative maintenance, calibration, and repair records for laboratory
equipment, preferably supported by standardized reporting.
h. The system schedules calibration, verification, and maintenance tasks in the worksheets or work flow process
and make that schedule available for viewing.
i. The system allows users to create and edit instrument maintenance profiles.
a. The system supports a library of common electronic data deliverable (EDD) formats.
b. The system transfers data to and from another record management system.
d. The system imports data from and exports data to Microsoft Word, Excel, and/or Access.
g. The system interfaces with electronic medical record or electronic health record systems.
j. The system interfaces with external contract or reference laboratories to electronically send or retrieve
datasheets, analysis reports, and other related information.
k. The system exchanges data with National Identification System (NAIS) tracking systems.
l. The system generates and exchanges data with other systems using Health Level 7 (HL7) standards.
m. The system leverages the application programming interface (API) of other systems to establish integration
between systems.
n. The system provides a real-time interface for viewing live and stored data transactions and errors generated
by interfaced instruments and systems.
o. The system transmits status changes of specimens, inventory, equipment, etc. to an external system.
p. The system directs output from ad-hoc queries to a computer file for subsequent analysis by other software.
r. The system supports dockable mobile devices and handle information exchange between them and the
system.
s. The system supports the use of optical character recognition (OCR) software.
1.4.8 Reporting
1.4.8 Reporting
a. The system includes a versatile report writer and forms generator that can generate reports from any data in tables.
d. The system allows the development of custom templates for different types of reports.
e. The system maintains template versions and renditions, allowing management and tracking of the template over
time.
g. The system supports report queries by fields/keys, status, completion, or other variables.
i. The system supports multiple web browsers for viewing online reports.
j. The system generates, stores, reproduces, and displays laboratory, statistical, and inventory reports on demand,
including narrative.
k. The system includes several standard reports and query routines to access all specimens with the pending status
through a backlog report that includes the following criteria: all laboratory, department, analysis, submission date,
collection date, prep test complete, location, project, specimen delivery group, and other user-selectable options.
l. The system indicates whether a report is preliminary, amended, corrected, or final while retaining revision history.
n. The system generates management and turn-around time reports and graphs.
p. The system automatically generates laboratory reports of findings and other written documents.
q. The system automatically generates individual and aggregate workload and productivity reports on all operational
and administrative activities.
r. The system automatically generates and transmits exception trails and exception reports for all entered and/or
stored out-of-specification data.
s. The system generates a read-only progress report that allows for printed reports of specimen status and data
collected to date.
t. The system provides an ad-hoc web reporting interface to report on user-selected criteria.
v. The system generates QA/QC charts for all recovery, precision, and lab control specimens via a full statistics
package, including Levy-Jennings plots and Westgard multi-rule.
w. The system displays history of previous results for an analyte's specimen point in a tabular report, graphic trend
chart, and statistical summary.
x. The system automatically generates and posts periodic static summary reports on an internal web server.
y. The system transmits results in a variety of ways including fax, e-mail, print, and website in formats like RTF,
PDF, HTML, XML, DOC, XLS, and TXT.
Laboratory information system (LIS) questionnaire 187
z. The system electronically transmits results via final report only when all case reviews have been completed by the
case coordinator.
aa. The system includes a rules engine to determine the recipients of reports and other documents based on definable
parameters.
ab. The system allows database access using user-friendly report writing and inquiry tools.
ac. The system supports automatic reporting to the state based on state-level health department rules.
ad. The system reports molecular results in both clinical and anatomical pathology environments.
ae. The system can produce specialized reports for microbiology, hematology, assay trend, and/or cardiac risk.
ag. The system provides the tools for creating and maintaining licensing, proficiency testing, inspection, and
regulatory records and reports.
a. The system allows the creation, modification, and duplication of user profiles.
b. The system allows entry, maintenance, and administration of patient records and is able to track multiple patient
encounters.
c. The system allows entry, maintenance, and administration of customers, suppliers, and other outside entities.
d. The system allows patients, customers, suppliers, physicians, and other such entities to be flagged as either active
or inactive.
e. The system allows the creation, modification, and maintenance of user training records and associated training
materials.
f. The system supports the ability to set up separate security, inventory, reporting, etc. profiles across multiple
facilities.
g. The system allows the management of information workflow, including notifications for requests and exigencies.
h. The system allows the management of documents like SOPs, MSDS, etc. to better ensure they are current and
traceable.
i. The system allows the management and monitoring of resources by analyst, priority, analysis, and instrument.
j. The system allows authorized persons to select and assign tasks by analysts, work group, instrument, test,
specimen, and priority.
k. The system allows authorized persons to review unassigned work by discipline and by lab.
l. The system allows authorized persons to review pending work by analyst prior to assigning additional work.
m. The system manages and reports on reference specimens, reagents, and other inventory, including by
department.
n. The system automatically warns specified users when inventory counts reach a definable threshold and either
prompt for or process a reorder.
o. The system allows authorized users to monitor and report on reference and reagent creation, use, and expiration.
p. The system allows authorized users to search invoice information by invoice number, account number,
accession, payment types, client, or requested diagnostic test(s).
r. The system receives, records, and maintains customer and employee feedback and applies tools to track the
investigation, resolution, and success of any necessary corrective action.
s. The system includes an incident tracking system for recording, investigating, and managing safety and accident
violations in the laboratory.
t. The system monitors proficiency test assignment, completion, and casework qualification for analytical staff.
u. The system includes revenue management functionality, including medical necessity checks and profitability
analysis.
v. The system provides analysis tools to better support laboratory functions like resource planning, productivity
projections, workload distribution, and work scheduling, and those tools display information in a consolidated
view, with the ability to drill down to more detailed data.
x. The system captures and maintains patient, submitter, supplier, and other client demographics and billing
information for costing, invoicing, collecting, reporting, and other billing activities.
z. The system supports multi-tiered pricing based on patient type and location.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
h.
i.
j.
189
Products
Employees 20,500
Website [2]
Agilent.com
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
Agilent Technologies, Inc. manufactures a wide variety of laboratory equipment, and it develops and distributes
laboratory informatics software, with a strong focus on the life sciences and effective measurement solutions.
History
Agilent Technologies was formed as an offshoot of Hewlett-Packard. On March 2, 1999, the company announced it
would split of its test and measurement division — which had revenues of $7.6 billion in 1998 — into a new
company "so that the company will be 'more agile in the marketplace.'" By the end of July the company had selected
the name Agilent Technologies, and in August it filed for initial public offering (IPO). The IPO was made on
November 18, 1999, and it raised $2.1 billion, making it one of the largest IPOs in Silicon Valley.
On September 19, 2013, Agilent Technologies announced another split in the company structure, with Agilent
keeping its life sciences, diagnostics, and applied markets sectors while splitting off the electronic measurement
sector into a new company; that company name was announced as Keysight Technologies in January 2014. The
separation became official on November 1, 2014.
Agilent Technologies, Inc. 190
Product history
In June 2007, Agilent Technologies bought Kalabie ELN from the Klee Group. Kalabie was eventually integrated
into the OpenLAB suite, and with the release of version 4.1 in August 2010, the name of Kalabie was changed to
"OpenLAB ELN."
Agilent introduced OpenLAB CDS, a conglomeration of its EZChrom Elite and Chemstation software, in November
2010. This inevitably led to the discontinuation of its Galaxie chromatography software on December 31, 2011.
In June 2016, Agilent announced it had agreed to purchase iLab Solutions, LLC, completing the acquisition August
1. The iLab software became part of the Agilent portfolio as iLab Operations Software.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
Agilent Technologies, Inc. 192
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
industry-neutral
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Inventory management?
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging? Y
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual? Y
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
biotechnology, chemical, cosmetic, food and beverage, manufacturing and R&D, pharmaceutical
Pricing
[6]
Source for OpenLAB pricing information is the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). As prices may
change at any time, always contact the vendor directly to obtain a price list or quote.
Note: These are GSA prices, and as such they represent the lowest possible negotiated price. These prices aren't
available to any entity outside of the Federal Government, and thus prices for non-government entities will be
higher. If anything, they represent the lowest possible negotiated price.
Products:
G3620AA Perpetual License, OpenLAB ELN Basic User: $881.90
G3621AA Perpetual License, OpenLAB ELN Biology Research User: $881.90
G3657AA Perpetual License, OpenLab ECM Named User: $479.80
M8213AA OpenLab CDS License Configuration: $93.72
M8301AA OpenLab CDS Chemstation Workstation: $6,416.01
Agilent Technologies, Inc. 195
Additional information
• OpenLAB ELN brochure [14] (PDF, 2011)
• OpenLAB ELN brochure [15] (PDF, 2014)
References
[1] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Types_of_business_entity
[2] http:/ / www. agilent. com/
[3] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 1526
[4] http:/ / www. agilent. com/ en-us/ products/ crosslab-enterprise-services/ ilab-operations-software/ ilab-overview
[5] https:/ / www. agilent. com/ en-us/ products/ software-informatics/ openlab-software-suite/ electronic-lab-notebook/ openlab-eln
[6] https:/ / www. gsaadvantage. gov/
[7] http:/ / www. agilent. com/ search/ ?filter=AND(SpSearch:videos,PRODUCT_ID:1404943242986)
[8] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=1pzE7Lq5sEg
[9] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=PGmb1MlKSvQ
[10] http:/ / www. agilent. com/ search/ ?filter=AND(SpSearch:videos,PRODUCT_ID:1404943242936)
[11] http:/ / www. agilent. com/ en-us/ video/ openlabcdsreporter
[12] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=ILiWNYKjJ-I
[13] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=KvZLeHtlu8A
[14] https:/ / www. icd. eu/ files/ openlab_electronic_lab_notebook__eln__brochure. pdf
[15] http:/ / www. agilent. com/ cs/ library/ applications/ 5991-3667EN_ELN_4. 2_Promotional_Flyer. pdf
LabLynx, Inc. 196
LabLynx, Inc.
LabLynx, Inc.
[1] Incorporated
Type
Products
Employees 20+
Website [1]
LabLynx.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
LabLynx, Inc. is a privately owned, funded, and managed American corporation that develops, supports, and
markets laboratory information management system (LIMS) solutions. Its most well-known product is webLIMS, a
browser-based LIMS offered as a local installation or under a scalable, hosted "software as a service" (SaaS) delivery
model. The company’s primary clients include laboratories in the agriculture, clinical, environmental, forensics,
health care, and manufacturing industries, including government agencies. The company is known for introducing
one of the first browser-based LIMS products in 1997 and being a long-term player in the laboratory informatics
market.
History
Before LabLynx was a company, it was a LIMS product offered by Atlanta Systems Consultants, Inc. (ASC).
Formed in 1992, ASC's LabLynx division later began work on a laboratory information management system
designed specifically for a web browser. ASC demonstrated its new Internet Explorer-based LabLynx LIMS at
Pittcon in 1997, among the first browser-based LIMS to appear at the time. The company again showcased LabLynx
at Pittcon in 1998 and soon after picked up a major LIMS-based contract with the U.S. Customs Service.
By July 2000, the LabLynx division of ASC separated to become its own incorporated entity. And while ASC
eventually ceased to exist in 2005, LabLynx, Inc. went on to diversify its offerings. LabLynx’s browser-based LIMS
previously demonstrated at Pittcon in 1997 expanded to become ELab, which in 2001 took on an application service
provider (ASP) model of distribution. In 2004 LabLynx released a browser-based tool called openLIMS, which gave
consultants and end-users the ability "to build custom LIMS solutions that are geared to the exact operational needs
of many different laboratories."
LabLynx, Inc. 197
On June 19, 2006, LabLynx established the Laboratory Informatics Institute, an open membership group with the
purpose of advancing the field of laboratory informatics and shaping the standards associated with it. LabLynx made
further moves to better its LIMS offerings in August 2008, renewing and expanding its contract with Nagarro, Inc., a
U.S.-based technology consulting firm. The collaboration allowed LabLynx to upgrade its existing LIMS software to
.NET architecture and expand its initiative to create and market a SaaS-based LIMS. Less than a year after the
announced renewed partnership, LabLynx revealed its redeveloped webLIMS product to the public, featuring ELab
in a SaaS model and additional integration of developer tools to allow users to create and modify modules for the
LIMS. This move to a cloud-based SaaS model brought renewed interest in the company’s LIMS, with clients like
the Georgia Department of Agriculture and Cypress Bioscience taking on the new LIMS.
In 2011, LabLynx was involved in an initiative to standardize and structure the transmission of laboratory data that
first originates in a LIMS or LIS and then moves to a person's or population of people's electronic health records.
This laboratory results interface (LRI) pilot began in August 2011 and included collaborations with the supported
open source project mdDigest and the U.S. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
(ONC).
In February 2015, LabLynx announced the introduction of HealthCloudPOL, a cloud-based laboratory information
system (LIS) for the physician office laboratory (POL), making the basic starter package free to users.
Community history
Since transitioning from Atlanta Systems Consultants, Inc. to LabLynx, Inc. in 2000, LabLynx has become
increasingly active in the laboratory informatics community. Projects that LabLynx has started or been involved in
within the community include:
• the Laboratory Informatics Institute, an open trade association with the mission of educating, standardizing, and
promoting the laboratory informatics industry
• LIMSfinder, an online interactive magazine released by the Laboratory Informatics Institute that aims to be "the
best resource for information technology in the laboratory"
• LIMSbook, a LIMS buyer’s guide released by the Laboratory Informatics Institute
• LIMSforum, a LinkedIn discussion group created to facilitate the exchange of ideas and technical information
across the fields of laboratory, science, and health informatics
• LIMSuniversity, an open-access learning resource released by the Laboratory Informatics Institute, targeted
towards laboratories and the LIMS community
• LIMSwiki, a Creative Commons-licensed wiki with the goal of bringing related informatics communities together
to maintain a repository of information about the industry
webLIMS
webLIMS is a hosted software as a service (SaaS) version of its original ELab LIMS. LabLynx introduced the
offering in March 2009, touting 35 different laboratory informatics and business applications in the hosted package.
As with most SaaS software, LabLynx intends to reduce cost to laboratories, decrease the amount of downtime, and
provide a more scalable LIMS solution with its webLIMS service.
In 2009, LabLynx claimed the facility it uses for hosting the webLIMS application is an "SAS70 Type II audited,
ultra-safe and fully redundant data center." To prevent downtime due to power outages, LabLynx states that its data
center has:
• parallel independent supply lines and facility circuits
LabLynx, Inc. 198
• instant battery backup and transition to multiple parallel diesel turbine generators
• hardware powered by two separate feeds and a Tripp Lite instant power distribution switch to the alternative feed
LiMStudio
LiMStudio is a virtual desktop add-on to LabLynx’s webLIMS hosted application. It consists of a collection of 10
development tools that allow webLIMS users to modify the applications in their account to their own needs. It also
allows users the ability to create their own applications to connect to the LIMS, providing a more scalable and
customizable LIMS option to clients.
HealthCloudPOL
HealthCloudPOL is a cloud-based laboratory information system (LIS) for the physician office laboratory (POL),
introduced by the company in early 2015. The basic entry-level package is available for free to users. The company
claims the software provides features such as order management, user management, sample batching, test parameter
management, reporting, patient management, control charting, audit trails, and inventory management, among other
functionality.
LabLynx claims the facility it uses for hosting the HealthCloudPOL application is a "state-of-the-art fully SSAE-16
SOC-2, TIA-942 compliant Cloud-Hosting Primary Data Center, with ongoing backups and redundancy both onsite
and at a second, geographically remote, site."
Product Features
To hide the contents for easier reading, click the "Collapse" link to the right. To later show the contents of the
following section, click the "Expand" link.
The following product features are listed for webLIMS, as found on the LabLynx site [3]. (As noted, webLIMS has
most of the same features of ELab, its legacy product.) For more about the features of LabLynx products, consult the
feature table below.
1. Sample login, accessioning, etc.
• Link documents, tests, processes, and paths to match your workflow.
• Create scheduled events.
• Create variations for cases, projects/lots, and sample points.
• Create sample and result batches.
2. Barcoding
• Generate barcode labels and schedule the generation of them.
• Track inventory, samples, etc.
3. Mobile device integration and support
4. Workload management
• Designate responsibility for any samples, batches or other items based on location, qualification, or other criteria.
• View analyst's assignments
5. Workflow management
• Set an unlimited number of processes.
• Assign specific processes to a specific sample.
6. Scheduling
• Define regular intervals for anything, including sample/batch receipt, instrument calibration and maintenance,
training courses, and shelf life.
LabLynx, Inc. 199
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Deadline control? Y
Production control? N
Inventory management? Y
Case management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Specification management? Y
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
LabLynx, Inc. 202
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation? Y
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization? Y
Data validation? Y
Data encryption? Y
Version control? Y
Environmental monitoring? Y
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word? Y
Fax integration? Y
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring? Y
Messaging? Y
Multilingual? Y
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost? Y
Industries served
agriculture, clinical research, environmental, food and beverage, general, law enforcement and forensic, manufacturing and R&D, pharmaceutical,
public health and service
LabLynx, Inc. 203
Sample tracking? Y
Data mining?
Query capability?
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Inventory management? Y
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
LabLynx, Inc. 204
Data encryption?
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Synoptic reporting?
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
clinical
LabLynx, Inc. 205
Pricing
webLIMS/ELab
Source for pricing information is via LabLynx. As prices may change at any time, always contact the vendor directly
to obtain a price list or quote.
LLX-ELBS-UL ELab SQL Edition for Unlimited Concurrent Users Unlimited $275,000
Maintenance and Maintenance Annual service Support hours Maintenance, support, and Special notes
support plans and support service costs
hours incl.
