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Understanding LIMS And How They Help Laboratories

By Andrew Thompson


Virtually every Lab that has ever existed has incorporated the use of what's called a Laboratory information management system. The common abbreviation for this kind of thing is LIMS, which is helpful to know for anyone going into a laboratory setting for the first time and encountering this acronym. There are also other common names for the same type of system, such as LIS for laboratory information system, as well as LMS for laboratory management system.

It is out of necessity that every lab that hopes to perform serious scientific research is using a system like this nowadays. Facilities like these simply wouldn't be able to function without one, due to the fact that modern labs are now running through huge amounts of information every single day. There are many functions of these types of systems that serve to mainly make the tasks that scientists carry out easier and more convenient, but in other ways, they raise the capabilities of the research facility.

One of the ways that an information system like this is extremely helpful is by keeping track of all the workflow that goes on in the facility. This is essential to fully understand the results of a research project, and it can be the difference between having a successful experiment and having compromised results. Knowing what happened and when is a big help.

When information is put in manually, there is so much more room for error than when it is put in automatically. Although some people are very meticulous and extremely careful, there is just so much that can go wrong when records are kept this way. All it takes is for a number or decimal point to be put in the wrong place, or for a file to be misplaced, for disaster to occur, and that's why an automated method is best.

Specialty labs usually have specialty systems to suit their particular needs. This helps to get things done in an efficient way. These types of labs often have a specific way that data needs to be entered.

There have been many different types of information systems over the years. The one thing that is most noticeable about how they've changed is how advanced they have become. Scientific and technological advancement is the reason why these tools have developed so much.

The very first laboratory systems for tracking information were basically just sample trackers. This may seem like a very basic purpose when compared to how they're used today, but this was an essential tool for scientists everywhere. It's amazing to think of how much these tools can do for us now.

Just like there are many different types of scientists, laboratories, and branches of science, there are many different opinions on what the real definition of a laboratory's information system is. It is important to become familiarized with what the accepted definition in any given area or research is. This can help to avoid confusion as to what colleagues are talking about.




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