What is LIMS? LIMS stands for Laboratory Information Management Systems. They are designed to help manage laboratory information and generally implemented by analytical labs. Although LIMS can connect to equipment, it is not necessary to collect data. Connecting directly to instruments -- such as microscopes, chromatographs, etc. can save time in recording the data manually.

When LIMS originated, it was meant to streamline data entry and provide better reporting tools. Custom LIMS systems were often developed in-house by internal IT departments, but this requires considerable time and money. As the demand for LIMS grew, programming companies began to offer services to build custom systems for specific laboratories. The market also attracted software companies to develop commercial LIMS software. Other out-of-the-box LIMS were created by analytical instrument manufacturers in order to sell more equipment as well as sell the software.

As with most pre-packaged software, LIMS were developed for particular industries. But because of the nature of laboratories, LIMS generally requires customization to meet each laboratory's requirements. Any software modifications cost money, but they also take time in order to program and test the changes.

Recently, advanced LIMS software has emerged. Agile LIMS software is rare, but it has the benefits of off-the-shelf and custom software without many of the draw backs. If you need the flexibility of custom software without the expense or time investment, tailored software is the perfect solution. Tailored LIMS can be modified to meet your needs, so it will conform to your lab. Plus agile LIMS can be easily upgraded without recreating the custom screens, reports and certifications.