Bronze One year of unlimited 4 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 15% of total license fee; This plan is included at no
updates and upgrades EST, excluding minimum $4,500 per year; charge to all webLIMS
plus warranty holidays hourly services and support at accounts with 1–9
$185/hour concurrent users.
Silver One year of unlimited 16 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 15% of total license fee; This plan is included at no
updates and upgrades EST, excluding minimum $5,500 per year; charge to all webLIMS
plus warranty holidays hourly services and support at accounts with 10–24
$175/hour concurrent users.
Gold One year of unlimited 24 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 15% of total license fee; This plan is included at no
updates and upgrades EST, excluding minimum $8,500 per year; charge to all webLIMS
plus warranty holidays hourly services and support at accounts with 25–74
$165/hour concurrent users.
LabLynx, Inc. 206
Platinum One year of unlimited 40 24 hours per 15% of total license fee; This plan is included at no
updates and upgrades day, 7 days per minimum $25,000 per year; charge to all webLIMS
plus warranty week hourly services and support at accounts with 75+
$150/hour concurrent users.
HealthCloudPOL
LabLynx states the following pricing information for its physician office laboratory LISY: "HealthCloudPOL is free
for unlimited users. You're only changed if you decide to integrate your instruments, EHR, or PM."
External links
• Official website [1]
• HealthCloudPOL website [44]
• LIMSuniversity site [4]
• LIMSfinder site [5]
• LIMSwiki site [45]
• LabLynx on Vimeo [46]
• LabLynx on YouTube [47]
References
[1] http:/ / www. lablynx. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 209217
[3] http:/ / www. lablynx. com/ Products/ ELabLIMS/ tabid/ 240/ Default. aspx
[4] http:/ / www. lablynx. com/ Products/ webLiMScom/ tabid/ 237/ Default. aspx
[5] http:/ / www. healthcloudpol. com/
[6] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ p3/ Presentation_Files/ index. html
[7] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ eBooks/ Movies/ p4/ Presentation_Files/ index. html
[8] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ Movies/ d100/ d100. html
[9] http:/ / www. lablynx. com/ webcasts/ cda/ Presentation_Files/ index. html
[10] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d7/ d7. html
[11] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ p13/ Presentation_Files/ index. html
[12] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ eBooks/ Movies/ p2/ Presentation_Files/ index. html
[13] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ Movies/ t4/ t4. html
[14] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ Movies/ d108/ d108. html
[15] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d11/ d11. html
[16] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d140/ d140. html
[17] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ Movies/ d102/ d102. html
[18] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ Movies/ d104/ d104. html
[19] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ Movies/ d105/ d105. html
[20] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ Movies/ d106/ d106. html
[21] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d139/ d139. html
[22] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ eBooks/ Movies/ d14/ d14. html
[23] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d163/ d163. html
[24] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ Movies/ d103/ d103. html
[25] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d161/ d161. html
[26] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d162/ d162. html
[27] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d166/ d166. html
[28] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d23/ d23. html
[29] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d172/ d172. html
[30] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d188/ d188. html
[31] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ eBooks/ Movies/ d24/ d24. html
[32] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d26/ d26. html
[33] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ eBooks/ Movies/ d31/ d31. html
[34] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d34/ d34. html
[35] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d35/ d35. html
[36] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ eBooks/ Movies/ d37/ d37. html
[37] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d40/ d40. html
[38] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d75/ d75. html
[39] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d93/ d93. html
[40] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ movies/ d98/ d98. html
LabLynx, Inc. 208
[41] http:/ / files. mylablynx. com/ share/ ebooks/ Movies/ f1/ f1. html
[42] https:/ / vimeo. com/ 132103726
[43] https:/ / vimeo. com/ 137500463
[44] http:/ / www. scicloud. net/
[45] http:/ / www. limswiki. org/
[46] http:/ / vimeo. com/ lablynx
[47] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ user/ lablynx
SLCLAB Informática SL 209
SLCLAB Informática SL
SLCLAB Informática SL
[1] [1]
Type Sociedad Limitada
Products
Website [2]
SLCLAB.com
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
History
SLCLAB informally began as "Salamanca Laboratorio Clínico SA" in the early 2000s. After working in the
informatics department of the laboratory for several years, several members of the IT staff branched off separately in
2007 and formed a new entity SLCLAB Informática to further develop software analysis tools for laboratories.
A few years later Salamanca Laboratorio Clínico merged with another company, formally dissolving in September
2009. As of 2014[4] SLCLAB still develops and distributes its laboratory informatics products.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Data mining?
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Inventory management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption? Y
SLCLAB Informática SL 211
Version control? Y
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Synoptic reporting?
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word? Y
Fax integration? Y
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring? Y
Messaging? Y
Commenting? Y
Multilingual? Y
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
ALFA21 comes in four packages: Basic, Standard, Professional, and Elite. You can compare the functionality of the
packages here [6].
Pricing is as follows:
Additional information
• ALFA21 Product guide [13] (English)
• ALFA21 Product guide [14] (Spanish)
External links
• Official website [15]
• SLCLAB on YouTube [16]
• SLCLAB on LabTube [17]
• SLCLAB on Vimeo [18]
SLCLAB Informática SL 213
Social media
• SLCLAB on Linkedin [23]
• SLCLAB on Google + [24]
• SLCLAB on Facebook [25]
References
[1] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Limited_liability_company#Spain
[2] http:/ / www. slclab. com/ index. aspx
[3] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 2864272
[4] https:/ / www. limswiki. org/ index. php?title=SLCLAB_Inform%C3%A1tica_SL& action=edit
[5] http:/ / www. slclab. com/ alfa21-caracteristicasgenerales. aspx
[6] http:/ / www. slclab. com/ VersionesAlfa21. aspx
[7] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ user/ AprendiendoALFA21/ videos
[8] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=odTbVoVXMsE
[9] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=fWUXNjPhIaU
[10] http:/ / www. dicyt. com/ noticias/ innovacion-tecnologica-para-laboratorios-de-analisis
[11] http:/ / www. larazon. es/ detalle_normal/ noticias/ 6542780/ la-tecnologia-dispara-la-fiabilidad-de-los-laboratorios#. Ttt1Pp4jhiak6fG
[12] http:/ / issuu. com/ premierpublishing/ docs/ research___innovation_vol_1__issue_
[13] https:/ / www. slclab. com/ downloads/ Alfa21ProductGuide/ Alfa21ProductGuide. pdf
[14] https:/ / www. slclab. com/ descargas/ guiainformativaAlfa21/ GuiaInformativaAlfa21v5. 0. pdf
[15] http:/ / www. slclab. com/ en/ index-en. aspx
[16] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ channel/ UCf0H93a5Z9J7TF2I6zAcNoA
[17] http:/ / www. labtube. tv/ playvideo. aspx?vid=167010
[18] http:/ / vimeo. com/ user29740784
[19] http:/ / www. capterra. com/ medical-lab-software/ spotlight/ 133222/ Alfa21%20LIMS/ SLCLAB
[20] http:/ / www. jazdchemicals. com/ chemyellowpages/ company/ SLCLAB. htm?supplierId=13947667
[21] http:/ / www. environmental-expert. com/ companies/ slclab-62550
[22] http:/ / www. laboratorysupplies1. com/ supplier/ slclab. html
[23] http:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ slclab-inform-tica
[24] http:/ / plus. google. com/ 100947462363319236297/ posts
[25] http:/ / es-es. facebook. com/ pages/ Slclab-Inform%C3%A1tica-SL/ 495209490502418
Two Fold Software Limited 214
Number of locations 3
Website [1]
Twofold-Software.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
Two Fold Software Limited develops and distributes business and laboratory management software solutions.
History
Two Fold partnered with Rescentris, Inc. to help distribute the developer's CERF electronic laboratory notebook
software until changes occurred at Rescentris in 2012 and 2013.
In May 2014, Lab-Ally LLC announced a partnership with Two Fold to distribute their Qualoupe LIMS in the U.S.
Qualoupe LIMS
Qualoupe LIMS is a laboratory information management system (LIMS) "for all types of organisations both large
and small."
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Two Fold Software Limited 215
[3]
Product: Qualoupe LIMS
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management? Y
Customer management? Y
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization? Y
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Two Fold Software Limited 216
Version control?
Environmental monitoring? Y
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base Functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring? Y
Messaging?
Multilingual? Y
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries Served
industry-neutral
Two Fold Software Limited 217
Pricing
Source for pricing information comes directly from Two Fold Software, which was then published in the LIMS
Buyer's Guide. As prices may change at any time, always contact the vendor directly to obtain a price list or quote.
(End-user price excludes tax; all prices in £.)
Rent: £590 per month for 5 concurrent users, including support
Buy: £14,600 for 5 concurrent users excluding support
Rental Cost (monthly licenses):
QLR-SERV-LS Qualoupe server license, incl. support: £266
QLR-CUSER-LS Additional concurrent user licenses, incl. support: £81
QLR-WREP-LS Web reporting, incl. support, 10 licenses: £40
QLR-CSAMP-LS Five remote sample login licenses, incl. support: £20
QLR-SINST-LI Instrument connection, single: £33
QLR-DINST-LI Instrument connect, bi-directional (separate quoted @ day rate, one-off cost): £700
Purchase Cost:
QLR-SERV-LS Qualoupe server license: £6600
QLR-CUSER-LS Additional concurrent user licenses: £2000
QLR-WREP-LS Web reporting, 10 licenses: £1150
QLP-SUPP-SS Annual support: 15%
QLR-SINST-LI Instrument connection, single: £700
QLR-DINST-LI Instrument connect, bi-directional (separate quoted @ day rate, one-off cost): £700
External links
• Two Fold on YouTube [36]
References
[1] http:/ / www. twofold-software. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 1148917
[3] http:/ / www. twofold-software. com/ site/ qualoupe/
[4] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=KTBCDWBLzgY
[5] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=2zFYl8SqUuE
[6] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Poca0UxWBQA
[7] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=h1MfwCOoKW8
[8] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=qF4rZyyLYIo
[9] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=9eXKBjhd2W8
[10] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=gKnkBq3QMK4
[11] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=r7fn4we7tc0
[12] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Qdd63AdM1-0
[13] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=NporjwSPmxk
[14] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=eFw1zs4ZO4w
[15] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=j4q7wqI7uS8
[16] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=KqYSXd2okhQ
[17] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=KyCkAbXHQtM
[18] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=yspcAzb8sfE
[19] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=EexrovIku6c
[20] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=auNOjtWNhlg
[21] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=-7ZAQK3hJVs
[22] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=o2Bir9dznIs
[23] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Uzo-9ZkSGDE
[24] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Ys2MqYZSAkg
[25] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=YxaB7RnLqsI
[26] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=o7uCK2o6Idw
[27] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=l9fKky8ldUE
[28] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=V7MBlDyDWVg
[29] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=PwpcS98peZA
[30] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=TWWW1lFZ2cc
[31] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=PnVGizTrLo8
[32] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=gy7BXPz731k
[33] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=NGxyOEkb6os
[34] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=pcH_LHfUOks
[35] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=0RhMe5jFmbA
[36] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ user/ QualoupeLIMS
Scilligence Corporation 219
Scilligence Corporation
Scilligence Corporation
[1] Corporation
Type
Products
Website [1]
Scilligence.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
History
Scilligence Corporation was founded in August 2010, releasing its first products to the market in April 2011.
In November 2011, the company changed the name of its OLN product to Scilligence ELN.
In November 2015, the company introduced its new Scilligence SDMS.
Features
The features of Scilligence ELN may vary depending on which version you acquire. Consult Scilligence's feature
comparison chart [3] for more information. (Features in table below are for the Corporation version of ELN Cloud.)
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
Scilligence Corporation 221
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control?
Custom reporting?
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word? Y
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring? Y
Messaging? Y
Bookmarking? Y
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
ELN Cloud prices are:
Individual: Free, with 200MB of storage space and the basic ELN features
Education: $40/user per month, with 200MB of storage space per user; basic ELN, collaboration, and customization
features; help desk support
Corporation: $125/user per month, with 5GB of storage space per user, with additional storage space of $5/GB per
month; basic ELN, collaboration, and customization features; help desk support
Prices for the self-hosted ELN Enterprise edition and the Scilligence SDMS are not publicly available.
External links
• ELN Cloud [28]
• Scilligence blog [29]
• Scilligence on YouTube [30]
References
[1] http:/ / www. scilligence. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 2126368
[3] http:/ / www. scilligence. com/ web/ eln-features. aspx
[4] http:/ / www. scilligence. com/ web/ eln. aspx
[5] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=jXtUpJn2i3Y
[6] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Yea7AligF8w
[7] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=zxrOs4-naXg
[8] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=9JoCwycz0bY
[9] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=ymZfwUVyjwM
[10] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Ga98owX9TxE
[11] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=omGYFOszaAE
[12] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=lPa_j6zNW1w
[13] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=cQf9-rbUjF0
[14] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=dkktsWmxRL8
[15] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=m-h-db0nCxs
[16] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=QvNfGTwsGU8
[17] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=PekZsqRabgI
[18] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=PdShR1nFgF4
[19] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=R7ZvJJVZeY0
[20] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=uind47suZZc
[21] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=z-aR2YotQkI
[22] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=5jxuqZD5qx0
[23] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=zdxTtJbLRKY
[24] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=vozvcVkITbw
[25] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=IYeby8IujNU
[26] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=L99MR7W1NxM
[27] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=rE_Vlr3BgQo
[28] http:/ / www. elncloud. com/
[29] http:/ / www. scilligence. com/ web/ blog. aspx
[30] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ user/ olncloud
Labfolder GmbH 224
Labfolder GmbH
labfolder GmbH
[1] [1]
Type Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung
Products
Website [2]
labfolder.com
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
History
On July 1, 2012, start-up company labfolder GmbH made its first blog post, announcing its intentions. Led by
biologists Simon Bungers and Florian Hauer as well as programmer Mathias Schäffner, the start-up aimed to address
"the limits of paper-based laboratory notebooks such as loose data collections, scattered notes and limited search
facilities at the lab bench" and "create a digital lab notebook that can be used as laboratory management software and
collaboration platform for laboratory research." The trio released an alpha version of its labfolder software for testing
on October 3, followed by a beta version on February 20, 2013. The product moved out of beta testing in May 2014
and was offered as a free basic package.
Awards
In April 2013, labfolder received an award for being one of the top 10 best concepts at start2grow Competition 2013.
labfolder
labfolder is a cloud-based electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) that "allows scientists to document and organize
their research, plan their experiments and collaborate with others digitally." The product is available in a free basic
edition for up to three users, an extended team version for larger research groups, and an unlimited server version for
the most demanding of uses.
Labfolder GmbH 225
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Experiment management?
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Labfolder GmbH 226
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption? Y
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control?
Custom reporting?
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging? Y
Bookmarking?
Commenting? Y
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
industry-neutral
Labfolder GmbH 227
Pricing
labfolder pricing is as follows:
Basic:
labfolder is free to individual researchers and research groups up to three in number, with up to 3GB of storage.
Academia: starting from €10,00 per user per month, minimum four users up to 25
Enterprise: starting from €22,50 per user per month, from 25 users and up
Service billed annually.
References
[1] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Gesellschaft_mit_beschränkter_Haftung
[2] https:/ / www. labfolder. com/
[3] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 2680219
[4] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=hR4uS510rqg
[5] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=S8OCIBAfbTE
[6] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=wV1aCrce2v8
[7] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=3gFWVfvbfhE
[8] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=60j_DOhbhas
[9] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=dJPTLXsLbxk
[10] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=01QYWr-N5G8
[11] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Y1iCTbimBfk
[12] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=L-vjcMIZDjs
[13] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=fFvkobph5Mg
[14] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=mud-FTTXu_w
[15] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Um3GVcxplzU
[16] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=COmyqSZdQQo
Labfolder GmbH 228
Products iLIMS
Website [1]
iLIMS.net
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
Laucks Technical Services, LLC develops and distributes the laboratory informatics software solution iLIMS.
History
Laucks Technical Services (LTS) was originally part of Laucks Testing Laboratories, a full-service environmental
testing laboratory founded in 1908 by Irving Laucks. In 2008, LTS (which handled the LIMS side of the business)
was spun off into Laucks Technical Services, LLC after Laucks Testing Laboratories was sold to a national lab
chain.
iLIMS
iLIMS is a laboratory information management system (LIMS) that "unifies real time information about your lab
processes to speed up and inform your decisions." The software is distributed under the software as a service model.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse? Y
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation? Y
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
Laucks Technical Services, LLC 231
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
environmental, general
Pricing
Pricing based on company website data:
• The base licensing fee for iLIMS is $19,500.
• Annual maintenance: first year free; subsequent years 5 percent of licensing fee, per year
• Hourly support fee: first year free; subsequent years $75.00/hr; discounts for prepaid non-expiring blocks of time
• Software can be virtually hosted for approximately $1,200/year or installed on your server for between "$6000
and $24,000, depending on laboratory participation"
Laucks Technical Services, LLC 232
References
[1] http:/ / www. ilims. net/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 1295318
[3] http:/ / www. ilims. net/ iLIMS_Features. html
[4] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=ZbMKKWXxLVY
[5] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=7ufyehQhCrg
[6] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=y8onKqWY9xA
[7] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=ySxo1jD7Dqg
[8] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=75y7gKGRREc
[9] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=jJUzUsw8wWI
[10] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=sTVO1x1GasU
[11] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=HPbGq_GNYaA
[12] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=7rQ6GJ2XyFs
[13] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=ycwLPkUXXWY
[14] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=3x2VEReTQzE
[15] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=IizRsJ6G2PI
[16] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=fWBOFU4OIzI
[17] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=d1P_Maobgos
[18] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=msrh8ki1y6s
[19] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=5b2c-U7nR9E
[20] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Mtp1QAnF2mA
[21] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=jcNPqhWW-kA
[22] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Bwp2RwB-ghU
LabArchives, LLC 233
LabArchives, LLC
LabArchives, LLC
[1] Limited Liability Company
Type
Products
Website [1]
LabArchives.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
LabArchives, LLC develops and distributes the electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) software solution
LabArchives.
