Market Profile: Laboratory Information Management Systems

With accountability and regulatory compliance being such a large part of the modern laboratory, the necessity for a laboratory information management system (LIMS) cannot be understated. A LIMS allows a laboratory to manage both logistic and analytical data, along with having the ability to interface with corporate reporting software, instruments, and a host of other software modules.

Regional Distribution of Survey Respondents (N=831)

The LIMS are used in both small and large companies to allow its users to automatically input, store/archive information, track samples, and easily generate reports. LIMS products in the market vary widely in cost, sophistication, and industrial focus.

Developing a LIMS in-house has become somewhat of a thing of the past. Companies realize that the investment has become too risky to burden an employee with, who may no longer be there a year from now. Instead, companies realize the smarter choice is to invest in a commercial LIMS.

The leading LIMS vendors have the experience and knowledge to address almost any lab situation, utilizing the latest software technologies. While generic LIMS can be customized for any lab, LIMS vendors are also offering configurable off-the-shelf (COTS) LIMS, which address specific laboratory functions by integrating more functionality into the core software. Because COTS LIMS are designed for a particular industry, lab function, and/or application, users do not need to spend as much time customizing the LIMS, which means users can implement, deploy, and go live much quicker.

In a recent survey from Strategic Directions International, over 831 LIMS users were asked to indicate the top criteria when choosing a LIMS vendor. The most frequently mentioned criteria were company reputation, responsiveness/reliability, and customer/technical support. These criteria have become increasingly important over the years, partly because the magnitude of LIMS installations and the vital role it plays in every day laboratory decisions.

The accompanying graph shows the regional distribution of respondents to the survey. North America represented the largest segment of respondents. Europe and Japan/Asia Pacific combined for 28% of the respondents, while the Latin America and the rest-of-world accounted for 10%.

The foregoing data was extracted and adapted from SDi's Tactical Sales and Marketing (TSM) report entitled: Labs on LIMS 2009. Contact Glenn Cudiamat, VP of Research Services, Strategic Directions International, Inc., 6242 Westchester Parkway, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90045, tel. (310) 641-4982, fax (310) 641-8851, e-mail:cudiamat@strategic-directions.com