In the early 1980s, Bob Voelkner, then a computer engineer and now Vice President of Sales and Marketing at a large Laboratory software provider, and a few other people were working for top pharmaceutical companies to manage a major issue- management of laboratories so that mishaps or equipment damage does not take place. And that is how LIMS or Laboratory Information Management Systems came into being. But now, the scenario has changed. Labs have become hi-tech and have new types of samples and equipment and with it, LIMS has also become upgraded! It has many new functions, is more accessible, and is interconnected.
Over the years, scientific research has advanced by leaps and bounds and more chemicals have been produced and more processes used. So scientists would need a system to keep track of all these samples and processes. LIMS had the job of taking notes of research, and Electronic Lab Notebooks or ELNs took care of the processes and samples. Both these were part of the lab automation, which was carried out using the software. And for years these two efficiently managed their work side by side. But programmers knew they could make more from this software!
However, there was one task that they were both required to take care of. They needed to get rid of activities that had no real value, so basically, they had to get rid of lengthy and time-consuming paperwork.
Slowly and steadily, LIMS was entrusted with more than just storing records of samples. It was becoming like a complete computer with history and future references. Previous records were fed in, and LIMS was made more intuitive with more features and functions. Naturally, it now needs a lot more investment!
From the end of the 20th century, programmers have wanted to integrate third-party labs and software but were held back by the power of computers and poor Internet connectivity. However, now, with all that trouble gone, they can focus on the task.
And better still, cloud technology has made it really easy to store all the data! Storing LIMS locally would have taken up too much space, but with cloud storage, that problem is resolved! In fact, cloud-based LIMS are easier to use and handle as they can be scaled easily when a brand or a project undergoes growth! This requires a minimum investment and offers great security to the project while maintaining its data integrity!