History
LabArchives, LLC was founded in 2009 "to create an affordable and easy-to-use solution to the problem of
laboratory organization and collaboration." In February 2010, the company announced it was conducting beta testing
of its web-based LabArchives software. After being in development since April 2009, LabArchives released the first
public non-beta version of LabArchives on November 23, 2010.
In February 2016, LabArchives claimed to offer the first electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) compliant with major
web accessibility standards and regulations and "the only widely distributed ELN with accessibility enabled
capabilities."
LabArchives
LabArchives is a web-based electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) designed to help you "organize and manage all
your laboratory data safely." The software can be hosted locally or remotely as software as a service (SaaS). A free
SaaS version can be accessed, or Pro or Classroom versions of the software can be purchased.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability?
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Inventory management?
Experiment management?
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation? Y
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures?
Version control? Y
Custom reporting?
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
general
Pricing
LabArchives hosted prices for non-profit entities areY:
Free: Free, with 25MB of storage space and the normal ELN features
Pro Academic/Non-profit: $124/user per year, with 100GB of storage space per user and the normal ELN features
Pro Corporate: $248/user per year, with 100GB of storage space per user and the normal ELN features
External links
• LabArchives blog [21]
• LabArchives at YouTube [22]
References
[1] http:/ / www. labarchives. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 582823
[3] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=2ddMpJem2Yw
[4] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=H_vJlttPJW8
[5] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=qZnI8qD_slY
[6] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=mc1L_xtEr-0
[7] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=8TIqw-ru2NQ
[8] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=3xkZrViGftg
[9] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=XuuAwFLSpHw
[10] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=dJUFlfHqoBE
[11] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=9TWEXT3AV0E
[12] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=BiE6UTedPxg
[13] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=BG5vOuftCsY
[14] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=s7wKvpQPZds
[15] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=DmMd0AA8GG4
[16] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=lHHiP8PsRfA
[17] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=1oonh-vddAQ
[18] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=EM1oqpepBY0
[19] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=FYR5jtVn-os
[20] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=VRP4BxxQjuQ
[21] http:/ / blog. labarchives. com/
[22] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ user/ LabArchives
LabLite, LLC 237
LabLite, LLC
LabLite, LLC
[1] Limited Liability Company
Type
Products
Website [1]
LabLite.com
[2]
LabLiteCMT.com
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
LabLite, LLC develops and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions and offers associated consulting
services.
History
The company was founded in 1996.
Other products
LabLite Process Control is process management software for treatment plants or manufacturing facilities. The
software "provides for automatic flagging of multiple limits and exceptions" and "has the ability to exactly match
compliance or summary reports with a click."
LabLite Stability is software "designed to improve communications and accountability between researchers and
chamber (sample aging) areas," geared towards "product testing and R&D facilities that need to manage and prepare
sample lots for testing."
LabLite Queue is similar to Stability but "designed to improve communications and accountability between
laboratories and production areas," geared towards "manufacturing and R&D facilities that need to receive lab results
in a timely and efficient manner."
LabLite Customer Service is scalable, customizable customer service software that can be integrated with LabLite
SQL LIMS. It allows users to "to manage complaints electronically through the entire complaint lifecycle."
LabLite CMT (Calibration, Maintenance & Training) Scheduling & Tracking is an information management system
designed to "schedule and track the calibration and maintenance required on every piece of equipment or component
in your plant, lab, or company." The software is usable for calibration, maintenance, and training activities in
LabLite, LLC 238
numerous industries, including petrochemical, mining, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and wastewater management.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control? Y
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation? Y
Audit trail?
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration? Y
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging? Y
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
clinical research, environmental, food and beverage, general, geology and mining, life sciences, manufacturing and R&D, petrochemical,
pharmaceutical, power and utility
Pricing
Pricing information provided directly by the vendor, which anticipates adding the pricing directly to their website in
2016. As prices may change at any time, always contact the vendor directly to verify a price list or quote.
LabLite SQL LIMS A full featured LIMS that runs small to large scale labs or testing operations. It includes: security, scheduling, $18,000
(single site license) sample login, results tracking & flagging, QC charting, graphing, reporting, billing and more.
LabLite Process Process Control and Plant Operations solution for routine data entry demands found in water and wastewater $9,000
Control (single site treatment plants, industrial and product testing facilities. User defined views, track multiple limits & instant trend
license) graphs. Ideal solution if you work in shifts, have multiple plants, or process lines.
LabLite Stability An ideal fit for companies managing stability studies, R&D, product or rapid age testing. Manage and prepare $12,000
(single site license) sample lots for testing. Maintain accountability by study, product, researcher, or lot number. Track sample pulls
by chamber.
LabLite CMT LabLite CMT (Calibration, Maintenance & Training) Scheduling & Tracking allows you to schedule and track $5,000
Scheduling & the calibration and maintenance required on every piece of equipment or component in your facility. Track
Tracking (single site emergency repairs, down time, and the cost of these events. Record service and warranty information, and track
license) equipment location and responsible party. LabLite CMT also allows you to schedule and track training.
LabLite CS LabLite CS (Customer Service) is ideal for any organization that receives and processes customer complaints. $5,000
Can be used stand alone, or can trigger sample testing within LabLite LIMS.
LabLite Inventory The ideal product for tracking lab consumables. Maintains quantities and links to supplier websites to ease $3,000
ordering.
LabLite Field Data Ideal for field sampling. A great program for those with multiple sites and remote data collection requirements. $2,500
Collections (Handheld Can integrate with Lablite LIMS scheduling.
or Tablet)
LabLite Barcode Scan and track samples, raw materials, or parts as they move from point to point within your organization. Ideal $2,500
Tracking Program for labs tracking sample movement and location, or production environments tracking items within the
manufacturing facility from receiving to their final storage location.
LabLite Web Provide your clients and internal departments browser based access to their reports. $2,500
Reporting
LabLite Auto Automatically email or send a text message to your customers after reports are internally reviewed and approved. $2,500
Emailing
LabLite, LLC 241
LabLite Programming, Code changes to Lablite programs user interfaces (front end) to match unique needs $1,200
Custom Design, & and/or custom product development based on customer requirements.
Development Services (Cost
per Day)
LabLite Implementation This category covers the full range of items required to support a system $800
Costs (Cost per Day) implementation. Items include: System Setup, Installation, Data Migration, Report
Writing, Instrument Interface, SCADA Integration and Interfaces to other software, like
accounting programs.
LabLite Annual Software The first year of technical support is offered at no charge with any LabLite software 1st year no charge. Year
Maintenance & Support product implementation. Year two and beyond is billed at 10% of the cumulative total 2 and beyond billed at
job costs. Includes: unlimited Toll Free calls, support center staffed Mon-Fri, 8-6 EST. 10% of cumulative total
Additional hours available by arrangement. Most calls answered immediately or job costs.
returned same business day.
LabLite Travel Related Most implementations can all be done remotely; however, if required or requested, we Billed at cost.
Costs will come on-site. Airfare, Hotel, Rental Car, Gas, Tolls, Parking, Meals etc are billed
at cost.
Additional information
LabLite SQL LIMS
• LabLite SQL LIMS brochure [21]
• LabLite SQL LIMS demo site [22]
Other products
• LabLite Process Control brochure [23]
• LabLite Process Control demo site [24]
• LabLite Stability brochure [25]
• LabLite Queue brochure [26]
• LabLite Customer Service brochure [27]
References
[1] http:/ / www. lablite. com
[2] http:/ / lablitecmt. com/
[3] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 728799
[4] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ productdetail. aspx?view=lims
[5] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ setup_tables. htm
[6] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ lab_setup. htm
[7] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ login. htm
[8] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ client_status. htm
[9] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ to_do. htm
[10] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ lnb. htm
[11] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ rpting. htm
[12] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ mgmt_rpts. htm
[13] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ cross_tab. htm
[14] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ security. htm
[15] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ export. htm
[16] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ client_result_history/ customization_dialogue. htm
[17] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ client_view. htm
[18] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ project. htm
[19] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ scheduling. htm
[20] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ movies/ msg_ctr. htm
[21] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ download/ LabLite_LIMS_Brochure. pdf
[22] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demo/ mainFrame. htm
[23] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ download/ LabLite_ProcessControl_Brochure. pdf
[24] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ demopc/ mainFrame. htm
[25] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ download/ LabLiteStabilityBrochure. pdf
[26] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ download/ LabLite%20Queue. pdf
[27] http:/ / www. lablite. com/ productdetail. aspx?view=customerservice
Autoscribe Informatics, Inc. 243
[1] Corporation
Type
Number of locations 2
Products
Website [1]
AutoscribeInformatics.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
Autoscribe Informatics, Inc. develops and distributes business, scientific, and laboratory informatics software
solutions.
History
Autoscribe Informatics, Inc. was founded in late 2011, giving parent company Autoscribe Ltd. — founded in 1981
as a privately-owned company based in the U.K. — a direct U.S. presence. Zumatrix, Inc., the North American
distribution and support team for Autoscribe's Matrix Gemini product, was transferred into the new U.S. entity,
which began operations on January 3, 2012.
Autoscribe Informatics also has a worldwide distributor network including "PT Agryiya Analitika" in Indonesia
covering SE Asia, "SeerPharma PTy Ltd" in Australia, Da Vinci Laboratory Solutions B.V. in Benelux, and
Laboratory Information Services Middle East in UAE.
Matrix Tracker is a tracking application that "allow[s] you to setup and modify the workflows, screens and menus to
meet detailed requirements."
Matrix Study Management is software that acts as "a stability management system for complete control of stability
studies for a variety of industries" and features the ability to manage stability storage room operations, inventory,
audit trail generation, and protocol design and approval.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control? Y
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management? Y
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control? Y
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Autoscribe Informatics, Inc. 246
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual? Y
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
biotechnology, chemical, contract services, environmental, food and beverage, general, geology and mining, health care, petrochemical,
pharmaceutical, power and utility, veterinary
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation? Y
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring?
Autoscribe Informatics, Inc. 248
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
biotechnology, chemical, contract services, environmental, food and beverage, general, geology and mining, health care, petrochemical,
pharmaceutical, power and utility, veterinary
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management?
Autoscribe Informatics, Inc. 249
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Autoscribe Informatics, Inc. 250
Industries served
biotechnology, chemical, contract services, environmental, food and beverage, general, geology and mining, health care, petrochemical,
pharmaceutical, power and utility, veterinary
Pricing
Source for pricing information is directly from Autoscribe via the Laboratory Informatics Institute. As prices may
change at any time, always contact the vendor directly to obtain a price list or quote.
Additional information
• Matrix Gemini information and brochure [3]
• Matrix Express information and brochure [4]
• Matrix Configuration Tools information and brochure [20]
• Matrix Tracker information and brochure [5]
• Stability Study Manager information and brochure [21]
• Quality Management Suite information and brochure [22]
• Support Management System information and brochure [23]
• Issues Tracker information [24]
Autoscribe Informatics, Inc. 251
References
[1] http:/ / www. autoscribeinformatics. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 417914
[3] http:/ / www. autoscribeinformatics. com/ lims/ matrix-gemini
[4] http:/ / www. autoscribeinformatics. com/ lims/ matrix-express
[5] http:/ / www. autoscribeinformatics. com/ lims/ matrix-tracker
[6] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=q4nw29T6C0M
[7] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=WbhJwSwbjXE
[8] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=f6wlyVcpK8E
[9] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=i5CQmyO8FWo
[10] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=zrQxLMUZ9NM
[11] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Y29sf53w_YA
[12] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=gRsRp3O0y4o
[13] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=N2y4CfU6zSI
[14] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Kd3Hscyd87s
[15] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=RQn6-5NLulg
[16] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Df3vTO6NTNM
[17] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=8NJZ9reWYwA
[18] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=9Vy4QHob7sM
[19] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=YN2GkgZ2_E0
[20] http:/ / www. autoscribeinformatics. com/ lims/ configuration-tools
[21] http:/ / www. autoscribeinformatics. com/ lims/ stability
[22] http:/ / www. autoscribeinformatics. com/ bims/ quality-management-suite
[23] http:/ / www. autoscribeinformatics. com/ bims/ support-management
[24] http:/ / www. autoscribeinformatics. com/ bims/ issue-tracker
Research Innovations Limited 252
Products
Website ResearchSpace.com
[1]
[2]
Lab-Ally.com
Research Innovations Limited (operating as "ResearchSpace") develops and distributes laboratory informatics
software solutions.
Lab-Ally LLC is the North American operating arm of ResearchSpace, assisting with all aspects of product design,
support, distribution, and U.S. invoicing.
History
Sometime in 2012 Research Innovations Limited acquired Axiope Limited and its electronic laboratory notebook
offering eCAT, with the same Axiope team now affiliated with Research Innovations. Axiope was a venture spun out
of Edinburgh University to "let scientists grow 'semantic webs' in labs."
eCAT
eCAT is a web-based electronic laboratory notebook (ELN), "a tool that lets you manage experimental data and
samples in an integrated online environment." The software can be installed locally or hosted remotely by
ResearchSpace as software as a service (SaaS).
Research Innovations Limited 253
RSpace
RSpace is a version of eCAT designed for the North American and other markets. RSpace is an ELN "that catalyzes
research and allows organizations to enjoy the benefits, efficiencies and long-term cost savings of centralized,
paperless data storage."
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability?
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Inventory management? Y
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring? Y
Messaging? Y
Bookmarking?
Commenting? Y
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Research Innovations Limited 255
Industries served
general
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Experiment management?
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures? Y
Research Innovations Limited 256
Version control? Y
Custom reporting?
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging? Y
Bookmarking? Y
Commenting? Y
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
general
Pricing
Pricing for RSpace is not made public.
Pricing for eCAT is as follows:
Research Innovations Limited 257
Additional pricing:
The following training courses are available...
• eCAT Fundamentals: $500/individual, $1000/organization
• Managing Inventory with eCAT: $500/individual, $1000/organization
• eCAT Administrators: $500/individual, $1000/organization
Note: There is also a free Personal Edition [5] hosted by ResearchSpace.
Additional information
• eCAT free trial and Personal Edition [25]
• eCAT blog [26]
• RSpace about [27]
• RSpace Guidance Notes [28]
References
[1] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/
[2] http:/ / lab-ally. com/ rspace-eln/
[3] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ what_create_share. html
[4] http:/ / lab-ally. com/ products/ rspace-eln/
[5] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ personal_editions. html
[6] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ blog/ product/ ?p=309
[7] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ blog/ product/ ?p=293
[8] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ blog/ product/ ?p=88
[9] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ blog/ product/ ?p=74
[10] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ blog/ product/ ?p=21
[11] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ blog/ product/ ?p=5
[12] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ blog/ product/ ?p=37
[13] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ blog/ product/ ?p=24
[14] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ blog/ product/ ?p=28
[15] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ blog/ product/ ?p=31
[16] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ blog/ product/ ?p=17
[17] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ blog/ product/ ?p=34
[18] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Ida4wRgKoeU
[19] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=MpIkNnX05CI
[20] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=KGpnJnDUbRI
[21] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=4h0bPjuDc5w
[22] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=glrr3Z07zak
[23] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Ai8L-9XwTv4
[24] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=YydoY8JSxgM
[25] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ free_trial. php
[26] http:/ / www. researchspace. com/ electronic-lab-notebook/ blog/ ecat/
[27] http:/ / lab-ally. com/ files/ documentation/ WhatIsRSpace. pdf
[28] http:/ / lab-ally. com/ files/ documentation/ RSpace0. 18GuidanceNotes. pdf
Biomatters Ltd. 259
Biomatters Ltd.
Biomatters Ltd.
[1] Limited
Type
Products
Website [1]
Biomatters.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
Biomatters Ltd. develops and distributes laboratory informatics software, with a strong focus on the academic and
business sides of the biological sciences.
History
Biomatters was founded in 2003 and released Geneious in 2005.
In the fall of 2011, Biomatters opened its first offices in the United States "in response to growing customer
demand."
Awards
In 2009, Biomatters jointly won the University of Auckland Business School Entrepreneurs' Challenge, which
awarded them a loan to expand operations overseas.
Biomatters was awarded the Microsoft Hi-Tech Emerging Company Award in May 2012.
Geneious
Geneious is a bioinformatics software solution with some LIMS-like features that manage sequence alignment,
assembly, and analysis tasks in a variety of scientific fields.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking?
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse? Y
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control? Y
Biomatters Ltd. 261
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting?
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Pricing information can be found on the Geneious website here [4].
Note: A personal license allows a single named individual to use Geneious on up to three computers. A floating
license allows multiple people to share a license.
