LIMS vs LES: Which Should Manufacturing Labs Choose?

Manual systems may have worked when batch volumes were lower, but once auditors demand digital documentation, technicians drown in paper SOPs, and sample tracking in spreadsheets creates compliance risk, it’s time for a change. 

“Going digital” is the easy decision, but which platform will you choose? For most manufacturing labs, it’s a choice between a LIMS, an LES, or both.

Both a LIMS and LES are touted as great solutions, but in reality, the platforms are quite different. In this article, we’ll examine these in detail to help you decide whether to purchase one or both for your lab.

What is a LIMS?

A LIMS is a comprehensive software platform designed to manage and track samples, tests, and results throughout the entire lab workflow. 

LIMS are information management and automation powerhouses for modern labs, available in multiple deployment models and configurations:

• They can be built from scratch and self-hosted or licensed
• You can host them yourself (on-prem) or access them via the cloud
• Some require heavy customization to make changes, while others offer in-app configuration
• Some are industry-agnostic, while others are industry-specific
• Some are enterprise platforms with pro services, while others are self-service

A LIMS can be a fantastic platform to help automate key manufacturing workflows and shore up compliance. Some of the top features of a LIMS include:

• Sample management and tracking
• Workflow automation and optimization
• Instrument integration and data capture
• Quality control and assurance
• Reporting and data analysis
• Chain of custody management
• Product lot tracking
• Batch test re-runs
• Equipment scheduling and calibration

Unlike a process-centric LES (which we’ll cover below), a LIMS is sample-centric. Everything in a LIMS revolves around samples and inventory as they enter and move through your lab.

Without a LIMS, labs often manage the above functions and more manually, usually in a mix of spreadsheets and physical lab notebooks. The latter of the two can be especially problematic, as was the case for a lab we spoke with recently.

A cosmetics lab used a system of 4x6 notecards and paper notebooks to manage all of their data. Auditors refused to so much as handle the documents, going so far as to call them “disgusting” and demand digital copies. 

This lab experienced the following, thanks to these manual systems:

• Difficulty in digital audit preparation and compliance.
• Inability to manage or access data remotely or efficiently.
• A lack of digital training/document storage for employees.
• The absence of standardized, automated, and easily accessible workflows.
• Difficulty in assigning and tracking tasks and approvals.

Fortunately, this is exactly what a LIMS helps with. Thanks to automated data capture, compliance controls, and automation, the right LIMS can be a source of truth and a major asset for any modern lab.

What is a LES?

A Laboratory Execution System (LES) is a software platform designed to enforce, guide, and document the execution of laboratory and quality control procedures in highly regulated manufacturing environments.

Where a LIMS is sample-centric, an LES is workflow and process-centric. An LES allows your lab to document processes and provides a visual step-by-step guide for staff as they work through each process in real time.

In this way, a LES is narrower in scope than a LIMS. An LES can help with the following:

• Electronic Batch Records (EBR) or electronic lab notebooks for QC execution
• Step-level SOP enforcement, including required actions, checks, and sign-offs
• Conditional logic and branching workflows (e.g., “if result is out of spec, require deviation”)
• In-process data capture directly from instruments or manual entry
• Exception, deviation, and rework handling
• Operator guidance and error prevention, often replacing paper worksheets

You can think of a LIMS as a sort of command center for all of your lab’s data and an LES as a helper or guide when documenting and executing processes. Where a LIMS answers “what samples exist and what are their results?”, an LES answers “how exactly was this test, batch, or procedure executed, and did it follow approved instructions?”

For example, a LIMS may help a lab store the final assay result, but an LES ensures that every incubation time, reagent addition, calculation, and sign-off occur exactly as approved. Many labs need both, though, which is why integrating an LES with a LIMS gives you the best of both worlds in process documentation and organization, along with the data capture and automation power of a LIMS.

LIMS vs LES: Side-By-Side Comparison

Let’s review these platforms side-by-side for a quick comparison.

