LIMS Markets

Biorepositories

Lab Management: Contract and Commercial    Laboratories

Lab Management Introduction

Commercial or contract laboratories may be working in any of the markets described here and therefore share the same needs as other non-commercial laboratories as far as the lab management of analytical and other data is concerned. They also have specific needs for client and project management, client reporting and the management of costs, charges and invoicing of work completed. Linked to this is the need to manage sample turnaround times and to monitor performance of the laboratory against these. There is also intense pressure to maximize the use and value of the laboratory’s resources and assets. These needs may also apply to laboratories within non-commercial organizations. 

The ubiquitous nature of the web means that it is now feasible for customers to easily be granted access to the laboratory via a web interface to the LIMS. This means that customers can submit sample requests and review results online eliminating issues of incorrectly completed submission sheets and the need for laboratory staff to answer simple requests for samples status and result information. STARLIMS is a fully web-based system that allows laboratories to take full advantage of these self-service type of facilities.

Lab Management Solutions

STARLIMS solutions for Commercial and Contract laboratories support the specific needs of these laboratories in terms of Client and Project Management, analytical service charges and resource and asset utilization and laboratory data management.

STARLIMS addresses the needs of Commercial and Contract laboratories by providing functionalities such as:

	Client and client contact management
	Multiple Client project definition and management including the definition of sampling schedules and plans.
	Multiple Price list support together with sophisticated discount management
	Built in invoicing or integration with third party financial or other systems Resource planning and scheduling facilities including Turnaround Time definition and monitoring
	Fully web based system allowing for fully controlled client access to the system

In addition, the inherent flexibility of the system means that changes to business needs and working practices can be readily supported and implemented without losing existing functionality or data.  STARLIMS is fully web-based and uses familiar user interfaces, which simplifies both user training and implementation in new sites or new parts of the organization. Global and multi-site deployment is also facilitated thanks to web-based technology.