Biomatters Ltd. 262
External links
• Biomatters on YouTube [15]
References
[1] http:/ / www. biomatters. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 137579
[3] http:/ / www. geneious. com/
[4] http:/ / www. geneious. com/ buy
[5] http:/ / vimeo. com/ 62297917
[6] http:/ / vimeo. com/ 70829833
[7] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=D5ZB8j4mxBI
[8] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=IOGmxjK3f_4
[9] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=s6nojyiKAwo
[10] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=CY1e2RkULas
[11] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=uvgB2_YBmD4
[12] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=rB6rYeVedfA
[13] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=l80rieNFiq8
[14] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=K24L_V6m2ZQ
[15] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ user/ watchgeneious
EBioSys Pty. Ltd. 263
Industry Bioinformatics
Laboratory informatics
Products eLab
Website [1]
eBioSys.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
eBioSys Pty. Ltd. develops and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions.
eLab
eLab is a customizeable laboratory information management system (LIMS) "designed to improve sample
throughput and reduce IT costs in a single industry-compliant solution."
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption? Y
Version control? Y
EBioSys Pty. Ltd. 265
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Pricing information can be found on the EBioSys website [4].
Note: The site has a handy currency converter to aid users in converting to their local currency. Australian entities
purchasing the software also charged 10% GST.
EBioSys Pty. Ltd. 266
eLab Pricing
Additional information
• eLab video overview [14]
• eLab user manual [15]
External links
• eBioSys on YouTube [16]
References
[1] http:/ / www. ebiosys. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 901041
[3] http:/ / www. ebiosys. com/ Products. aspx
[4] https:/ / www. ebiosys. com/ Licensing. aspx
[5] http:/ / www. ebiosys. com/ OverviewTutorial. aspx
[6] http:/ / www. ebiosys. com/ ImportTutorial. aspx
[7] http:/ / www. ebiosys. com/ SamplesTutorial. aspx
[8] http:/ / www. ebiosys. com/ TasksTutorial. aspx
[9] http:/ / www. ebiosys. com/ WorkflowTutorial. aspx
[10] http:/ / www. ebiosys. com/ UsersTutorial. aspx
[11] http:/ / www. ebiosys. com/ GroupsTutorial. aspx
[12] http:/ / www. ebiosys. com/ InstallationTutorial. aspx
[13] http:/ / www. ebiosys. com/ LicensingTutorial. aspx
[14] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=ej8Xf6tPK0o
[15] http:/ / www. ebiosys. com/ Documents/ eLabManual. pdf
[16] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ user/ eBioSys
Mestrelab Research S.L. 267
Number of locations 2
Products
Website [2]
Mestrelab.com
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
Mestrelab Research S.L. develops and distributes scientific and laboratory informatics software, with a strong
focus on research and development.
History
The company was founded in December 2004 as a means to further develop a previous organic chemistry application
called MestReC.
Mbook
Mbook is a chemistry electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) that "allows you to keep all the information relevant to
your chemistry work in an easy-to-search-and-share digital format." The software can be installed on-premises or
offered via the SaaS model of distribution.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Inventory management?
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures?
Version control?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging? Y
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
The SaaS-hosted version of Mbook is 120€ per year for academic use and 300€ per year for industrial use.
Additional information
• Starting guide to Mbook [14]
• Mbook help page [15]
• Mbook user manual [16]
References
[1] https:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Types_of_business_entity#Spain
[2] http:/ / mestrelab. com/
[3] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 1340436
[4] http:/ / mestrelab. com/ software/ mbook/
[5] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=xvItC28KAbc
[6] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=tyt_JiUfsy0
[7] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=ZiSWs6eZ9r4
[8] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=J459130yg5I
[9] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=nUNyt1taYVA
[10] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=lnKHTZdwpbc
[11] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=xhIbPsmqhXk
[12] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=IJ3m7YHwNCg
[13] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=aXt6xwXlAco
[14] http:/ / mestrelab. com/ resources/ starting-guide-to-mbook/
[15] http:/ / mestrelab. com/ software/ mbook/ help/
[16] http:/ / mestrelab. com/ pdf/ mbook-manual. pdf
AgileBio 271
AgileBio
AgileBio
[1] Private Company
Type
Headquarters 5473 Kearny Villa Rd, Ste 255, San Diego, California, U.S.
Number of locations 2
Products
Website [1]
AgileBio.com
[2]
LabCollector.com
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
AgileBio develops and distributes laboratory informatics software, specializing in the life sciences, research and
development, and more. AgileBio also offers a software development service for customers looking for a specific
software solution.
History
AgileBio was formed out of the efforts of Pierre Rodrigues, who released MBS - Molecular Biology Shortcuts — a
portal for software tools and information — in 1998. In early 2002, Rodrigues organized JustBio.com out of a need
to further consolidate molecular biology tools and news into a cleaner site. That same year AgileBio was formed as
an entity "committed to design unique solutions to scientists' teams and companies to turn them into more agile
structures."
LabCollector
LabCollector is a modular laboratory information management system (LIMS) that "can be used in a variety of
different situations and labs." An ELN add-on is also available for LabCollector. The software can be installed
locally or hosted off-site via the SaaS distribution model.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization? Y
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
AgileBio 273
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging? Y
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Source for pricing information is the LabCollector price page [4]. As prices may change at any time, always contact
the vendor directly to obtain a price list or quote.
AgileBio 274
LabCollector LIMS Free - Private Hosting Unlimited (with upload Free for 30 days, then €??/month
limits)
LabCollector LIMS Full - Academic or 50Gb of SSD storage €250 setup fee, VPS €75/month, dedicated domain €10/month,
Industrial - VPS SSL/HTTPS 15€/month
In early 2015, the company pared down its public pricing information significantly. For reference, users can view old
price information as of December 10, 2014 from here [5].
However, as always, consult the vendor to confirm actual pricing.
Additional information
• LabCollector brochure [10]
• LabCollector Manual [11] (English)
• LabCollector Manual [12] (French)
• All manuals and brochures [13]
• LabCollector downloadable demo [14]
• LabCollector ELN add-on [15]
References
[1] http:/ / www. agilebio. com/
[2] http:/ / www. labcollector. com/
[3] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 1229332
[4] http:/ / www. labcollector. com/ purchase-labcollector/ price-list/
[5] https:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20141210182906/ http:/ / labcollector. com/ index. php/ price-listhtml
[6] http:/ / www. labcollector. com/ demo/ tutorials/ installation-en/
[7] http:/ / www. labcollector. com/ demo/ tutorials/ installation-fr/
[8] http:/ / www. labcollector. com/ demo/ tutorials/ installation-cn/
[9] http:/ / www. labcollector. com/ demo/ tutorials/
[10] http:/ / www. labcollector. com/ media/ flyer_lc. pdf
[11] http:/ / labcollector. agilebio. netdna-cdn. com/ media/ manual_lc. pdf
[12] http:/ / labcollector. agilebio. netdna-cdn. com/ media/ lc_manual_fr. pdf
[13] http:/ / www. labcollector. com/ technical-support/ manual-brochures/
[14] http:/ / www. labcollector. com/ demo/ download-demo/
[15] http:/ / www. labcollector. com/ labcollector-lims/ add-ons/ electronic-lab-notebook-eln/
RURO Inc. 275
RURO Inc.
RURO Inc.
[1] Incorporated
Type
Products
Website [1]
RURO.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking?
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption? Y
Version control?
Environmental monitoring? Y
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging? Y
Multilingual? Y
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
RURO Inc. 278
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
RURO Inc. 279
Data encryption? Y
Version control?
Environmental monitoring? Y
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging? Y
Multilingual? Y
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Sample tracking? Y
Data mining?
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption? Y
RURO Inc. 281
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Synoptic reporting?
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration? Y
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring? Y
Messaging? Y
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
industry-neutral
Sample tracking?
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption? Y
Version control?
RURO Inc. 283
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring? Y
Messaging? Y
Multilingual? Y
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
biotechnology, chemical, clinical research, food and beverage, general, law enforcement and forensic, life sciences, logistics, manufacturing and
R&D, petrochemical
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control?
Custom reporting?
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting? Y
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
[6]
Source for pricing information is the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). As prices may change at any
time, always contact the vendor directly to obtain a price list or quote.
Note: These are GSA prices, and as such they represent the lowest possible negotiated price. These prices aren't
available to any entity outside of the Federal Government, and thus prices for non-government entities will be
higher. If anything, they represent the lowest possible negotiated price.
RURO Inc. 286
ezColony
FreezerPro
Sciency
LIMS 24/7
The following pricing information comes directly from the vendor's website:
LimitLIS
LimitLIS Core Setup One-time fee includes "help with test panel setup, user account setup, physician and $19,000
facility setup, and more."
Instrument Integration "This is a one-time setup fee per instrument." $3,0000 per instrument
Setup
HL7 Integration Setup "This is a one-time setup fee per interface." $3,000 per interface
Concurrent User Seats "Includes Premium Customer Support as well as upgrades, bug fixes and maintenance." $1,999 per user, per year
Patient/Client Portal Add-on allows patients "to view the status of their tests and clients can record $3,000 per year
point-of-care tests and more."
Microbiology Workflow Add-on includes "monitoring of cultures, plates, isolated organisms and sensitivity $3,000 per year
testing."
Instrument Integration Add-on allows software to "[integrate] with all of your instruments and interfaces." $3,000 per instrument, per
year
HL7 Integration Add-on "provides continuing support and maintenance for the interfaces." $3,000 per interface, per
year
Professional Services "Choose from multiple configuration add-ons that will help improve your laboratory's $200/hour each
productivity."
Additional information
• ezColony brochure [15]
• FreezerPro brochure [16]
• LimitLIS brochure [17]
• LIMS 24/7 brochure [18]
• Sciency brochure [19]
References
[1] http:/ / www. ruro. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 1567555
[3] http:/ / www. ruro. com/ software/ ezcolony/ overview
[4] http:/ / www. ruro. com/ software/ freezerpro/ overview
[5] https:/ / limitlis. cloud/
[6] https:/ / ruro. com/ software/ lims-247/ implementation
[7] http:/ / www. ruro. com/ software/ sciency-eln/ overview
[8] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=lagXvJ1WxsA
[9] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=oG7juJLJIOE
[10] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=5xUCjXjJFYI
[11] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=emVkQhTAhtY
[12] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=M4mEXqiYWyM
[13] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=raE0DJewyas
[14] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=ws3OeBTEp30
[15] http:/ / www. ruro. com/ resources/ ezColony. pdf
[16] http:/ / www. ruro. com/ resources/ FreezerPro2012. pdf
[17] https:/ / limitlis. cloud/ custom/ documents/ LimitLIS_Brochure. pdf
[18] https:/ / ruro. com/ resources/ LIMS_247_v4. pdf
[19] http:/ / www. ruro. com/ resources/ SciencyELN_3. pdf
SciCord, LLC 289
SciCord, LLC
SciCord, LLC
[1] Limited liability company
Type
Products SciCord
Website [1]
SciCord.com
SciCord, LLC is a privately owned, funded and managed company headquartered in the United States develops,
distributes, and supports laboratory informatics software solutions. SciCord serves the needs of the pharmaceutical
industry supporting analytical drug development, quality assurance, quality control, and manufacturing. SciCord
develops hybrid documentation solutions designed to help laboratories streamline their documentation and
compliance.
History
The company was founded in March 2014 with the goal "to provide the preferred recording medium to scientific
organizations producing intellectual property or compliance documentation."
SciCord
SciCord is a cloud-based electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) that also "combines the compliance and structured
aspects of a laboratory information management system (LIMS)." The company states the software is ideal for those
conducting analytical quality control, development studies, and synthetic chemistry as well as handling manufacture
batch records.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Inventory management? Y
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization? Y
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control? Y
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring? Y
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
SciCord pricing is as follows:
GxP certified environments: "$2,500 per seat per year, billed monthly based on actual number of active licenses"
non-GxP industry environments: "$1,500 per seat per year, billed monthly based on actual number of active
licenses"
non-GxP academic environments: "$750 per seat per year, billed monthly based on actual number of active
licenses"
The license is per year and includes infrastructure support, software, and environments. Consult the vendor price
page [3] for further details.
SciCord, LLC 292
Additional information
• SciCord brochure [6]
References
[1] http:/ / scicord. com/ pages/ en/
[2] http:/ / scicord. com/ pages/ en/ features. php
[3] http:/ / scicord. com/ pages/ en/ prices. php
[4] http:/ / scicord. com/ pages/ en/ gallery. php
[5] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ channel/ UCO6AMBiYBbW4BZbRp13uNhw
[6] http:/ / scicord. com/ pages/ en/ pdf/ brochure_v6. pdf
Waters Corporation 293
Waters Corporation
Waters Corporation
[1] Corporation
Type
Products
Website [1]
Waters.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
Waters Corporation manufactures and distributes analytic instruments for scientists. The company also develops
and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions.
History
Waters Corporation started out as Waters Associates in 1958, building custom instruments. By 1963 the fledgling
company expanded to making chromatography equipment. In the 1970s, Waters Associates began to focus primarily
on chromatography systems. In May 1980, Waters Associates merged with the Millipore Corporation, becoming the
Waters Chromatography Division. The success of the new acquisition wasn't as expected due to various factors, and
in 1994, an investor group led by Waters management bought the assets of the division to eventually become Waters
Corporation.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse? Y
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management? Y
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Waters Corporation 296
Pricing
[4]
Source for pricing information is GSA eLibrary . As prices may change at any time, always contact the vendor
directly to obtain a price list or quote.
Note: These are U.S. General Services Administration [6] (GSA) prices, and as such they represent the lowest
possible negotiated price. These prices aren't available to any entity outside of the Federal Government, and thus
prices for non-government entities will be higher. If anything, they represent the lowest possible negotiated price.
Additional information
• Empower 3 brochure [12]
• NuGenesis 8 brochure [13]
References
[1] http:/ / www. waters. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 166880
[3] http:/ / www. waters. com/ waters/ en_US/ NuGenesis-Lab-Management-System/ nav. htm?cid=10067099
[4] http:/ / elibrary-test. fas. gsa. gov/ ElibMain/ home. do
[5] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=ISOYyN6PFNw
[6] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=3cikQQRCz8s
[7] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=GeNLSFbAtbg
[8] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=kI0mzwIbgVc
[9] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=7t6LL2L0cwo
[10] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=y8kGIziouVw
[11] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=q6at7SqEyUM
[12] http:/ / www. waters. com/ waters/ library. htm?locale=en_CZ& cid=10190669& lid=1529289
[13] http:/ / www. waters. com/ webassets/ cms/ library/ docs/ 720003597en. pdf
Bio-ITech BV 298
Bio-ITech BV
Bio-ITech BV
[1] [1]
Type Besloten Vennootschap
Products
Website [2]
Bio-ITech.nl
[3]
eLabInventory
[4]
eLabJournal
[5]
eLabProtocols
LinkedIn [6]
LinkedIn account
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Data mining?
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management? Y
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption? Y
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting?
Synoptic reporting?
Report printing?
Label support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
agriculture, chemical, clinical research, environmental, food and beverage, geology and mining, petrochemical, pharmaceutical
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management? Y
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Bio-ITech BV 302
Data validation?
Data encryption? Y
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control? Y
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
agriculture, chemical, clinical research, environmental, food and beverage, geology and mining, petrochemical, pharmaceutical
Bio-ITech BV 303
Pricing
eLABInventory
[9]
Source for pricing information is the eLABInventory price page . As prices may change at any time, always
contact the vendor directly to obtain a price list or quote.
eLABInventory consists of three editions:
Classroom: €2.95 per account, per month
Academic: €7.45 per account, per month
Industry: €22.45 per account, per month
eLABJournal
Source for pricing information is the eLABJournal price page [10]. As prices may change at any time, always contact
the vendor directly to obtain a price list or quote.
eLABJournalconsists of three editions:
Classroom: €2.95 per account, per month
Academic: €9.95 per account, per month
Industry: €29.95 per account, per month
eLABProtocols
eLABProtocols is free for academic labs. For commercial labs, please contact the company [11].
Additional information
Factsheets and Whitepapers
• Factsheet: eLABJournal [18]
• Factsheet: eLABInventory [19]
• Brochure: Cloud and Local Implementation [20]
• Whitepaper: How to prepare your lab to go paperless [21]
• Whitepaper: Transitioning to a digital lab [22]
• Whitepaper: Business-critical data in LIMS [23]
Bio-ITech BV 304
References
[1] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Besloten_Vennootschap
[2] http:/ / www. bio-itech. nl/
[3] https:/ / www. elabinventory. com/
[4] https:/ / www. elabjournal. com/
[5] https:/ / www. elabprotocols. com
[6] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 1097314
[7] https:/ / www. elabinventory. com
[8] https:/ / www. elabjournal. com/ tour/
[9] https:/ / www. elabinventory. com/ product-pricing/
[10] https:/ / www. elabjournal. com/ product-pricing/
[11] https:/ / www. elabprotocols. com/ contact/
[12] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Ko-HI2RxChY
[13] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=7Re6gnBtLoE
[14] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=ys4BKEWWnEc
[15] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=7QYC99Jq2QI
[16] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=GH4Iwv-C2_w
[17] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Z7yk42IEJQg
[18] https:/ / www. elabjournal. com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2016/ 05/ eLABJournal%20Product. pdf
[19] https:/ / www. elabjournal. com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2016/ 05/ eLABInventory%20Product. pdf
[20] https:/ / www. elabjournal. com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2016/ 05/ eLABJournal%20Cloud%20or%20Local. pdf
[21] https:/ / www. elabjournal. com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2016/ 05/ How%20to%20prepare%20your%20lab%20to%20go%20paperless. pdf
[22] https:/ / www. elabjournal. com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2016/ 05/ Transitioning%20to%20a%20digital%20lab. pdf
[23] https:/ / www. elabjournal. com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2016/ 05/ business-critical-data-in-lims. pdf
LabVantage Solutions, Inc. 305
[1] Incorporated
Type
Number of locations 18
Products
Website [1]
LabVantage.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
LabVantage Solutions, Inc. develops and distributes enterprise laboratory informatics software solutions.