When to Choose a LIMS or LES

Not every lab needs an LES. But in manufacturing environments where process consistency is non-negotiable, an LES can move from “nice to have” to “required.”

‍Choose a LIMS if…

• Your primary concern is sample and data management - tracking samples through testing, managing results, ensuring data integrity, and maintaining compliance records
• You need robust quality control documentation for regulatory compliance (FDA, ISO, etc.)
• You're running multiple test methods across different sample types and need centralized data management
• Your bottleneck is in managing the paperwork, traceability, and regulatory burden of lab operations

Choose an LES if…

• Your focus is on optimizing the actual execution of lab work, including workflow orchestration, instrument integration, and process efficiency
• You need to eliminate paper-based procedures and guide technicians through SOPs in real-time
• You're looking to improve throughput and reduce errors in repetitive testing procedures
• Your bottleneck is in the execution phase - technicians need better guidance, instruments need tighter integration, or you're trying to standardize processes

You can, and likely should consider both, though. Many manufacturing QC labs end up needing a LIMS for sample login, chain of custody, results management, and compliance reporting, plus an LES to efficiently execute the testing.

For labs that determine a LIMS should be their system of record, the next challenge becomes choosing a platform that doesn’t introduce unnecessary complexity, validation overhead, or long-term services dependency.

Why Manufacturing and Testing Labs Trust QBench LIMS

If you’re looking for a LIMS to automate and optimize your lab’s processes, we’d recommend QBench. Here’s a snapshot of why manufacturing labs trust QBench with their data and processes:

• Configurable, not complex
• Industry-agnostic and flexible
• Built-in QMS

Configurable, Not Complex

LIMS are more sophisticated than LESs, but that doesn’t mean they have to be complex.

To be sure, most legacy LIMS certainly are complex. Legacy LIMS require custom code and pro services to fit the LIMS to your exact specifications, which will introduce complexity and drive up costs in the long run. But a configurable LIMS like QBench puts the power in your hands to set up and alter processes as needed.

With QBench, you can do the following and more in-app:

• Generate COAs and worksheets
• Configure dashboards to monitor tests
• Build a customer-facing portal
• Manage billing and invoicing

All without custom code. With legacy LIMS, you often run into hidden costs from the complexity tax, but with QBench LIMS, modern labs can get more done and prioritize more important work 

Industry-agnostic & Flexible

QBench LIMS isn’t specifically built for the manufacturing industry, but that’s not necessarily a limitation.

QBench is industry-agnostic, but many labs see this as a strength. Rather than hyper-focusing on a single set of lab workflows, QBench is built to be configurable for a variety of needs, giving your lab full flexibility to set things up the way you want. 

We’d liken QBench to a LEGO set; you are free to match it to your needs and specifications – and you can do so much faster and more easily than a legacy LIMS that requires custom code.

Built-In QMS

Whether you purchase a LIMS or not, you’ll need some form of compliance management in your lab to meet regulatory standards and best practices.  Fortunately, QBench comes with a built-in QMS, allowing you to manage compliance and documentation at scale. 

We covered earlier that this is one area where a LES has a LIMS beat. With an integrated QMS, you can store SOPs and compliance documentation, allowing you to get much more done than having a LIMS on its own. QBench is proud to be SOC 2 compliant and to support labs in meeting 21 CFR Part 11 and ISO 17025 standards. 

Struggling to Find the Right LIMS? Download the Free LIMS Buyer’s Guide

If you’re set on a LIMS for your lab, then the next step is to evaluate vendors and select which one(s) you want to demo. 

There’s one small problem: which vendor(s) will you review?

With so many vendors to pick from and features to consider, we created a LIMS buyer’s guide to help you make the right choice for your lab. In this guide, you will learn the following:

• The different types of LIMS available
• Key features to look out for
• A vendor comparison

And more!

Fill out the form below to get your free guide and take the first step toward automating your lab today.