Selecting the right Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) vendor for your organization can be an intimidating task. It can seem overwhelming to effectively narrow it down from a full market scan to a few top choices in vendors to ensure that the needs of the organization are met; however, it can be less daunting when your business needs are carefully considered and adherence to a strategic vendor selection process is maintained. In a previous article, we describe six key considerations for a LIMS vendor selection; in this piece we build on some of those points to bring you the latest guidance for selecting a LIMS vendor. 

Selecting a LIMS Vendor: 5 Considerations  

1. Industry 

Start by narrowing down the list of possible vendors based on what your lab does from a high level. Starting with industry requirements could greatly reduce the number of viable LIMS vendors for your organization, thus easing the decision-making process. Some LIMS providers have a core industry that they consider their specialty with solutions likely developed with that industry in mind, while others may specialize across multiple industries. In either scenario, it’s important to consider the advantages of working with a LIMS provider that is knowledgeable about the industry you serve and has the best tools for your laboratory operations. This can also help clarify the support the vendor may be able to offer for any customized workflows.  

2. Scalability 

Scalability has always been a key consideration for LIMS vendor selection and is becoming increasingly important as laboratories are shifting to Lab 4.0, or the Lab of The Future, landscape. When considering scalability needs for your organization, it’s important to be clear in the expectations of your laboratory operations to future-proof your solution. Some changes to workflows are inevitable, possibly due to regulatory changes, new research focuses, or the removal or addition of products tested in the lab. These changes may impact your LIMS requirements, and it’s vital to have a system that can adapt to these changes.  

Some things to consider when thinking of scalability: 

• Will my organization have multiple sites for a global system? 
• Will my organization be adding new functionality/automation/robotics to the laboratories? 
• Will my laboratory benefit from the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Business Intelligence (BI), and should it be considered? 
• What are my architecture landscape goals (i.e. Cloud Hosted, On-Premises), and who will support the architecture? 

Increasing the capacity of your LIMS may require updates, upgrades, customization, or additional licensing. Different LIMS providers will have different options and different costs, so it’s helpful to narrow down the list based on your needs and goals. 

3. Interoperability 

In any technology implementation project, it’s important to consider how well the proposed solution will fit into your existing and future infrastructure. Your laboratory already has instruments and systems in use to support testing of samples, and it’s important to consider the ability to interface these tools with a LIMS. At the same time, you may also have plans to add additional instrumentation or external systems that it would be beneficial to have interfaced with LIMS.  Additionally, you may have Extract, Transform, and Load tools as well as data warehousing capabilities that can be leveraged during the data migration process. So, it will be important to ensure that LIMS providers you are considering are compatible with these instruments, systems, and tools.  

4. Leveraging Out-of-Box Functionality 

Many LIMS providers offer all-encompassing solutions, such as Software as a Service (SaaS), or flexible packages that are easy to configure. While these options can be advantageous depending on needs, it’s recommended to focus on finding a solution that works best with minimal changes to the out-of-the-box (OOB) solution. Identifying a solution with high OOB functionality will prevent the need for extensive customization and avoid high-level solutions with unnecessary features that may incur additional costs. 

5. Vendor Roadmaps 

Selecting a LIMS is a long-term commitment with a vendor, so it’s imperative to understand the roadmap of the vendor and future capabilities to ensure their investments in their product will be aligned with your laboratory goals and needs. For example, if data analytics and AI are focuses within your lab, it may be beneficial to consider this a priority for your LIMS solution and focus on vendors who are already established in AI or are currently making it a focus of their future releases. Understanding vendor roadmaps will help you eliminate vendor options that aren’t aligned with the growth you see for your laboratory and prioritize those with shared goals. 

Selecting the Right LIMS Vendor for Your Organization 

An overarching theme within LIMS vendor selection is the importance of being clear with intentions and prioritizing accordingly. There are a handful of ways to effectively narrow down a list of potential LIMS providers including based on industry, scalability, compatibility with existing systems, out-of-the-box functionality, and the future of the vendor. Keeping these things in mind will help you make an informed decision about the right LIMS vendor for your organization.  

If you’re interested in learning more about effective LIMS vendor selection, our team of experienced LIMS consultants at Clarkston can help. 

Contributions by Rick Curtis and Brad Creamer