History
LabVantage started off as Axiom Systems, which in April 1997 acquired Laboratory MicroSystems from Instron
Corp. and formed a new company LabVantage Solutions. LabVantage made another acquisition later that year,
absorbing Automated Compliance Systems into its portfolio. By 1999 the company had decided to replace or rebrand
most of its products with the "Sapphire" product line, featuring a configurable PC-based client-server architecture. In
the summer of 2011, the company rebranded its Sapphire and SQL*LIMS products to its company namesake.
The company had a change of leadership in June 2013 with the introduction of Peter Bailey as the new CEO.
Features
Base features of LabVantage 8 include:
• information management and tracking for samples, reagents, compounds, specifications, experiments, tasks,
projects, studies, subjects, protocols, etc.
• integration with numerous third-party instruments and systems
• graphical workflow design and process automation
• compliance with government regulations and other standards
For more about the known features of LabVantage 8, see the table below.
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management? Y
LabVantage Solutions, Inc. 307
Experiment management?
Workflow management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures?
Version control?
Custom reporting?
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
LabVantage Solutions, Inc. 308
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
industry-neutral
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management? Y
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
LabVantage Solutions, Inc. 309
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring? Y
Messaging?
Multilingual? Y
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
biotechnology, chemical, clinical research, food and beverage, general, life sciences, manufacturing and R&D, petrochemical, pharmaceutical
LabVantage Solutions, Inc. 310
Pricing
[4]
Source for pricing information is the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). As prices may change at any
time, always contact the vendor directly to obtain a price list or quote.
Note: These are GSA prices, and as such they represent the lowest possible negotiated price. These prices aren't
available to any entity outside of the Federal Government, and thus prices for non-government entities will be
higher. If anything, they represent the lowest possible negotiated price.
Products:
LABVANTAGE named, production environment full user license: $3,853.69
• provides role-based browser access to the software for the quantity of users by individual name in a single
application server production environment; Includes test and development environments plus LABVANTAGE
Web Studio Designer Standard Edition
LABVANTAGE named, production environment virtual user license: $1,284.56
• provides role-based browser access to the software for the quantity of users by individual name to conduct sample
submission, tracking, and view-only reporting of information in a single application server production
environment; Includes test and development environments plus LABVANTAGE Web Studio Designer Standard
Edition
LABVANTAGE concurrent, production environment full user license: $7,707.38
• provides role-based browser access to the software for the quantity of users at any given time in a single
application server production environment; Includes test and development environments plus LABVANTAGE
Web Studio Designer Standard Edition
LABVANTAGE concurrent, production environment virtual user license: $2,569.13
• provides role-based browser access to the software for the quantity of users at any given time to conduct sample
submission, tracking, and view-only reporting of information in a single application server production
environment; Includes test and development environments plus LABVANTAGE Web Studio Designer Standard
Edition
LABVANTAGE named, biobanking full user license: $5,138.25
• provides role-based browser access to the software for the quantity of users by individual name in a production,
test and development environment; Includes BioBanking
LABVANTAGE concurrent, biobanking full user license: $10,276.50
• provides role-based browser access to the software for the quantity of users at any given time in a production, test
and development environment; Includes BioBanking
LABVANTAGE concurrent, biobanking virtual user license: $3,425.50
• provides role-based browser access to the software for the quantity of users at any given time to conduct sample
submission, tracking and view only reporting of information in a production, test and development environment.;
Includes BioBanking
LABVANTAGE named, advanced storage and logistics (ASL) full user license: $4,281.50
• provides role-based browser access to the software for the quantity of users by individual name in a production,
test and development environment; Includes ASL
LABVANTAGE concurrent, advanced storage and logistics (ASL) full user license: $8,563.75
• provides role-based browser access to the software for the quantity of users at any given time in a production, test
and development environment; Includes ASL
LABVANTAGE Web Designer Professional Module, Incremental User Edition: $4,281.50
LabVantage Solutions, Inc. 311
• provides a bundle of two (2) "developer" user licenses, usable at any given time, enabling users to create new
configured pages in the software in addition to the functionality of the Standard Edition
LABVANTAGE Web Studio Designer, Professional Edition: $17,127.50
• provides a bundle of ten (10) "developer" user licenses, usable at any given time, enabling users to create new
configured pages in the software in addition to the functionality of the Standard Edition
Services:
First Annual Support & Maintenance Services: 15% of GSA discounted net software cost
• maintenance and support beginning after expiration of the 90-day warranty period and ending one (1) year
thereafter
INTRO 110 - Introduction to LABVANTAGE course: $2,052.28/student
• three-day course, with optional certification exam, introduces the student to the components of LABVANTAGE
and allows them to work in the out-of-the-box version of the software
INTRO 120 - Basic LABVANTAGE Administration course: $2,392.81/student
• three-day course, with optional certification exam, introduces the student to the fundamental administrative issues
of developing, implementing and maintaining the out-of-the-box version of LABVANTAGE
ADV 210 - Advanced LABVANTAGE course: $2,392.81/student
• three-day course, with optional certification exam, introduces the LABVANTAGE developer to some of the more
advanced configuration options available within LABVANTAGE’s Web Page Designer
Additional information
• LabVantage Overview brochure [11]
• LabVantage 8 Features and Benefits brochure [12]
• LabVantage 8 Technical Specifications brochure [13]
• LabVantage 8 Hardware Requirements brochure [14]
References
[1] http:/ / www. labvantage. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 24333
[3] http:/ / www. labvantage. com/ lims/ features/ electronic-notebook/
[4] http:/ / www. labvantage. com/ lims
[5] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Yt5OoAdG2mA
[6] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=fiMuGTpbQ-Q
[7] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=SEFL2njP2Ng
[8] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=vM0GpO5FjZ0
[9] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=-rOPAXC3Uz0
[10] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=IMpYqacfziY
[11] http:/ / www. labvantage. com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2016/ 02/ LabVantage-8-Overview-OV-0216-Web. pdf
[12] http:/ / www. labvantage. com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2016/ 02/ LabVantage-8-Features-and-Benefits-FB-0216-Web. pdf
LabVantage Solutions, Inc. 312
[13] http:/ / www. labvantage. com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2016/ 03/ LabVantage-8-Technical-Specifications-LV-TS-0316-Web. pdf
[14] http:/ / www. labvantage. com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2016/ 03/ LabVantage-8-Hardware-Reqs_LV-HR-0216-Web. pdf
Physion, LLC
Physion, LLC
[1] Limited liability company
Type
Industry Informatics
Laboratory informatics
Number of locations 1
Website [1]
Ovation.io
Physion, LLC (doing business as "Ovation") develops and distributes the laboratory information management
system (LIMS) software solution LIMS+.
History
Physion was formally founded as Physion Consulting, LLC in March 2009, though the company changed its name to
Physion, LLC in October 2013. In mid- to late 2011, the company introduced its Ovation scientific data management
system (SDMS) to the public, describing it as a tool that "handles the entire lifecycle of scientific data from
acquisition to publication and beyond." Development of the software happened in-house and on the company's
GitHub account. In 2012, CEO and co-founder Barry Wark shared the SDMS' data model with the INCF
Neuroimaging and Neurophysiology Data Sharing Task Forces, comparing and contrasting it with the XCEDE 2
XML-based model developed by the Biomedical Informatics Research Network (BIRN). After initially using
relational databases to prototype the software, Physion later turned to IBM's Cloudant Dedicated Cluster in late 2014
for a more "scalable data layer that synchronizes data between the cloud and multiple local clients." The company
had also developed a Python API to allow "full functionality of the Ovation ecosystem from within Python."
In January 2016, Physion implemented a series of new changes with the company's web presence and software
offerings. The company shut down its physion.us domain, changed their doing business as name to Ovation, and
seemingly phased out its Ovation SDMS for a new laboratory information management system (LIMS) called
LIMS+. The last known version of Ovation SDMS before that was 3.1.3.
At some point in late 2016 or early 2017, the company backtracked on LIMS+ and decided to split the product up
into two components: an SDMS-like "Research" component and a LIMS-like "Service Lab" component of the
Ovation software platform.
Physion, LLC 313
Ovation
Ovation is a cloud-based software platform for science. The platform is separated into an SDMS-like component
(Research) and a LIMS-like component (Service Lab). Both components seem to make up a third product, Ovation
Enterprise.
The Research component offers features such as chat, mentions, version control, team management, data
management, role-based security, experiment and associated metadata management.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation? Y
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring? Y
Physion, LLC 315
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
general
Pricing
Pricing for Ovation is as follows:
Research Free: $0/month, up to 10GB of storage
Pro: $25/month, up to 1TB of storage; includes administrative controls, technical support, and phone support
Enterprise: $??/month, unlimited storage; includes warehouse, single sign-on, administrative controls, technical
support, and phone support
Note that HIPAA compliance is an extra $85/month, and extra storage is $20/TB.
Service Lab
After a set-up fee of unknown cost, users are charged by sample: $10/per for pre-clinical, $15/per for clinical
Note that HL7 integration is an extra $800/month, fax gateway $300/month, and research integration $15/seat.
Ovation Enterprise pricing is not public.
Additional information
• Physion on GitHub [4]
References
[1] https:/ / www. ovation. io/
[2] https:/ / www. ovation. io/ service-lab
[3] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ user/ physionconsulting
[4] https:/ / github. com/ physion
Abbott Informatics Corporation 316
[1] Corporation
Type
Products
Website [1]
AbbottInformatics.com
Abbott Informatics Corporation develops and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions.
History
Abbott Informatics was originally founded as STARLIMS Technologies Ltd. by Itschak Friedman, incorporated
under the laws of the State of Israel in May 1986. In November 1993, STARLIMS completed an initial public
offering of its ordinary shares, which traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. The company made a public offering
in the United States in May 2007 and was introduced to the NASDAQ under the Stock Market under the symbol
LIMS.
In August 2008, the Company announced the establishment of STARLIMS Europe as a result of the May 2008
acquisition of its United Kingdom partner Lab Data Management Ltd., based in Bolton, Greater Manchester.
In late 2009 it was revealed Abbott Laboratories, Inc. would acquire all outstanding equity of STARLIMS
Technologies.The deal was finalized on March 22, 2010 for a published cost of $123 million. STARLIMS
Corporation continued to act as a subsidiary of Abbot Labotatories.
On May 30, 2014, STARLIMS Corporation officially changed the name of its Florida-based headquarters to Abbot
Informatics Corporation. However, it wasn't until October 2015 that the company shifted its web presence, dropping
the STARLIMS Corporation name in full.
Abbott Informatics Corporation 317
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Abbott Informatics Corporation 318
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control? Y
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration? Y
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
chemical, contract services, cosmetic, environmental, food and beverage, general, law enforcement and forensic, manufacturing and R&D,
petrochemical, pharmaceutical, power and utility, public health and service
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Experiment management?
Workflow management?
Abbott Informatics Corporation 320
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control?
Custom reporting?
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting? Y
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
industry-neutral
Pricing
[4]
Source for pricing information is GSA Avantage . As prices may change at any time, always contact the vendor
directly to obtain a price list or quote.
Note: These are U.S. General Services Administration [6] (GSA) prices, and as such they represent the lowest
possible negotiated price. These prices aren't available to any entity outside of the Federal Government, and thus
prices for non-government entities will be higher. If anything, they represent the lowest possible negotiated price.
Products:
STARLIMS Public Health concurrent full user license: $5,042.82
• provides an individual user (single session) full access to all STARLIMS functions and wizards at the same time
as a permitted number of other user sessions in the customer's organization
STARLIMS Public Health concurrent data user license: $2,780.86
• allows an individual lab data user (single session) to view analytical services provided by the lab, view sample
status, and print COAs or invoices at the same time as the permitted number of other user sessions in the
licensee's organization
STARLIMS Forensics concurrent full user license: $5,042.82
• provides an individual user (single session) full access to all STARLIMS functions and wizards at the same time
as a permitted number of other user sessions in the customer's organization
STARLIMS Forensics concurrent data user license: $2,780.86
• allows an individual lab data user (single session) to view analytical services provided by the lab, view sample
status, and print COAs or invoices at the same time as the permitted number of other user sessions in the
licensee's organization
STARLIMS Named Standard Designer license: $7,741.06
• allows authorized users to intuitively configure and make appropriate enhancements and modifications as
business requirements change
Services:
STARLIMS Annual Gold support plan: $14,682.92
• provides unlimited telephone, e-mail, and website operational support for up to two named customer
points-of-contact; phone support hours are 24x7, with a response within four business hours
STARLIMS Annual Update Plan: no charge for the one-year period following the date of purchase of the first
license; annual price for each of the following years is calculated as 18% of the aggregate price for licenses
purchased to date
• provides licensee the right to receive upgrades and updates that are issued by the company during the applicable
twelve-month period
Abbott Informatics Corporation 322
Additional information
Abbott doesn't have a brochure to describe just the LIMS; rather, they have a LIMS brochure based on your industry:
• Various STARLIMS brochures [10]
• Cloud-hosted STARLIMS brochure [11]
Other brochures:
• Abbott Informatics ELN brochure [12]
• Abbott Informatics SDMS brochure [13]
References
[1] https:/ / www. abbottinformatics. com/
[2] https:/ / www. abbottinformatics. com/ us/ products/ lims
[3] https:/ / www. abbottinformatics. com/ us/ products/ eln
[4] https:/ / www. gsaadvantage. gov/ ref_text/ GS35F138DA/ 0PB0VF. 39MHEB_GS-35F-138DA_GS35F138DA. PDF
[5] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=w48_gvII6YA
[6] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=x7TND_5o6jY
[7] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=DMkh0xz_7os
[8] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=D0IXTFgx1E8
[9] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=VOE0vMyYv8s
[10] https:/ / www. abbottinformatics. com/ us/ resources/ resource-center?resourceType=brochures
[11] https:/ / www. abbottinformatics. com/ shared/ cloud-subscription-brochure. pdf
[12] https:/ / www. abbottinformatics. com/ shared/ eln-brochure. pdf
[13] https:/ / www. abbottinformatics. com/ shared/ sdms-brochure. pdf
BiochemLab Solutions 323
BiochemLab Solutions
BiochemLab Solutions
[1] Unknown
Type
Products
Website [1]
BiochemLabSolutions.com
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse? Y
Inventory management?
Experiment management?
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption? Y
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control?
Custom reporting?
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
BiochemLab Solutions 325
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Electronic Lab Notebook is free to download and use. The free version of the software is ad-based.
The cost to remove the ads, with e-mail support:
Five computers: $370.00
Ten computers: $1200.00
References
[1] http:/ / biochemlabsolutions. com
[2] http:/ / biochemlabsolutions. com/ ELN/ ELN. html
[3] http:/ / biochemlabsolutions. com/ ELN/ VIDEO/ Adding-Pages. swf. html
[4] http:/ / biochemlabsolutions. com/ ELN/ VIDEO/ Editing-Attaching-Files-Images. swf. html
[5] http:/ / biochemlabsolutions. com/ ELN/ VIDEO/ Digital-Signatures. swf. html
[6] http:/ / biochemlabsolutions. com/ ELN/ VIDEO/ Encryption. swf. html
NoteBookMaker, LLC 326
NoteBookMaker, LLC
NoteBookMaker, LLC
[1] Limited liability company
Type
Products
Website [1]
NoteBookMaker.com
NoteBookMaker, LLC develops and distributes the laboratory informatics software solution NoteBookMaker.
iPad ELN
NoteBookMaker is an electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) that "replaces your traditional paper notebook with a
modern system that protects your intellectual property and process." The software can be installed locally or hosted
remotely as software as a service (SaaS).
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Experiment management?
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization? Y
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control?
Custom reporting?
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
NoteBookMaker, LLC 328
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
general
Pricing
Pricing for the hosted version of NoteBookMaker is $99 per year, with unlimited records, unlimited notebooks, and
100GB of storage space.
Pricing for non-hosted versions is as follows:
Commercial Single User Non-network, w/o FileMaker Pro (not required) $300 $1,200 $2,100
Commercial Multi-User, w/o FileMaker Pro For networks, w/o FileMaker Pro (required) $400 $1,600 $2,800
Commercial Multi-User, with FileMaker Pro For networks, includes FileMaker Pro (required) $600 $2,800 $4,200
Academic Single User Non-network, w/o FileMaker Pro (not required) $200 $800 $1,400
Academic Multi-User, w/o FileMaker Pro For networks, w/o FileMaker Pro (required) $300 $1,200 $2,100
Academic Multi-User, with FileMaker Pro For networks, includes FileMaker Pro (required) $400 $1,600 $2,800
NoteBookMaker, LLC 329
Additional information
• NoteBookMaker installation documentation [7]
References
[1] http:/ / notebookmaker. com/
[2] http:/ / notebookmaker. com/ index. html
[3] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=q1lVgU7DrME
[4] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=bIIQyEvlSXM
[5] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=0a33zDVfEuQ
[6] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=fa5iOz00ODQ
[7] http:/ / notebookmaker. com/ page22/ page22. html
Sysment Kft. 330
Sysment Kft.
Sysment Kft.
[1] [1]
Type korlátolt felelősségű társaság
Website [2]
Sysment.hu
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
Sysment Notebook
Sysment Notebook is a web-based ELN that "can be used by organizations of all sizes and can be installed in-house
or remotely hosted."
