An interesting story appeared in the June 2007 edition of Lab Manager magazine about the benefits of Web-Based LIMS.

Below is a paraphrase of the major topics discussed. To read the full article by Wayne Verost, click here!


"LETS LOOK AT HOW THE COMBINATION OF A LIMS WITHIN THE INTERNET ENVIRONMENT WILL ENHANCE THE EFFICIENCY OF THIS POWERFUL CORPORATE TOOL FOR LABS OF ALL TYPES AND SIZE.

The internet has had an enormous impact on our lives by allowing quick access to information, expediting business transactions and providing communication from anywhere in the world. Even your children and parents are using email, instant messaging, on-line banking, Google, ebay, Amazon, and bevy of other sites on a day-to-day basis. In essence, the internet provides a trouble-free way to save time and add convenience to our lives, so why not provide these same benefits to your laboratory information?


ARCHITECTURE AND MANAGEMENT
The beauty of a true web application is its architectural simplicity. To run any true web application, all you need is a PC with a web browser internet (or corporate intranet) access. There is absolutely no software installed on your PC, so you dont have to worry about the softwares configuration, computers disk space, memory, and, most importantly, conflicts with other software (often referred to as dll hell). All modern PCs come equipped with a browser and internet connectivity is now so prevalent that you can use web-based applications from anywhere at any time.


FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS
It is well-documented that the proper implementation of a LIMS improves the bottom line of a business both directly through the measurable savings that are derived through the reduction in time required by the lab staff to manage data and indirectly through production and product development efficiencies. The specific benefits that are derived from LIMS are dependent on your laboratory size and function, but in all cases, it is the combination time reduction and providing accurate data to its consumers that makes a LIMS a powerful business tool. The use of a ubiquitous web-based LIMS greatly enhances these benefits by extending the LIMS far beyond the walls of the lab in a secure manner to become a boon to labs of any size.


The implementation of a web-based LIMS is a win-win-win situation for labs of any size. The lab wins through efficiency gained by offloading tasks through the self-service aspects of the software. The consumer of lab information (both internal and external customers) wins by giving and getting more accurate information faster. The organization as a whole wins by greatly reducing cost and improving the corporate image and providing better working conditions for its employees."