Understanding the flow of work within a laboratory is essential for key stakeholders such as Laboratory Managers, Directors, Quality Managers, COOs, and CFOs. They often need to know not only how the lab is performing but also the origins of the work that comes into the lab. These insights are crucial for both operational efficiency and strategic decision-making. In this blog post, we will dive into the laboratory business intelligence reporting. 

Operational Reporting focuses on the daily performance metrics of the laboratory, such as turnaround times for testing and the volume of samples being processed. This type of reporting helps ensure that all lab processes are running smoothly and efficiently.

Management Information is more strategic, providing insights into key performance indicators (KPIs) that inform high-level decisions. These are the questions that senior management often asks in preparation for board meetings or strategic planning sessions. With a couple of clicks, you can access visualised reports that support data driven decisions.  

To address these needs, the QLIMS Business Intelligence suite offers a comprehensive solution. Without relying on third-party tools, QLIMS provides interactive, visually appealing dashboards directly within your LIMS, allowing you to filter and interpret data with ease. This integrated approach ensures that your LIMS remains the single source of truth for laboratory and quality control data. 

For example, to answer the question, “Where does my work come from?”, the QLIMS dashboard offers a clear, data-driven view of sample types, submitters, and sample statuses, as shown in the image below. This visualisation helps trace the origins of laboratory tasks, empowering you to make informed decisions and optimise lab operations.

Ready to see how QLIMS can revolutionise your laboratory’s reporting capabilities? 

Contact us today for a personalised demo and discover how our Business Intelligence suite can give you the insights you need to drive your lab’s success.

This blog will dive into the essential reasons why you should use laboratory software, particularly Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS). Laboratories of all sizes are turning to digital solutions to streamline their operations, enhance efficiency, and ensure compliance with regulatory standards.

Why You Should Use a Laboratory Software

In today’s digital age, our lives revolve around technology. From the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed, we are surrounded by smartphones, laptops, and various applications that simplify our daily tasks. 

Just like how we rely on apps to manage our personal lives, laboratories can benefit greatly from automation and digitalisation. Scientists and lab managers often find themselves bogged down by manual processes and the burden of handling errors caused by these processes.

Imagine if they could focus solely on their scientific research without the distractions of manual paperwork and data management. 

The traditional laboratory management mode is inefficient, the workload is large, the utilisation rate of laboratory equipment is low, and the laboratory environment and instrument equipment cannot be monitored in real time. Aiming at the current status of laboratory management in colleges and universities, an intelligent laboratory management system based on cloud computing and Internet of things technology is constructed, which can effectively monitor the laboratory environment and instruments and equipment in real time and dynamically manage and maintain them (Suiqun Li et al 2020 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1549 022107). 

Software service mode (SaaS) is one of the modes with a large number of cloud computing users. Users do not need to buy software, only need to rent software from the provider and use it through the Internet, which is the development trend of future management software. It has advantages such as a long benefit cycle of one-time investment, on-demand service, flexible use and wide application range (Peng Rong, 2010, Dalian Maritime University).

QLIMS as a Solution

This is where our SaaS solution, QLIMS, comes in. Designed to streamline laboratory operations, QLIMS offers a user-friendly interface and configurable features that cater to the unique needs of each laboratory.

With QLIMS, laboratories can reduce cognitive load, improve productivity, and ultimately, accelerate their research and discoveries.

Some of the Key Features of QLIMS:

True SaaS Solution: QLIMS is a true SaaS (Software as a Service) solution, offering accessibility and flexibility for laboratories of all sizes.

Comprehensive Data Management: QLIMS goes beyond simple data management, offering features that translate data into actionable insights and knowledge. You can read more about new functionalities of QLIMS here. 

Configuration, Not Complex Customisations: Unlike other LIMS platforms that require complex customizations, QLIMS offers easy configuration options, making it simpler and more efficient for laboratories to use. Easy-to-use feature is just one of our features. If you would like to have a look at why customers choose QLIMS in more detail, click here. 

Visualisation Features: QLIMS stands out with its focus on visualisation, providing efficient and visually engaging data presentation that enhances user experience. You can gain deeper insights into your data with Visual Dashboard powered by Kibana. 