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Experiment management?
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures?
Version control?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Sysment Kft. 332
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Pricing for Sysment Notebook is as follows:
1 800€ 800€
3 784€ 2,352€
5 768€ 3,840€
10 736€ 7,360€
20 672€ 13,440€
50 552€ 27,600€
• Interested users can demo a fully-functional version of the software free for 30 days.
• The company is also offering free, one year (renewable), named-user academic licenses for those in academic and
educational environments.
Sysment Kft. 333
References
[1] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Types_of_business_entity#Hungary
[2] http:/ / www. sysment. hu/
[3] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 2927126
[4] http:/ / www. sysment. hu/ ?page_id=85
[5] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=zrjDEDrQNew
[6] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=CLjURhERsHA
[7] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=ya_LL1BLV7s
[8] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=7BCBvmniKF4
The Edge Software Consultancy Ltd. 334
Products
Website [1]
Edge-ka.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
The Edge Software Consultancy Ltd. develops and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions for the
pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
The Edge Software Consultancy Ltd. 336
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Experiment management?
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control? Y
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word? Y
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting? Y
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
industry-neutral
Pricing
Pricing details come from The Edge Software Consultancy's website:
BioRails DM perpetual license: £2500 per user, plus tax
BioRails DM annual license: £1000 per user, plus tax
BioRails DM cloud license: from £150pcm
BioRails ELN perpetual license: £1000 per user, plus tax
BioRails ELN annual license: £400 per user, plus tax
Maintenance and support for the perpetual and annual licenses price at 20 percent of list price.
Maintenance and support for the cloud license is included in the list price. Volume and academic discounts available.
The Edge Software Consultancy Ltd. 339
Additional information
• The Edge brochure [8] (PDF)
References
[1] http:/ / www. edge-ka. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 429850
[3] http:/ / www. edge-ka. com/ products/ biorails/ biorailslims
[4] http:/ / www. edge-ka. com/ products/ biorails/ biorailseln
[5] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=2paJED4JYPc
[6] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=F8kXO8qKwOU
[7] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=d6wZUSdM9Wo
[8] http:/ / www. edge-ka. com/ uploads/ File/ brochures/ The%20Edge%20brochure2015. pdf
BioInfoRx, Inc. 340
BioInfoRx, Inc.
BioInfoRx, Inc.
[1] Incorporated
Type
Number of locations 1
Products
Website [1]
BioInfoRx.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
BioInfoRx, Inc. develops and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions for genomics and other
laboratory research.
History
BioInfoRx was formally founded in 2005. Initial development of software solutions came largely from start-up funds
and grant money.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking?
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
BioInfoRx, Inc. 342
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Public pricing information for mLIMS is as follows:
Academic and non-profit ventures
• Single user: $360/year - Up to one user, with one setting
• Up to five users: $600/year - Personal preferences, audit trail at user level, projects with different settings
• Up to 10 users: $840/year - Personal preferences, audit trail at user level, projects with different settings
• Up to 20 users: $1,500/year - Personal preferences, audit trail at user level, projects with different settings
• 21 or more users: Contact vendor for pricing
Commercial ventures Public pricing is not available. Contact the vendor.
BioInfoRx, Inc. 343
Additional information
• mLIMS Standard [3]
• mLIMS Facility [6]
• mLIMS Enterprise [7]
• mLIMS Help Center [8] (includes PDF manuals)
References
[1] https:/ / bioinforx. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 2367386
[3] https:/ / bioinforx. com/ lims2/ product_mlims. php
[4] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=pDI-PXjVlQA
[5] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=T5PCvolv0_o
[6] https:/ / bioinforx. com/ lims2/ product_mlims_facility. php
[7] https:/ / bioinforx. com/ lims2/ product_mlims_enterprise. php
[8] http:/ / help. bioinforx. com/ help1/
Biomed Systems Ltd. 344
Products
Website [1]
biobanking.software
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
Biomed Systems Ltd. develops and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions for the biomedical,
biotechnological, and biochemical industries.
LABA
LABA — the Laboratory Assistant and Biobanking Application — is a laboratory information management system
"for biomedical, biotechnological and biochemical laboratories."
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management? Y
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
Biomed Systems Ltd. 346
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting?
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Pricing for LABA is as follows:
Biomed Systems Ltd. 347
LABA Start 1 account + support, view-only access after expiration 99€ per month
3-Year License Unlimited accounts + support, view-only access after expiration 4,500€
5-Year License Unlimited accounts + support, view-only access after expiration 7,000€
Lifetime License Unlimited accounts + support, can be installed on own server 9,300€
Lifetime License w/ Lab Diary Unlimited accounts + support, can be installed on own server 14,500€
References
[1] http:/ / biobanking. software/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ biomed-systems-ltd-
[3] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=PGxJGt8i7Nw
[4] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=w1cdmqGo9CA
BioSistemika LLC 348
BioSistemika LLC
BioSistemika LLC
[1] Limited liability company
Type
Number of locations 2
Products GENEIO
Website [1]
BioSistemika.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
BioSistemika LLC develops and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions and provides laboratory
consulting services.
History
BioSistemika began a side-project called sciNote sometime in 2014, aiming to create a free open-source ELN. The
company acquired additional funding through Kickstarter and ultimately released the source code to GitHub on
February 12, 2016. BioSistemika also began to offer hosting and installation/service plans for the free software.
A new entity sciNote, LLC was created in Wisconsin in May 2016, and the sciNote project was transferred to the
new entity. BioSistemika still develops and distributes GENEIO.
GENEIO
GENEIO is ELN-like software that is specially designed for the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)
laboratory technique and its associated workflow. The software is available as a SaaS offering.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Experiment management?
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures?
Version control?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
GENEIO is available at €69/month, per user, with special prices for lab groups. Can be trialed free for 14 days.
Additional information
• GENEIO brochure [6]
BioSistemika LLC 351
References
[1] http:/ / www. biosistemika. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 1457140
[3] http:/ / biosistemika. com/ geneio/
[4] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=2lbgDsNsHy0
[5] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=oZLK8PUfHI8
[6] http:/ / biosistemika. com/ wp-content/ uploads/ 2015/ 05/ GENEIO_More_Information_2015. pdf
LABTrack, LLC 352
LABTrack, LLC
LABTrack, LLC
[1] Limited liability company
Type
Products
Website [1]
LABTrack.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
History
LABTrack was founded in 1997 "to develop technologies and products that enhance discovery and innovation."
LABTrack ELN
LABTrack ELN is a web-based electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) "that can bring together all of your
organization's research, development and production laboratory data." The software can be installed locally or hosted
remotely as software as a service (SaaS). The software is available in three versions: Personal, for individuals and
small labs; Pro Team, for small to large groups; and Pro Enterprise, for large-scale or global needs.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse? Y
Inventory management?
Experiment management?
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption? Y
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control? Y
Custom reporting?
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting? Y
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
biotechnology, chemical, contract services, food and beverage, general, manufacturing and R&D, pharmaceutical
Pricing
The hosted (SaaS) version (installed on Rackspace shared servers) of LABTrack Pro Team is $420 per month for
five users and $530 per month for ten users, with one year minimum subscription.
Installed on your your own server, LABTrack Pro Team is $200 per month for five users and $310 per month for ten
users, available as a month-to-month subscription.
For non-hosted solutions:
LABTrack, LLC 355
Additional information
• LABTrack system requirements [5] (PDF)
• LABTrack documentation and support [6]
References
[1] http:/ / www. labtrack. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 505914
[3] http:/ / www. labtrack. com/ EasyToUserVideo. html
[4] http:/ / www. labtrack. com/ TemplatesVideo. html
[5] http:/ / www. labtrack. com/ files/ LABTrack_Requirements_v7. pdf
[6] http:/ / www. labtrack. com/ customersupport. html
Pharmaceuticals Systems International, LLC 356
Headquarters 1001 Avenida Juan Ponce de León, Victory Gardens, Suite A, San Juan, Puerto Rico, U.S.
Number of locations 1
Products Pharmaway
Website [1]
PSISoftwares.com
[2]
Pharmaway.info
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
Pharmaceuticals Systems International, LLC (PSI) develops and distributes software solutions for the regulated
manufacturing industry.
History
PSI was formally founded in May 2014.
Pharmaway
Pharmaway is an extensive suite of cloud-based software applications "designed around the modern needs of
companies who must adhere to 21 CFR Part 11, quality system and ISO13485:2003 requirements." The suite comes
in a Basic and Enterprise edition. Applications include:
• laboratory information management system (LIMS)
• electronic batch records (EBR)
• enterprise resource planning (ERP)
• manufacturing execution system (MES)
• quality management system (QMS)
The suite is geared towards those in the regulated manufacturing and production industries. Information about these
applications' features is limited, however.
Pharmaceuticals Systems International, LLC 357
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting?
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pharmaceuticals Systems International, LLC 359
Pricing
The following pricing information is public for the Basic edition of Pharmaway
• One year plan (per user, per module): $1,500
• One month plan (per user, per module): $150
Modules in the Basic edition include LIMS, MES, QMS, inventory, accounting, and reporting.
References
[1] http:/ / www. psisoftwares. com/
[2] http:/ / www. pharmaway. info/
[3] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 3745421
[4] http:/ / www. psisoftwares. com/ about. html
[5] https:/ / vimeo. com/ 137793028
[6] https:/ / vimeo. com/ 99762578
Blaze Systems Corporation 360
[1] Corporation
Type
Headquarters 300 Creek View Road, Suite 204, Newark, Delaware, U.S.
Products
Website [1]
BlazeSystems.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
Blaze Systems Corporation develops and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions.
History
Blaze Systems was incorporated as a Deleware type-C corporation in 1991 as a service-based provider of system
integration and application support. The company released its first version of BlazeLIMS in 1996. BlazeLIMS was
loosely based off of Encompass LIMS, which was purchased from Enviromatix in 1994.
In January 2014, the company released a software as a service (SaaS) version of BlazeLIMS.
BlazeLIMS
BlazeLIMS is a laboratory information management system (LIMS) marketed towards "a wide variety of
laboratories."
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Blaze Systems Corporation 361
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Deadline control? Y
Production control? N
Inventory management? Y
Case management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Specification management? Y
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation? Y
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization? Y
Data validation? Y
Data encryption? Y
Blaze Systems Corporation 362
Version control? Y
Environmental monitoring? Y
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word? Y
Fax integration? Y
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring? Y
Messaging? Y
Multilingual? Y
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost? Y
Industries served
biotechnology, clinical, environmental, food and beverage, manufacturing and R&D, pharmaceutical
Pricing
Source for pricing information is directly from Blaze via the Laboratory Informatics Institute. As prices may change
at any time, always contact the vendor directly to obtain a price list or quote.
Blaze Systems Corporation 363
Description Price
BlazeLIMS Statistical Control Module (for unattended automatic control charting) $4,395
Item Price
Typical project services, including installation, project management, technical lead, training, and first year of software support $17,000
Item Price
Typical project services, including installation, project management, technical lead, training, and first year of software support $17,000
Item Price
BlazeLIMS for five concurrent users, including Inventory and Stability Modules $50,000
Typical project services, including installation, project management, technical lead, training, and first year of software support $17,000
References
[1] http:/ / www. blazesystems. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 112477
[3] http:/ / www. blazesystems. com/ LIMS. html
[4] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=XYauZs4jB8M
Bytewize AB 365
Bytewize AB
Bytewize AB
[1] [1]
Type Aktiebolag
Products
Website [2]
Bytewize.com
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
History
Bytewize AB was created as a privately-held Swedish company in 1989, focusing primarily on the operation,
maintenance, and support of Linux and Unix servers. By late 1999, the company shifted focus and began working on
O3 Lims (the "O3" short for "Object Oriented Organizer"), software designed to emphasize the source of the sample
as well as its testing and analysis.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control?
Bytewize AB 367
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring? Y
Messaging? Y
Multilingual? Y
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
contract services, food and beverage, general, manufacturing and R&D, petrochemical, pharmaceutical
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control?
Bytewize AB 369
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting?
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring? Y
Messaging? Y
Multilingual? Y
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost? Y
Industries served
contract services, food and beverage, general, manufacturing and R&D, petrochemical, pharmaceutical
Bytewize AB 370
Pricing
Pricing information is only available for O3 LimsXpress. As prices may change at any time, always contact the
vendor directly to obtain a price list or quote.
Prices start at 1999 Swedish krona / month (~ €215/month). Includes license for up to three users, 100 samples per
month, support, and daily backup. Modules can be added at an additional cost.
Additional information
• O3 LIMS Brochure [7] (Swedish)
References
[1] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Aktiebolag
[2] http:/ / www. bytewize. com/
[3] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 244443
[4] http:/ / www. bytewize. com/ o3lims
[5] http:/ / www. bytewize. com/ o3limsxpress
[6] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=5AHUo4LZ9_s
[7] http:/ / www. bytewize. com/ documents/ O3Lims_broschyr_2015. pdf
CannaSys, Inc. 371
CannaSys, Inc.
CannaSys, Inc.
[1] Corporation
Type
Number of locations 1
Products
Website [1]
cannasys.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
CannaSys, Inc. develops and distributes software solutions for the cannabis industry, including laboratory
information management system (LIMS) and marketing software.
History
CannaSys, Inc. was founded in October 2013.
CannaLIMS
CannaLIMS is a LIMS designed "to address the specific needs of cannabis testing labs." The software may be
cloud-based, though the company doesn't explicitly state it on their website.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking?
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
CannaSys, Inc. 373
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
agricultural, pharmaceutical
Pricing
Pricing for CannaLIMS, per the company site, is as follows:
CannaSys, Inc. 374
CannaLIMS Pricing
Plan One-time payment 2-year contract 3-year contract Included hours Notes
Base $7,500 $375/month $270/month 60 Suggested for labs with up to four instruments
Mid $10,000 $500/month $360/month 85 Suggested for labs with up to six instruments
Large $12,500 $625/month $450/month 125 Suggested for labs with up to eight instruments
References
[1] http:/ / www. cannasys. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 3961983/
[3] http:/ / www. cannasys. com/ cannalims/
[4] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=KTvKe34SNS0
ChemWare, Inc. 375
ChemWare, Inc.
ChemWare, Inc.
[1] Incorporated
Type
Headquarters 900 Ridgefield Dr., Suite 150, Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Employees 30+
Website [1]
ChemWare.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
History
ChemWare, Inc. was founded in 1987 and made its first commercial release of HORIZON LIMS in 1991. In early
2004, the company won the Technology Quality Leadership Award from market research and analysis firm Frost &
Sullivan. ChemWare was acquired by New Resources Companies in early 2012, though ChemWare was allowed to
continue to operate as an independent company.
HORIZON LIMS
HORIZON LIMS is a laboratory information management system (LIMS) "with all the industry-specific
functionality required by the most highly automated laboratories in the environmental and human health and safety
sectors ." The software can be installed locally or hosted via the SaaS distribution model.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control? Y
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management? Y
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control? Y
ChemWare, Inc. 377
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Source for pricing information is GSA Advantage. As prices may change at any time, always contact the vendor
directly to obtain a price list or quote.
Note: These are U.S. General Services Administration [6] (GSA) prices, and as such they represent the lowest
possible negotiated price. These prices aren't available to any entity outside of the Federal Government, and thus
prices for non-government entities will be higher. If anything, they represent the lowest possible negotiated price.
Products:
HORIZON LIMS Oracle 10g database, processor-based license: $15,760.00
ChemWare, Inc. 378
Onsite assistance with workstation setup, ODBC connectivity, table configuration, or other routine or site-specific
implementation tasks
Commercial/Catalog Price: $185 GSA Price: $167
Offsite Labor Category Ii – Offsite Project Manager, Specialist
Remote assistance in configuring test methods, setting up clients/profiles, OC batch rules, analyte lists and other
routine implementation tasks that can be performed from ChemWare
Commercial/Catalog Price: $150 GSA Price: $135
System Administrator 1 Training
Training on general HORIZON operation and procedures for LIMS maintenance, configuration and optimization (3
days at ChemWare)
Commercial/Catalog Price: $ 3485 GSA Price: $3137
Advanced System Administrator Training
Training on advanced HORIZON operation and procedures for LIMS maintenance, configuration and optimization
(3 days at ChemWare)
Commercial/Catalog Price: $3015 GSA Price: $2713
Advanced Report Writer Training
Advanced report writer training on the HORIZON Report Manager/Actuate option, for system administrators and
power users who want to create their own Actuate reports or customize those provided by ChemWare with the
HRM/Actuate add-in (7 days at ChemWare)
Commercial/Catalog Price: $6348 GSA Price: $5713
End-User Training (Onsite)
Training for end-users during transition from final testing to production roll-out
Commercial Price: $185 GSA Price: $167
References
[1] http:/ / www. chemware. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 112583
[3] http:/ / www. chemware. com/ Products/ HORIZON-LIMS/ HORIZONCentral
[4] http:/ / vimeo. com/ 45273062
CloudLIMS.com, LLC 380
CloudLIMS.com, LLC
CloudLIMS.com, LLC
Industry Informatics
Laboratory informatics
Products
Employees 50-100
Website [1]
CloudLIMS.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
CloudLIMS.com, LLC develops and distributes laboratory informatics software systems, with a strong focus on
cloud-based laboratory information management systems.
