What Are The Types of LIMS? How to Choose For Your Lab

Google “LIMS” and you’ll be greeted with the best that the web has to offer to modern labs.

They’re all the same, right? 

Not quite. While many LIMS providers tout the same features and benefits on the surface, there are distinct differences between these types of LIMS that you need to be aware of before you pull out your credit card. 

In this article, we’ll break down the five types of LIMS and how to make the right choice for your lab.

What is a LIMS?

A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is a software platform designed to manage and track samples, tests, and results throughout the entire lab workflow. The right LIMS can save time, reduce manual data entry errors, and even help you meet compliance standards. Most LIMS will support the following features:

• Inventory management: Track and manage laboratory supplies, reagents, and equipment. 
• Sample management: Monitor the lifecycle of samples from receipt to disposal. This includes sample tracking, storage management, and chain of custody documentation, ensuring traceability throughout the testing process.
• Workflow automation: Streamline laboratory processes by automating routine tasks. Note: some LIMS are customizable and some are configurable and there is an important distinction between the two. Customizable LIMS often require custom code to make changes whereas configurable LIMS can be modified via the platform by anyone. 
• Reporting: Generate comprehensive, customizable reports on lab activities, test results, and performance metrics. This brings key data to the forefront and helps your lab make better decisions. 
• Billing & invoicing: Manage the financial aspects of your lab, including test pricing, client billing, and invoice generation. 

So if most LIMS support these features, is there really a difference between them? Let’s compare the common types you will encounter. 

What Are The Types of LIMS?

There are five primary types of LIMS you will encounter while shopping around. They are:

• On-premise
• Cloud-based
• Industry-specific
• Custom-built
• Open source

On-Premise

On-premise LIMS are installed and operated on the laboratory's local servers, providing full control over data and customization. 

While an on-prem LIMS offers complete control of your software and data, it also requires significant upfront investment in hardware, IT infrastructure, and data security. Maintenance and updates can be time-consuming and costly as well. This is especially true if you need to meet rigorous testing standards, like ISO 17025 or HIPAA.

Cloud-Based

A cloud-based LIMS is hosted on remote servers and accessed over the internet. This gives you flexibility and scalability (and removes the burden of updates and data security from your lab). 

A cloud-based LIMS provides seamless remote access for remote staff, meaning anyone anywhere can access your LIMS. Don’t worry, though. With a robust set of security features, access controls, and regular data backups, your data is safe (and the burden of managing security does not fall on you). Many cloud-based LIMS offer a monthly subscription and multiple feature packages, allowing you to adjust as your needs change. 

All these factors make a cloud-based LIMS the most cost-effective and future-proof solution.

Industry-Specific

Some LIMS will be specifically designed for a particular industry, like pharmaceuticals or environmental testing. These LIMS come pre-configured with industry-standard workflows and compliance features to reduce setup time. 

While these systems can offer a good jumpstart on configuring your LIMS, they often lack the flexibility required to configure your unique workflow and adapt to your evolving needs. Every lab is different and has unique elements to its workflow. Often, those unique elements are part of their secret sauce. Industry-specific LIMS are just too rigid to handle those unique nuances. It’s important to vet the features and your potential needs before selecting an industry-specific LIMS.

Custom-Built

Custom-built LIMS are developed from the ground up to meet your lab’s unique requirements. 

While a custom-built LIMS gives you the most flexibility, it requires, by far, the most work to set up and maintain. Building the depth of functionality of many commercial LIMS could take an order of magnitude longer and cost multiple times more than buying and implementing an existing product. Plus, your lab will be responsible for ongoing maintenance, updates, and managing data hygiene and backups. This requires dedicated IT resources, hiring competent developers to make changes, and being able to retain those developers on staff.

We highly recommend against trying to build your own LIMS. It’s just too risky. Many labs have tried it and learned the hard lesson that it’s not worth it. While a custom-built LIMS gives you the most control, it can also cost the most in the long run.

Open-Source

An open-source LIMS provides freely available source code, allowing organizations to modify and customize the system. 