AWS Qualified Software: QLIMS is qualified by AWS (Amazon Web Services), ensuring high standards of safety and performance. It means that our software solution has been tested and approved by AWS. This qualification demonstrates our commitment to providing world-class cloud infrastructure for our customers.

To summarise, You need a system created by scientists, for scientists, which works with how you work and what you are trying to achieve. Because, ultimately, the best results will come from a system that is lab grown. Get in touch with us now to discuss how QLIMS can benefit your laboratory! 

References

The promises of digital transformation for laboratories are significant. As well as enhanced processes for laboratory technicians and analysts, there’s a raft of broader business benefits too like remote working capabilities and better turnaround times. Start by building the foundations to do basics brilliantly, then accelerate your transformation with data-driven insights and emerging technologies including automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline workflows and shift from a reactive to predictive quality assurance (QA).

Here are the benefits of digitally connected QA lab

1. Save Your Time

Digital labs are able to improve workflows and system integration, enabling shorter testing times and a move towards real-time releases. You can reduce lead times of 60 to 70 percent. (McKinsey)

2. Error Reduction

For every 1000 results, a human will make on average 3-6 mistakes, increasing to 30 per 1000 if maths or stress is involved. With fewer manual errors labs can reduce the need for rework by as much as 90 percent. (McKinsey)

3. Reduce the Cost

Labs that have digitised their processes have found a range of improvements such as management of confirmatory testing and automated result entry through instrument integration, which can reduce the cost of quality control by more than 50 percent. (McKinsey)

4. Enhanced Business Value

70% of labs that have started on a digital transformation journey report achieving or exceeding the expected business value. (Accenture)

5. Future-proofed Information Security

Paper based records are bulky, insecure and near-impossible to search. Digitisation enables labs to easily prevent, report, manage and respond to data breaches. 

6. Instant Compliance

Improved records and searchability can shave weeks off audit preparation time, through pre-built audit reports and barcoded record management. As a result, reports with full audit trails can be produced in minimal time.

7. Fewer Recalls

The average cost of a food product recall is US$10 million (Food Safety Magazine), rising to potentially billions in the pharma space (Allianz), so QA is an essential business function to ensure safety and protect brand reputation. 

If you would like to read more about how to improve core lab operations click here, to read AI trends in laboratories here, and to learn 5 reasons why you should use a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) you can click here.

Did you know that QLIMS is officially an AWS Qualified Software partner? Want more time for science and less time on admin? If you are ready to start, OnQ Software is here to guide and support you. Please contact us here.

In the first blog post, we explored the importance of adopting a business approach in laboratory operations. Building on that foundation, we now turn our attention to maximising efficiency, measuring progress, and how a digital solution LIMS helps to achieve these goals. 

Maximising Efficiency

Whichever combination of ‘good’, ‘fast,’ or ‘cheap’  a lab opts to execute, it will make little progress if it lacks ways to reorganise resources to maximise efficiency. Some of the laboratories are an information intensive operation. Not only does the technology employed produce, enormous quantities of data, but all of that data needs to be tracked back to specific samples, associated with different projects, provided by certain. These complex connections and relationships cannot be held in someone’s head, or even in shared Google docs or spreadsheets. 

Automating through software accomplishes several things in a lab. It streamlines workflows, and removes tedious tasks that humans hate doing – and that computers can do better. In most cases, instruments and supporting systems can be integrated to directly capture data and pass it on to the next stage of the workflow. Scientists can then spend time on the tasks for which they were trained: looking for trends in data, determining implications and forming new hypotheses, and communicating findings to peers in the scientific community.  

Automation also provides a way to standardise processes. Instead of requiring scientists to reinvent procedures, automation, and preprogrammed scripts can help them with tasks. Such procedures can be reused time and again and even used as the basis for new workflows when new functionality comes along. 

Measuring Progress and Adjusting Based on the Results

Critical way labs can differentiate themselves is in how they manage the information. It’s not just about getting ‘good’ information to customers. It’s using that information as a mirror to see what a lab is doing, how its staff is working, and how it could do things better in the future.