History
CloudLIMS.com was established in July 2013. In roughly December 2014, the product name changed from
CloudLIMS to BioTracer.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption? Y
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
CloudLIMS.com, LLC 383
agriculture, biotechnology, clinical research, environmental, food and beverage, general, life sciences, pharmaceutical
Pricing
Pricing for Biotracer and CloudLIMS Lite is as follows:
BioTracer Standard: $75 per user, per month, with no fixed commitments or minimum requirements
BioTracer Enterprise: $145 per user, per month, with no fixed commitments or minimum requirements
CloudLIMS Lite: $195 per user, per month, with no fixed commitments or minimum requirements
Additional information
• BioTracer brochure 1 [5]
• BioTracer brochure 2 [6]
References
[1] https:/ / cloudlims. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 9212809
[3] https:/ / cloudlims. com/ BioTracer/ sample-management-software. html
[4] https:/ / youtu. be/ qLwb_ZA8wak
[5] https:/ / cloudlims. com/ pdf/ BTBrochure. pdf
[6] https:/ / cloudlims. com/ pdf/ ProductBrochure. pdf
Dynamic Databases, LLC 384
Number of locations 1
Products limsExpress
Website [1]
limsExpress.com
[2]
DynamicDatabases.com
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
Dynamic Databases, LLC develops and distributes the laboratory informatics software solution limsExpress.
limsExpress
limsExpress is a laboratory information management system (LIMS) "with features typically seen in much more
expensive systems for a price geared to the small to medium laboratories budget." The software can be installed
locally or hosted via the SaaS distribution model.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization? Y
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control?
Dynamic Databases, LLC 386
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting?
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration? Y
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
chemical, environmental, geology and mining, life sciences, manufacturing and R&D, petrochemical, public health and service
Pricing
Pricing information for limsExpress is from the Dynamic Databases website [5].
Note: Customization at $85 per hour. On-site service, installation, and training at $1,050 per day, plus travel and
lodging costs.
Dynamic Databases, LLC 387
limsExpress Pricing
limsExpress Includes up to three hours of customization and free phone support for base feature set; $9,995
hosted on your equipment
limsExpress SaaS version Hosted on 1&1 Cloud Server $500 setup fee +
$350/month
References
[1] http:/ / limsexpress. com/
[2] http:/ / www. dynamicdatabases. com
[3] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 9483992
[4] http:/ / limsexpress. com/ pages/ features. php
[5] http:/ / limsexpress. com/ pages/ pricing. php
[6] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=V9VbRILaIYM
EZQuant Ltd. 388
EZQuant Ltd.
EZQuant Ltd.
[1] Limited company
Type
Products
Website [1]
EZQuant.com
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse? Y
Inventory management? Y
Experiment management?
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures?
Version control?
Custom reporting?
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management?
EZQuant Ltd. 390
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting? Y
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
industry-neutral
Pricing
Pricing for EZQuant-ELN is as follows:
EZQuant-ELN Pricing
Open academic group license N/A $750 (up to 15 users) Contact company
Additional information
• Downloadable 30-day demo of EZQuant-ELN [4]
References
[1] http:/ / www. ezquant. com/
[2] http:/ / www. ezquant. com/ en/ products/ ezquant-eln/
[3] http:/ / www. ezquant. com/ static/ website/ eln/ movie/ index. html
[4] http:/ / www. ezquant. com/ download_trial/ eln/
JusticeTrax, Inc. 391
JusticeTrax, Inc.
JusticeTrax, Inc.
[1] Incorporated
Type
Products LIMS-plus
Website [1]
JusticeTrax.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
JusticeTrax, Inc. develops and distributes forensics-based laboratory informatics software solutions.
LIMS-plus
LIMS-plus is a laboratory information management system (LIMS) "designed by forensic scientists" to be "one of
the most comprehensive case management tools ever created."
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse? Y
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
JusticeTrax, Inc. 393
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
[6]
Source for pricing information is the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). As prices may change at any
time, always contact the vendor directly to obtain a price list or quote.
Note: These are GSA prices, and as such they represent the lowest possible negotiated price. These prices aren't
available to any entity outside of the Federal Government, and thus prices for non-government entities will be
higher. If anything, they represent the lowest possible negotiated price.
JusticeTrax, Inc. 394
Workstations Price
Workstations Price
Additional services
• Software training (132-50): $957.18 per instructor, per day for on-site training
Additional information
• LIMS-plus brochure (http:/ / support. justicetrax. com/ attachments/ token/ si9lycoojmny8qu/
?name=JusticeTrax_LIMS-plus_v5_Brochure. pdf)
References
LabWare, Inc. 395
LabWare, Inc.
LabWare, Inc.
[1] Incorporated
Type
Number of locations 24
Products
Website [1]
LabWare.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
LabWare, Inc. develops and distributes enterprise laboratory informatics software solutions.
History
LabWare was founded in 1987 by mechanical engineer and entrepreneur Vance Kershner, who "targeted the
laboratory automation space as something [he] could contribute to because it was not very effective at the time."
By 2013, the company estimated it had captured close to a quarter of worldwide sales of laboratory information
management systems. (LIMS)
On March 8, 2015, the company announced version 7.0 of its LabWare LIMS and ELN, featuring performance
enhancement, functionality improvements, a new user interface, and improved mobile support.
Awards
LabWare won the Scientific Computing and Instrumentation's Readers' Choice Award in the laboratory information
management system (LIMS) category each year from 2000 to 2008.
LabWare LIMS won a Frost & Sullivan Product Quality Leadership Award in 2004, and the company won Frost and
Sullivan's "2008 European Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) Company of the Year Award."
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management? Y
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
LabWare, Inc. 397
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures?
Version control? Y
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
biotechnology, chemical, clinical research, environmental, food and beverage, general, manufacturing and R&D, petrochemical, pharmaceutical
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management? Y
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation? Y
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control? Y
LabWare, Inc. 399
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word? Y
Fax integration? Y
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring? Y
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
biotechnology, chemical, clinical research, environmental, food and beverage, general, geology and mining, health care, manufacturing and R&D,
petrochemical, pharmaceutical, power and utility, veterinary
Pricing
Source for pricing information is GSA Advantage [5]. As prices may change at any time, always contact the vendor
directly to obtain a price list or quote.
Note: These are U.S. General Services Administration [6] (GSA) prices, and as such they represent the lowest
possible negotiated price. These prices aren't available to any entity outside of the Federal Government, and thus
prices for non-government entities will be higher. If anything, they represent the lowest possible negotiated price.
LabWare, Inc. 400
Additional information
Current help guides
• LabWare LIMS V6 technical manual [8]
Legacy help guides
• LabWare LIMS V5 technical manual [9]
• LabWare LIMS Stability Study Manager v7 (LabWare v5) technical manual [10]
• LabWare LIMS LabStation Instrument Integration v1 technical manual [11]
References
[1] http:/ / www. labware. com/ en
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 59456
[3] http:/ / www. labware. com/ en/ p/ Products/ ELN-%28Electronic-Laboratory-Notebook%29
[4] http:/ / www. labware. com/ en/ p/ Products/ LIMS-%28Laboratory-Information-Management-System%29
[5] https:/ / www. gsaadvantage. gov/ advantage/ catalog/ product_detail. do?oid=391496981& itemIndex=-1
[6] https:/ / www. gsaadvantage. gov/ ref_text/ GS07F5446R/ GS07F5446R_online. htm
[7] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=4--HjpwGj_c
[8] http:/ / limshelp. labware. com/ limsv6/ V6Help_Main. htm
[9] http:/ / limshelp. labware. com/ limsv5/ v5_manual_TOC. htm
[10] https:/ / www. labware. com/ limshelp/ stabilityv7/ stabmangr_TOC. htm
[11] http:/ / www. labware. com/ limshelp/ labstation/ labstationv1_TOC. htm
PharmLabs, LLC 401
PharmLabs, LLC
PharmLabs, LLC
[1] Limited Liability Company
Type
Number of locations 1
Products
Website [1]
sdpharmlabs.com
[2]
pharmware.net
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
PharmLabs, LLC provides laboratory testing and develops and distributes software solutions for the cannabis
industry.
History
PharmLabs, LLC was formally founded in June 2014.
PharmWare
PharmWare is a cloud-based laboratory information management system (LIMS) designed "around years of
operations at PharmLabs." The company claims to provide weekly bug fixes and improvements that are detailed via
a newsletter and technical blog.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation? Y
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
PharmLabs, LLC 403
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support? Y
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring? Y
Messaging? Y
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
agricultural, pharmaceutical
Pricing
Pricing for PharmWare, per the company site, is on a sliding scale based upon number of samples. Examples
include:
PharmLabs, LLC 404
PharmWare Pricing
Additional information
• PharmWare demo [5]
References
[1] http:/ / www. sdpharmlabs. com/
[2] http:/ / www. pharmware. net/
[3] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 15893216/
[4] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=2JkdkGQ_esg
[5] http:/ / www. pharmwareapp. com/ pages/ demo-version
Promium, LLC 405
Promium, LLC
Promium, LLC
[1] Limited Liability Company
Type
Products
Website [1]
Promium.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability?
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control? Y
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control?
Promium, LLC 407
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring? Y
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
[4]
Source for pricing information is GSA eLibrary . As prices may change at any time, always contact the vendor
directly to obtain a price list or quote.
Note: These are U.S. General Services Administration [6] (GSA) prices, and as such they represent the lowest
possible negotiated price. These prices aren't available to any entity outside of the Federal Government, and thus
prices for non-government entities will be higher. If anything, they represent the lowest possible negotiated price.
• Promium's GSA price list [5]
Promium, LLC 408
2 $10,374 27 $112,617
3 $15,561 28 $116,788
4 $20,748 29 $120,959
5 $25,935 30 $125,130
6 $29,568 31 $115,072
7 $34,496 32 $118,784
8 $39,424 33 $122,496
9 $44,352 34 $126,208
10 $49,280 35 $129,920
11 $50,413 36 $133,632
12 $54,996 37 $137,344
13 $59,579 38 $141,056
14 $64,162 39 $144,768
15 $68,745 40 $148,480
16 $73,328 41 $152,192
17 $77,911 42 $155,904
18 $82,494 43 $159,616
19 $87,077 44 $163,328
20 $91,660 45 $167,040
21 $87,591 46 $148,534
22 $91,762 47 $151,763
23 $95,933 48 $154,992
24 $100,104 49 $158,221
25 $104,275 50 $161,450
26 $108,446
Services:
Implementation and training: $135/hour
Software customization: $162/hour
Promium, LLC 409
Additional information
• Mint Miner user manual [7]
References
[1] http:/ / www. promium. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 626905
[3] https:/ / www. promium. com/ main/ mint-miner
[4] http:/ / www. promium. com/ main/ element-lims
[5] https:/ / www. gsaadvantage. gov/ ref_text/ GS24F0064M/ GS24F0064M_online. htm
[6] http:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=HmXv6mMu3Zw
[7] https:/ / www. promium. com/ documents/ MintMinerManual. pdf
ChemBytes 410
ChemBytes
ChemBytes
[1] Unknown
Type
Products
Website [1]
ChemBytes.com
ChemBytes develops and distributes laboratory informatics software, with a strong focus on the chemistry sector.
Espresso ELN
Espresso ELN is a chemistry electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) that "strategically focuses on the experiment
protocol." Espresso comes in both an application and optional server package.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control?
Custom reporting?
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
ChemBytes 412
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Espresso ELN can be downloaded and tried for free. The trial version is good for up to 20 experiments. For further
use, you must purchase a license for $129.00. This purchase includes future service packs and version upgrades.
References
[1] https:/ / chembytes. com/
[2] https:/ / chembytes. com/ espresso/ about
[3] https:/ / chembytes. com/ espresso/ photogallery2/
Dassault Systèmes SA 413
Dassault Systèmes SA
Dassault Systèmes SA
[1] [1]
Type Société Anonyme
Products
Website [2]
www.3DS.com
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
Dassault Systèmes SA develops and distributes software solutions, including 3D design, simulation, query, life
science, and laboratory informatics applications.
History
Dassault Systèmes was formed in 1981, spun out from Dassault Aviation and its 3D design software CATIA. The
company used a step-by-step approach to get a start in other industries beyond aeronautical design, including
automotive design, consumer goods, machinery, and shipbuilding. IBM itself became a customer in the mid 1980s
and deployed CATIA in its engineering and manufacturing plants.
By the early 2000s, Dassault's CAD/CAM software was replaced by product lifecycle management (PLM) software.
New brand names were added to address the full PLM spectrum: DELMIA to support manufacturing, ENOVIA to
support internal and external collaboration, SIMULIA to support analysis and simulation, SolidWorks for 3D
modeling, and 3DVIA for 3D visualization. A few years later, recognizing the advantages of the Internet, Dassault
introduced a Web version of its PLM with its Version 6 platform.
On January 30, 2014, news broke that Dassault Systèmes had agreed to purchase Accelrys, Inc. for almost $750
million, valued at $12.50 per share in cash, pending approval by Accelrys shareholders. On April 29, Dassault
announced it had completed the acquisition "through a merger." The former Accelrys products would then be
incorporated into a new Dassault product branding called BIOVIA. Dassault's CEO said of BIOVIA, "The
integration of Accelrys’ powerful applications with our 3DEXPERIENCE platform will create a new collaborative
environment for advanced biological, chemical and materials experience development." In May 2014 Research firm
Gartner, Inc. called BIOVIA "the most significant life-sciences-focused investment that a major product life cycle
management (PLM) software vendor has ever made."
Dassault Systèmes SA 414
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Experiment management?
Workflow management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation? Y
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures?
Version control?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management? Y
Dassault Systèmes SA 417
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control?
Environmental monitoring? Y
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse? Y
Inventory management?
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Dassault Systèmes SA 419
Data encryption? Y
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring? Y
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization? Y
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control? Y
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting? Y
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Dassault has made pricing information public for the cloud version of its BIOVIA Notebook:
Commercial: $180/license for three months; $648/license for 12 months
Academic: $30/license for three months; $120/license for 12 months
No other public pricing information is available.
Additional information
• BIOVIA page at Dassault Systèmes [9]
• BIOVIA LES brochure [10]
• BIOVIA LIMS brochure [11]
• BIOVIA Notebook brochure [12]
• BIOVIA Workbook brochure [13]
References
[1] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ S. A. _(corporation)
[2] http:/ / www. 3ds. com/
[3] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 3896
[4] http:/ / accelrys. com/ products/ unified-lab-management/ biovia-les/ index. html
[5] http:/ / accelrys. com/ products/ unified-lab-management/ biovia-lims/ index. html
[6] http:/ / accelrys. com/ products/ unified-lab-management/ biovia-electronic-lab-notebooks/ notebook/ index. html
[7] http:/ / accelrys. com/ products/ unified-lab-management/ biovia-electronic-lab-notebooks/ workbook/ index. html
[8] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ watch?v=Ix-GPwowSU4
[9] http:/ / www. 3ds. com/ products-services/ biovia
[10] http:/ / accelrys. com/ products/ pdf/ biovia-lab-execution-system. pdf
[11] http:/ / accelrys. com/ products/ pdf/ pmc/ biovia-lims-ds. pdf
[12] http:/ / accelrys. com/ products/ datasheets/ biovia-notebook-ds. pdf
[13] http:/ / accelrys. com/ products/ datasheets/ biovia-workbook. pdf
Findings Software SAS 423
Products
Website [2]
findingsapp.com
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
Findings Software SAS develops and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions.
History
Findings Software was founded on July 1, 2013 by developers Alexander Griekspoor and Charles Parnot. The
company released a demo of its Mac-based Findings software on April 25, 2014, with plans of a version 1.0 of the
software to follow soon after. However, Parnot revealed a month later that the duo had been working on the
framework for Findings five years before, but work on another project called Papers had taken their attention away
from Findings. Version 1.0 of the software was released on May 22. On August 18, the company announced a demo
of Findings for iOS was available upon request.
Findings
Findings is an electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) for Mac and iOS "that aims to replace the paper lab notebook
still in use in most research labs." The company stated it may consider creating a Windows version if demand is
sufficient.
The iOS landing page can be found here [4].
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures?
Version control?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
industry-neutral
Findings Software SAS 426
Pricing
Pricing for Findings is as follows:
1–4 $49.00
5–19 $39.20
20–99 $36.75
100–199 $34.30
200–499 $31.85
500–999 $29.40
1000–1999 $26.95
2000+ $24.50
The software can be downloaded and demoed for free for 30 days. The company also offers a 40 percent discount (http:/ / help. findingsapp. com/
#discount) on the Mac version of Findings for students.
Pricing for iOS: The iOS application is free and can be acquired on iTunes (https:/ / itunes. apple. com/ app/ findings-lab-notebook/ id922844272).
Additional information
• Findings blog (http:/ / blog. findingsapp. com/ )
References
FORMULATOR Software, LLC 427
Products FORMULATOR
Website [1]
FORMULATORUS.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
FORMULATOR Software, LLC develops and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions.
History
FORMULATOR was originally developed by ColorTec Associates — a developer of "color QC, color mixing, and
laboratory applications" — in 2002. A separate company, FORMULATOR Software, was created in 2005 to further
develop the product.
In July 2016, the company announced it was adding a cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) option for its
software offerings.
FORMULATOR
FORMULATOR is an electronic laboratory notebook "for the formulation chemist, food technologist and regulatory
agent." The software's base functionality is represented as the "chemical" version. Additional modules may be added
to the software to give it extended functionality for researchers in the cosmetic, nutritional, and pharmaceutical
industries. A SaaS-based cloud version of their software is also available.
Additional modules include:
• project manager
• advanced costing
• sample manager
• inventory manager
• quality manager
• production manager
• labeling add-on
FORMULATOR Software, LLC 428
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management? Y
Experiment management?