This approach may be cost-effective in terms of licensing fees. Not always, though. Some open-source LIMS have no licensing fees for the software, but that doesn’t necessarily make them completely free. Organizations contributing to the open-source code base often offer paid implementation services, customization services, and hosting contracts. 

Open-source LIMS may offer the ability to customize the system. However, the functionality is often underdeveloped. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. This requires you to spend on in-house or 3rd-party expertise and development work to maintain and customize as time goes on. Support may also be limited to forums as well, which can put your staff in a bind for urgent needs.

Why Modern Labs Should Choose a Cloud-Based LIMS

Between the types of LIMS available to your lab, we’d say that a cloud-based LIMS is the clear winner. Here are three reasons why:

• Cost-Effectiveness and Scalability: Cloud-based LIMS eliminate the need for substantial upfront investments in hardware and software licenses. With a subscription model, your lab can easily scale its system up or down based on current needs. Combined with reduced IT staffing and maintenance costs, this can save your lab money in the long run. 
• Enhanced Accessibility and Collaboration: No matter where your staff are located, they can access your LIMS via the cloud. In a time where many choose to work hybrid or remote, this is key to your ability to hire the best talent and scale. 
• Improved Data Security and Compliance: Many cloud-based LIMS providers meet strict security standards like SOC 2 and provide security measures such as audit trails and regular data backups. This takes the burden of security off your lab and makes it easier to maintain compliance in highly regulated industries.

What to Look for in a Cloud-Based LIMS

When selecting a cloud-based LIMS, we recommend prioritizing the following:

• User-friendliness
• Speedy implementation
• Configurable over customizable

User-Friendly

Nearly every software platform will bid itself “user friendly,” but what does that really mean?

Having been ranked as one of the most user-friendly LIMS by G2, here’s how we define user-friendly in the context of a LIMS:

• Intuitive Interface: A user-friendly LIMS should have a clear interface that is easy to navigate. Users should be able to quickly find the information they need and perform tasks without consulting a manual or receiving extensive training.
• Customizable Workflow: The LIMS should be flexible enough to allow the laboratory to customize workflows and configure the system to fit their specific needs.
• Simple Data Entry: The system should be able to capture data quickly and accurately, with built-in validation checks to prevent errors.
• Comprehensive Search and Reporting Capabilities: The LIMS should be able to generate customized reports without requiring advanced technical skills.
• Responsive Support: Support should be available when needed, and experts at resolving problems quickly.

Speedy Implementation

Like any software platform, a LIMS must be implemented with your team to set your lab up for success and ensure things are working properly.

The implementation time can vary widely depending on several factors such as:

• The size and complexity of the laboratory.
• The specific features required.
• The LIMS vendor's implementation process.

But that doesn’t mean interruptions to your lab are a prerequisite for implementing a LIMS. It’s common to hear industry stories of implementations that take a full year, but the right LIMS could be implemented in fewer than two months and certainly less than 12.

Configurable, Not Customizable

The most configurable and flexible LIMS will include automation engines that allow you to trigger specific actions or data syncing based on events in the system.

Configurable LIMS offer adaptability within the software, while customizable LIMS allow for more extensive changes to the system's core functionality. With customization comes custom development work, which can increase complexity and costs down the line.

A configurable LIMS with no-code tools and a robust API can be a middle ground for your lab by blending easy-to-use features with robust configurability. This allows you to configure many things yourself with simple, point-and-click tools. It also allows you to layer on more sophisticated customization via an API in a more maintainable way.

Ready to Choose a LIMS? Download Our Free Guide to Choosing the Right LIMS

Between implementation, training, and adoption, the switching costs of software for your lab can be high. 

That’s why it’s so important to make an informed decision. A LIMS is a powerful tool for modern labs, but only if you select the right one for your lab’s needs and use case. If you’re on the fence between these types of LIMS, then check out our LIMS Buyer’s Guide. 

Click the button below to download it and learn about the different types of LIMS, what features to look for, and how to make the right choice for your lab.