Information management is essential because it helps you focus on the things that set you apart. Even the most basic service industry restaurants use software to track tables and reservations. Because the software helps them provide a better customer experience, it ensures that people are seated and that food gets to the right table, freeing the staff to focus on food preparation and service. Besides them, your reputation for keeping things straight is crucial to success in laboratories.  

Analysing and running reports over collected data enables labs to determine key performance metrics, such as how long it is taking to run certain projects, how many runs fail, what typical waste rates are, and how different staff members or instruments perform over time.

A Digital Solution to Achieve These Goals: Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)

Laboratory information management systems (LIMS) are not just a nice to have tool, an essential element of running a successful lab. The most basic function of a LIMS is storing and tracking unwieldy data and making it searchable. This capability alone is highly valuable in labs that find it expedient and cost effective to pool samples into high-throughput runs. 

In those workflows, where everything is mixed, you’ll never know if you’ve done something wrong until you send a customer the wrong data – and you cannot afford to make that type of mistake even once. On this volume of data, the only way you can guarantee you are getting things right is through a LIMS. 

Out-of-the-box, the best LIMS map to common instrumentation workflows, enabling labs to immediately begin managing runs in the system. LIMS can also offer powerful application programming interfaces (APIs) built on familiar, standard scripting tools that lab staff can exploit to create lab specific workflows. By standardising workflows and integrating systems for seamless data transfer, LIMS virtually eliminates data entry errors. It just makes sense to use the LIMS for data capture as data entry is tedious, and people get bored and make mistakes, plus we are talking about tasks that people have to do over and over, work that is ideally suited for computers and software to manage. 

Thanks to LIMS, lab scientists can focus on targeted, value-added applications rather than workflow management. That configurability, both within the standard interface of the LIMS and through APIs provides a framework that streamlines efforts to build out and extend the software. 

Lastly, LIMS pulls together all sample information in a single location, it enables retroperspective interrogations that can help managers assess lab progress and performance. Built-in reporting tools can enable managers to rapidly prepare milestone reports for granting bodies, plan and schedule projects, track and measure instrumentation performance, and optimise workflows to increase capacity and throughput. 

Transform your laboratory with a business mindset! Discover the benefits of efficiency, and streamlined workflows with our QLIMS. Schedule a demo or contact us today to learn more.

In this blog article, we are discussing a very interesting and ambitious topic: Run Your Lab Like a Business. We will explore why it can be beneficial for some labs to adopt a managing business approach to their operations, aiming for best practices, optimal solutions, and greater achievements. Would running your lab like a business lead to real success? Why is this approach important, and how can it benefit your laboratory? Join us as we delve into the reasons why adopting this mindset can drive greater efficiency and success in your lab operations. 

Laboratories can make significant strides in providing better service to their customers by viewing their operation as a business rather than a purely scientific endeavour. Like any other business, it’s about listening to customers, staying organised, paying attention to the competition, and being efficient. 

Better? Faster? Cheaper?

One of bioinformatics engineers from genomics, has a quote at the bottom of his email messages “Fast, cheap, good: pick two.” He called on his background in physics to explain his rationale and express the compromise as a mathematical formula:

Q=kCT (where Q= quality, C=cost, and T=time, and k is a constant) 

From the math, it is easy to see that if you want something done quickly you must either throw more resources at it or lower your expectations for the outcome. And if you want something done well, again, you must either throw more resources at it or wait for your existing resources to accomplish the task. 

Delivering results quickly is one of the most crucial factors in running a successful business. This is especially true for start-up life science companies, where speed, quality, and cost are often difficult to balance. Customers demand top-notch results, and they want them fast. 

The biggest factor in success is turnaround time. Guaranteeing your work with a deadline is a great way to differentiate yourself from other core labs. It reassures the customer and keeps you accountable. This approach is particularly useful when customers are trying to get their publications out before their competitors. The faster you can get them the results they need, the better. 

It’s important to bear in mind that “good” is subjective, and it’s in the eye of the beholder. However, you can deliver quality results quickly by putting a penalty on turnaround time. For instance, if you miss the deadline, you can discount the project. This approach maintains a good relationship with customers and holds you accountable for your promises.