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
FORMULATOR Software, LLC 429
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures?
Version control?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support? Y
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Pricing for FORMULATOR is as follows:
FORMULATOR Pricing
Product Single-user cost Multi-user MSAccess cost Multi-user MSSQL cost Cloud-hosted (per month)
Other modules are available. Consult the pricing page [3] for the prices on all available modules.
References
[1] http:/ / www. formulatorus. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 581777
[3] http:/ / www. formulatorus. com/ index. php/ about-us/ pricing
Genetic Technologies, Inc. 431
Number of locations 1
Products
Website [1]
GeneticTechnologies.com
[2]
eDNALIMS.com
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
Genetic Technologies, Inc. develops and distributes DNA forensic science software solutions.
History
The company was founded in 1998. eDNA LIMS has been developed since 2000.
eDNA LIMS
eDNA LIMS is a laboratory information management system (LIMS) that "serves relatedness, forensic biology, and
DNA databasing facilities in all aspects of case management."
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
Genetic Technologies, Inc. 433
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word? Y
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring? Y
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Per the eDNA LIMS FAQ:
A laboratory joins the eDNA Consortium. Once a member of the eDNA Consortium the laboratory is
provided the current production version of eDNA. The current buy in price is approximately $50,000
USD. However a generous portion of this cost can be applied to training and eDNA customization.
Often facilities commission large eDNA enhancement projects built on the existing million dollar LIMS
Platform…in these situations if the project is big enough and benefits the Consortium eDNA is provided
a zero cost.
Genetic Technologies, Inc. 434
Additional information
• eDNA LIMS FAQ [4]
References
[1] http:/ / www. genetictechnologies. com/
[2] http:/ / ednalims. com/
[3] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 2024295
[4] http:/ / ednalims. com/ frequently-asked-questions/
Hindline Technologies Pvt. Ltd. 435
Number of locations 1
Products
Website [1]
Hindline.com
Hindline Technologies Pvt. Ltd. develops and distributes clinical and laboratory informatics software solutions.
Hindline LIMS
Hindline LIMS is a clinical laboratory information system (LIS; marketed as a LIMS) that is "suitable for every kind
of diagnostic lab." The software comes in Standard, Client, Server, and Ultimate versions.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Data mining?
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Synoptic reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Export to PDF? Y
Hindline Technologies Pvt. Ltd. 437
Export to MS Word? Y
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging? Y
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
clinical, pathology
Pricing
Public pricing is as follows:
Client: $80 or Rs 5,000
Standard: $150 or Rs 7,500
Server: $200 or Rs 10,000
Ultimate: $200 or Rs 10,000
Features can be compared here [2].
References
[1] http:/ / www. hindline. com/
[2] http:/ / www. hindline. com/ LIMS. html
LabPro 2000 Ltd. 438
Products
Website [1]
LabPro2000.com
LabPro 2000 Ltd. develops and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions.
History
The company discontinued offering LabPro, the predecessor to eQual, in roughly 2015.
eQual
eQual is a laboratory information management system (LIMS) "which can be tailored and personalised based on
your laboratory needs and requirements."
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control? Y
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control?
LabPro 2000 Ltd. 440
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Pricing is as follows (all prices are in New Zealand Dollars):
To license the software: $5,000 per user; $1,000,000 for unlimited
To have the software hosted: $400 per month, per user, including support and maintenance
Support: 20 percent of total license fee, including upgrades
Customization: $300 per hour, with a fixed quote cost available + travel costs if on-site required
LabPro 2000 Ltd. 441
References
[1] http:/ / www. labpro2000. com/
[2] http:/ / www. labpro2000. com/ eQual
Products MSC-LIMS
Website [1]
MSC-LIMS.com
Mountain States Consulting, LLC develops and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions.
History
Mountain States Consulting (MSC) began as a technology consulting firm in 1986. During the summer of 1994 the
company was confronted by the data management problems of a local government laboratory. After sorting through
several options MSC decided to tackle the problem directly and create a custom data management solution, installing
it in April 1995. That LIMS went on to become MSC-LIMS.
MSC-LIMS
MSC-LIMS is a GALP-compliant laboratory information management system (LIMS) "designed for small to
mid-sized labs."
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation? Y
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Version control?
Mountain States Consulting, LLC 443
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration? Y
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular? Y
External monitoring?
Messaging? Y
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Source for pricing information is from MSC's January 2016 online price guide [3]. As prices may change at any time,
always contact the vendor directly to obtain a price list or quote.
Full system licenses with source code:
MSC-LIMS single-user license: $7,000
• includes license to install system on a single workstation and the first year's annual maintenance
MSC-LIMS additional license: $1,500
• includes license to install system on one additional workstation and the first year's annual maintenance
MSC-LIMS multi-user license:
Mountain States Consulting, LLC 444
Additional information
• MSC-LIMS sales brochure [4]
• MSC-LIMS summary brochure [5]
References
[1] http:/ / www. msc-lims. com/
[2] http:/ / www. msc-lims. com/ lims/ overview. html
[3] http:/ / www. msc-lims. com/ download/ MSC-LIMS%20Price%20List. pdf
[4] http:/ / www. msc-lims. com/ download/ MSC-LIMS%20is%20the%20Solution. pdf
[5] http:/ / www. msc-lims. com/ download/ MSC-LIMS%20Product%20Summary. pdf
Nippon Control System Corporation 446
Number of locations 4
Products SimpLabo
Employees 183
Website [1]
SimpLabo.jp
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
Nippon Control System Corporation computer control and data management software solutions, including the
laboratory information management system SimpLabo.
History
The company was founded in 1981. Aside from the company's three Japan-based offices, a U.S. branch was opened
in January 2007.
SimpLabo
SimpLabo is a web-based laboratory information management system (LIMS) "that comprehensively supports tasks
in inspection facilities, such as making quotes for inspection requests, request acceptance, recording and sharing of
inspection results, creating inspection reports, statistical processing, creating various documents, etc." the software is
offered under the SaaS model.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking?
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
Nippon Control System Corporation 448
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
Per the company, initial setup costs is 1,200,000 Japanese yen (JPY) and includes training.
Monthly plans vary depending on number of users and type of plan.
Nippon Control System Corporation 449
Services included 2 sheets of available template 5 sheets of available template unlimited template forms and disk space
forms; forms;
1GB of disk space 2GB of disk space
Additional options can be added. Support for an additional document formats is 50,000 JPY per sheet and extra
space 500 JPY per month per 1GB for the Light and Standard plans. Data migration, data integration, and additional
customization is offered for the Standard plan and comes included in the Professional plan.
References
[1] https:/ / simplabo. jp/ en/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 8783021
Progeny Software, LLC 450
Number of locations 3
Website [1]
ProgenyGenetics.com
LinkedIn [2]
[2]
Progeny Software, LLC develops and distributes laboratory informatics software solutions.
History
Sometime after March 2016, Progeny Software updated its website to move away from its Progeny laboratory
information management system (LIMS) and introduce its Progeny Clinical software. Progeny LIMS allowed users
to "manage absolutely any type of sample and associated data in a fully customizable multi-level inventory system
with the freedom to create any laboratory workflow in days rather than months." Its not clear if the new Progeny
Clinical is a reconfigured Progeny LIMS or new software that includes LIMS functionality from its former product.
Progeny Clinical
Progeny Clinical is a "clinical platform that allows you to quickly manage family history data without the
time-consuming and expensive costs of setting up and maintaining your own secure database and infrastructure."
The software includes a sample management add-on "for those needing to integrate samples with existing patient
clinical and pedigree data" and includes some LIMS functionality. The software can be installed locally or hosted in
the cloud via the software as a service (SaaS) distribution model.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability? Y
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management? Y
Case management?
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Billing management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody? Y
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption? Y
Version control?
Progeny Software, LLC 452
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
Pricing
The hosted SaaS version:
• Standard: Free to qualifying institutions; up to five concurrent users
• Premium: Starts at $2500; unlimited concurrent users (paid in blocks of 10) plus customization for additional fee
Onsite version:
• Onsite: Request quote; unlimited concurrent users (paid per user) plus customization for additional fee
Progeny Software, LLC 453
References
[1] http:/ / www. progenygenetics. com/
[2] https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ 3735623
[3] http:/ / www. progenygenetics. com/ clinical/
[4] https:/ / www. youtube. com/ user/ ProgenySoftwareLLC
shazino SAS 454
shazino SAS
shazino SAS
[1] [1]
Type Société par actions simplifiée
Products
Website [1]
shazino.com
[2]
hivebench.com
LinkedIn [3]
[3]
History
shazino was founded in 2012 "by biology and computer science researchers dedicated to improving workflows in
research labs." Their first major product, the electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) hivebench, was released on
March 7, 2013. shazino updated the application in January 2014 with an improved interface, improved electronic
signatures, and a new calendar page.
On June 1, 2016, scientific publisher Elsevier formally acquired the hivebench product from shazino for an
undisclosed amount. The acquisition included the transition of CEO Julien Thérier and Hivebench developer Vincent
Tourraine to Elsevier's Mendeley Data team in London. As of October 2016[4], both the shazino and hivebench web
pages showed no indications of this change, and the future of both is not particularly clear, though hivebench will
apparently be "linked to the Mendeley Data repository, which will be linked to Pure."
hivebench
hivebench is an electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) that " helps you prepare, conduct, and analyze experiments in
one place."
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse?
Inventory management? Y
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption? Y
Electronic signatures?
Version control?
Custom reporting?
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
industry-neutral
shazino SAS 457
Pricing
Pricing for hivebench is as follows:
hivebench Pricing
Additional information
References
SPLhost, Inc. 458
SPLhost, Inc.
SPLhost, Inc.
[1] Incorporated
Type
Products
Website [1]
Datacloud.com
SPLhost, Inc. (operating as SPLtrak) develops and hosts laboratory informatics software solutions.
Datacloud
Datacloud is a web-based electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) with additional lab management functionality,
allowing users to "maintain online research notebooks, analyze gene and protein array data, access common and
personal experimental protocols, manage your research animals, and maintain customizable laboratory lists and file
archives." The software is hosted remotely as software as a service (SaaS).
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Experiment, collaboration,
and data management
Query capability? Y
Import data? Y
Data warehouse? Y
Inventory management? Y
Experiment management? Y
Workflow management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail? Y
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Electronic signatures? Y
Version control? Y
Custom reporting? Y
Report printing? Y
Label support?
Barcode support? Y
Export to PDF? Y
Export to MS Word?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring? Y
Messaging?
Bookmarking?
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
general
SPLhost, Inc. 461
Pricing
Pricing for Datacloud is as follows:
Datacloud Pricing
Individual Laboratory - Starter 2GB One user account $69/month Add a user account for $20/month per
user;
add storage space for $1/GB per month
Individual Laboratory - Advanced 25GB Five user accounts $149/month Add a user account for $20/month per
user;
add storage space for $1/GB per month
Consortium or Institution 500GB Five labs, five $1,750/month Add a user account for $18/month per
user user;
accounts per lab add storage space for $280/GB per month
Additional pricing:
• dedicated server cluster starting at $9,000/year
• load balancing server starting at $5,000/year
• additional storage space: a 1.4TB server - $1,500/year
• additional storage space: by the GB - $1/GB per month
Additional information
• SPLtrak business site (http:/ / www. spltrak. com/ web/ )
References
Terra Systems OÜ 462
Terra Systems OÜ
Terra Systems OÜ
[1] [1]
Type Osaühing (Ltd.)
Number of locations 4
Products
Website [2]
TerraSystems.eu
[3]
TerraSystems.com.ua
[4]
MiniLIS.org
Terra Systems OÜ develops and distributes health and laboratory informatics software solutions.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking?
Data mining?
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Terra Systems OÜ 464
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Synoptic reporting?
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring?
Messaging?
Commenting?
Multilingual? Y
Network-capable? Y
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
industry-neutral
Sample tracking?
Data mining?
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Inventory management? Y
Workflow management? Y
Specification management?
Regulatory compliance? Y
QA / QC functions? Y
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation? Y
Data encryption?
Terra Systems OÜ 466
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting? Y
Synoptic reporting?
Report printing? Y
Label support? Y
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration? Y
Base functionality
Administrator management? Y
Modular?
External monitoring? Y
Messaging? Y
Commenting?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
industry-neutral
Terra Systems OÜ 467
Pricing
MiniLIS is free to download and use. The basic cloud-hosted version of the software is also free, offering up to 2,500
records. A pro version of the cloud-hosted LIS is offered at €49/Month, with no record limit, premium support, and
connection to one instrument.
Pricing is not made public for TerraLab and Analyzer Manager.
Additional information
• MiniLIS user manual [6] (Russian)
References
[1] https:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Types_of_business_entity#Estonia
[2] http:/ / www. terrasystems. eu/ en/
[3] http:/ / www. terrasystems. com. ua/
[4] http:/ / minilis. org/ en/
[5] http:/ / www. terrasystems. eu/ en/ terralab/
[6] http:/ / minilis. org/ downloads/ MiniLIS_manual_RU. pdf
Wixon and Cross, LLC 468
Industry Informatics
Laboratory informatics
Headquarters 1006 32nd Ave., Ste. 109, Brookings, SD, United States
Products LIMFinite
Website [1]
WixonCross.com
[2]
LIMFinite.com
Wixon and Cross, LLC develops and distributes laboratory informatics software systems.
LIMFinite
LIMFinite is a laboratory information management system "that securely and seamlessly delivers results to
customers." The software is offered as a software as a service (SaaS) Value, Standard, or Enterprise package.
Features
The following feature list(s) is/are derived solely from public, freely-available online information the vendor provides. A lack of a
"Y" does not necessarily mean that the product doesn't have that feature. The lack of a "Y" could mean:
• the vendor chose to not put relevant feature information online despite its existence in the product.
• the vendor chooses to make the feature information available only to those who create an account or call/e-mail.
• the feature information exists online to the public, but a URL could not be found to cite the existence of the feature.
• the feature does not exist for the product.
A vendor's product may receive more confirmed features with the addition of more public information to the vendor's site and/or by
providing a URL to a page or document that can act as a citation for the existence of the feature. Prospective buyers are highly
recommended to contact the vendor directly to verify features as this list isn't authoritative, and product upgrades and changes happen
rapidly in some cases.
Sample tracking? Y
Query capability?
Import data?
Data warehouse?
Deadline control?
Production control?
Inventory management?
Case management?
Workflow management?
Specification management?
Billing management? Y
Regulatory compliance?
QA / QC functions?
Performance evaluation?
Audit trail?
Chain of custody?
Data normalization?
Data validation?
Data encryption?
Version control?
Environmental monitoring?
Custom reporting?
Report printing?
Label support?
Barcode support?
Export to PDF?
Export to MS Word?
Fax integration?
Email integration?
Base functionality
Administrator management?
Modular?
External monitoring? Y
Messaging?
Multilingual?
Network-capable?
Usage-based cost?
Industries served
industry-neutral
Pricing
Pricing for LIMFinite is as follows:
Value: $40/month + $40/month for each additional user; includes 5GB of storage, $1/month per additional 10GB
Standard: $299/month + $20/month for each additional user; includes 50GB of storage, $1/month per additional
10GB
Enterprise: $2,800/month for unlimited users; includes 100GB of storage, $1/month per additional 10GB
References
[1] http:/ / www. wixoncross. com/
[2] https:/ / www. limfinite. com/
[3] http:/ / www. wixoncross. com/ solutions. html
Article Sources and Contributors 471
Laboratory informatics Source: https://www.limswiki.org/index.php?oldid=29404 Contributors: Andersjim, Jleecbd, LIMSinstitute, Mikelong88888, Shawndouglas, 2 anonymous edits
Laboratory information management system Source: https://www.limswiki.org/index.php?oldid=24815 Contributors: Andersjim, LIMSinstitute, Shawndouglas, 2 anonymous edits
Chromatography data management system Source: https://www.limswiki.org/index.php?oldid=15245 Contributors: Shawndouglas, 3 anonymous edits
Electronic laboratory notebook Source: https://www.limswiki.org/index.php?oldid=15248 Contributors: LIMSinstitute, Shawndouglas, 2 anonymous edits
Scientific data management system Source: https://www.limswiki.org/index.php?oldid=23876 Contributors: Andersjim, MediaWiki spam cleanup, Shawndouglas
21 CFR Part 11 Source: https://www.limswiki.org/index.php?oldid=20352 Contributors: Andersjim, Jleecbd, Shawndouglas, 1 anonymous edits
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Source: https://www.limswiki.org/index.php?oldid=27076 Contributors: Shawndouglas
The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board Source: https://www.limswiki.org/index.php?oldid=30710 Contributors: Shawndouglas
Laboratory, Scientific, and Health Informatics Buyer's Guide Source: https://www.limswiki.org/index.php?oldid=30952 Contributors: Eusoft srl, Shawndouglas
21 CFR Part 11: Audit guidelines and checklist Source: https://www.limswiki.org/index.php?oldid=15552 Contributors: Jleecbd, Shawndouglas
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act: Audit guidelines and checklist Source: https://www.limswiki.org/index.php?oldid=10947 Contributors: Jleecbd, Shawndouglas
Laboratory information management system (LIMS) questionnaire Source: https://www.limswiki.org/index.php?oldid=23594 Contributors: Shawndouglas
Laboratory information system (LIS) questionnaire Source: https://www.limswiki.org/index.php?oldid=23597 Contributors: Avaughan, Shawndouglas
License
a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
LIMSWiki:Copyright
http:/ / creativecommons. org/ licenses/ by-sa/ 4. 0/