July 31, 2024
About LabKey
While the features and capabilities of LIMS software are important, your choice of a LIMS vendor can be just as critical. A strong vendor partnership ensures that the system is not only implemented smoothly but also supported effectively as your team adopts the new software.
In this post, we share our top three tips for evaluating LIMS vendors, focusing on assessing their experience, support services, and responsiveness to your lab’s unique needs. By taking these factors into account, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your lab’s goals and ensures you get the most value out of your LIMS software.
Contents: LIMS Vendor Discussion Checklist | Tip 1: Assess Expertise | Tip 2: Personalized Interactions | Tip 3: Long-Term Viability | LIMS Solution
What to Ask LIMS Vendors (By Category)
| Category | Questions to Ask | Verify the Answer With: |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow Fit | • Can you run our top 3 workflows as-is? • End-to-end demo with our samples? • How are roles/permissions handled? | • Recorded demo + screenshots of configured entities • Sample workflow config/export • Roles/permissions matrix |
| Instruments & Integrations | • Support our instruments/file types OOTB? • Live import → analysis → export with our data? • How are errors handled? | • Compatibility matrix (instruments/file types) • Log of a round-trip using our files • Retry/error-handling doc |
| Data Management & Findability | • How do we search across projects/samples/results? • Can we trace results to raw data? • Export options? | • Search examples + saved queries • Provenance/audit-trail screenshot • Sample full-data export |
| Compliance & Validation | • 21 CFR Part 11 (e-sigs, audit trail) mapping? • IQ/OQ/PQ templates? • Change control for upgrades? | • Part 11 feature map • Validation template pack (IQ/OQ/PQ) • Release notes + impact/change log |
| Security & IT | • SSO/MFA (SAML/OIDC)? • Encryption at rest/in transit? • SIEM logging? | • Security whitepaper + architecture diagram • Pen test/SOC2/ISO attestation (scope & date) • Logging/SIEM integration guide |
| Implementation & Services | • Who does what to go live? • Timeline to first production workflow? • Training plan? | • Project plan with milestones/owners • Sample staffing/hours by phase • Training curriculum & materials |
| Cost & Commercials | • What’s in license vs services? • 3-year TCO with assumptions? • Add-ons/renewals? | • Line-item estimate (license, impl., validation, integrations, support) • Contract terms/renewal language • Assumptions sheet |
| Roadmap & Extensibility | • Release cadence & backward compatibility? • APIs/SDK examples? • Deprecation policy? | • Public roadmap link + last 4 releases • API docs + working sample • Deprecation/BC policy |
| Adoption & Change Management | • Scientist-friendly UI? • Sandbox/UAT? • In-app guidance/templates? | • Access to sandbox/UAT • Onboarding checklist or playbook • Template gallery/examples |
| References & Risk | • Two similar customer references? • Data exit plan? • Common risks/mitigations? | • Reference contacts + case summaries • Data export formats & timelines doc • Risk register with mitigations |
Tip 1: Assess Vendor Experience and Expertise
Evaluate the vendor’s track record and expertise in the LIMS field, especially in your specific area of research or clinical work. Look for case studies, customer testimonials, and years of operation to ensure the vendor has a solid history of successful engagements with organizations similar to yours.
- Case Studies and Testimonials: Request case studies relevant to your field to see real-world examples of how the LIMS has been implemented successfully. Customer testimonials can provide insights into user satisfaction and the vendor’s ability to meet specific needs.
- Industry Expertise: Ensure the LIMS vendor understands the unique challenges of your industry. This can be particularly crucial for specialized fields such as biopharma, clinical research, or environmental testing.
- Years in Operation: A vendor with many years in business is likely to have refined their product and support services. Longevity can also indicate stability and reliability.
Tip 2: Engage in Tailored Vendor Interactions and Demonstrations
The level of interactions in the evaluation process will indicate a vendor’s post-sale support and partnership with your lab. Take advantage of options to move beyond generic software demonstrations by requesting tailored discussions and in-depth engagement with the vendor. This will give you a clearer picture of the LIMS vendor’s commitment and ability to meet your specific needs. Free trials or pilot projects are highly recommended to assess the system’s fit and usability.
- Tailored Discussions and Demonstrations: Request detailed discussions about your specific requirements and how the vendor plans to address them. During demonstrations, vendors should use your real-world data and workflows. This helps you assess their understanding of your needs and their flexibility in providing solutions.
- Vendor Responsiveness: Pay attention to the vendor’s responsiveness and willingness to provide customized solutions. A vendor that actively engages and listens to your needs is more likely to offer a system that aligns with your expectations, or be able to tell you whether they are a good fit for your project or not.
- Pilot Projects: If needed, engage in pilot projects where the vendor works closely with your team to implement and test the system in a real-world scenario. This hands-on approach allows you to evaluate the vendor’s support and the system’s fit and usability. Depending on the resources needed and free trial programs available, this may require funding at certain vendors.
Tip 3: Evaluate Long-Term System Scalability and Flexibility
Consider whether the LIMS can grow with your organization. The system should be adaptable to your evolving needs without requiring significant changes or additional costs, and the LIMS pricing model should work with your organization’s policies. Look for LIMS features that can be tailored to your workflows.
- Ease-of-Use: An easy-to-use system allows for faster training as you scale operations, onboard new employees, and adapt to new research processes.
- Customization Options: Assess how easily the system can be customized. Can you modify workflows, data fields, and reporting tools without needing extensive vendor support?
- Connects With Your Systems: Look for ways the LIMS can integrate with your lab, such as connecting to analysis tools or pulling in assay data via API. Ensure the LIMS can accommodate and connect with the systems your lab cannot work without.
- Future-Proofing: Consider the vendor’s roadmap for future developments. A commitment to continuous improvement and updates can ensure the LIMS remains relevant as your industry and technology evolve.
LabKey LIMS
Growing research labs struggling with accurate, efficient data management are likely to find that LIMS is the solution they need to optimize their laboratory processes. LabKey LIMS revolutionizes laboratory efficiency with a sample-centric approach, integrated storage management, comprehensive workflows, reporting, and ELN software.
See how LabKey LIMS can transform your laboratory management.