Define “Good”

Labs play a crucial role in the scientific community by providing researchers with the necessary tools and expertise to conduct experiments. While speed is an important factor for many labs to stand out, quality is the aspect that most labs and their clients are not willing to compromise on. Scientists receive their training with an emphasis on quality, which has become the ultimate end point of research activities. However, when it comes to running a lab, the challenge is to balance the pursuit of quality with the need for efficiency.

To achieve this balance, it is important for labs to understand what exactly they mean by “good.” Once they have defined this standard, they can invest in the appropriate technology and workflows to ensure that they not only meet, but also validate their own quality standards. This will help them gain the trust of their clients and enable them to continue providing valuable services to the scientific community. Principal investigators always think about the ‘better’ part in their own research-they want to be sure they are producing the best results they can. Therefore, labs must prioritise quality over other factors while still maintaining efficient operations.

In conclusion, running your lab like a business can lead to greater efficiency, success, and ultimately, better service to your customers. In part two of this blog post, we will explore how to maximise efficiency, measure progress, and how a digital solution like LIMS can help you achieve best practices in managing your lab like a business. Stay tuned for more insights and practical tips on how to take your lab operations to the next level.

Technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) transforming various industries, including laboratories. With AI revolutionizing laboratory operations, it’s time to explore how it enhances efficiency in the future of scientific innovation.

What exactly does AI mean? 

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computers that can perform tasks that usually require human-like intelligence, such as reasoning, decision-making, and problem-solving. In a world where technology is rapidly advancing, AI is transforming every aspect of our lives.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has become widely used across various industries, governments, and scientific fields. It includes advanced web search engines, recommendation systems used by companies like YouTube, Amazon, and Netflix, speech recognition systems like Siri, self-driving cars, and generative and creative tools like ChatGPT, and strategy games. 

How is AI used in Labs?

The world of laboratories is constantly changing, with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning leading the way towards greater efficiency and expanded capabilities. The potential applications of AI in laboratories are extensive and can work alongside human efforts. Labs rely on extensive data use and constant analysis, and integrating AI and machine learning can significantly benefit these operations. 

Machine learning allows devices to retain knowledge from past data patterns, enabling them to make informed predictions and decisions. This technology is transforming various scientific domains, including robotics and biomedical informatics, among others, offering many advantages for scientific research entities. As companies increasingly turn to AI for laboratories, the potential benefits become clear.

The Benefits of AI in Laboratories

AI algorithms can process large amounts of data quickly and accurately. In laboratories, this means accelerated data analysis, allowing researchers to obtain meaningful results in a fraction of the time it traditionally takes.

Imagine having an AI-powered assistant in the lab, capable of suggesting optimised experiment parameters or predicting potential outcomes. AI is making this a reality by learning from vast datasets and offering insights that contribute to more efficient and successful experiments. 

An Example of How the AAII Research Lab Uses AI

Imagine stepping into a virtual reality (VR) space to explore the complexities of the human genome, a realm crucial for understanding the biological mechanisms of cancer in patients.

In an innovative approach, machine learning and data analytics methods were developed to model patients in this VR space and highlight genomic similarities and differences. This groundbreaking technology allows cancer experts and analysts to navigate a 3D representation of patient groups, bypassing traditional statistical clustering methods. Clinicians can now explore genomic relationships in unprecedented detail, providing the information they need to make informed decisions about treatment regimens. This transformative VR technology,  at AAII Research Lab in collaboration with institutions like The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Western Sydney University, represents a significant leap forward in precision medicine. It brings a new level of precision to clinical decisions, especially in the field of childhood cancer treatment.

As we explore the blend of AI and laboratories, it’s clear that this partnership is transforming scientific research and testing. Adding AI isn’t just a tech upgrade; it’s a big change that can open up new opportunities for discovery.

Our QLIMS is a perfect solution to help laboratories seamlessly embrace the transformative power of AI. Stay tuned for more insights into the collaborative journey of AI and labs, we’re heading towards a future where innovation has endless possibilities. Contact us today to explore the possibilities that our advanced LIMS solutions can offer your laboratory. 

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence 

https://solution4labs.com/en/blog/lims/artificial-intelligence-in-labs

https://www.uts.edu.au/research/australian-artificial-intelligence-institute/aaii-industry-showcase/industry-healthcare-clinical