LIMS Features That Give Commercial Labs a Competitive Edge

Commercial laboratories face relentless pressure to fully optimize their resources—laboratory space, skilled employees, and instrumentation. In today’s fiercely competitive economy, customers demand maximum value for every dollar spent on testing, leaving no room for inefficiency.

Commercial Testing Laboratories generate revenue by delivering one key product: information. Confience eLIMS is an All-in-One LIMS Platform designed to streamline every step of this process. From issuing quotations to delivering analytical reports and invoices, Confience eLIMS ensures seamless, efficient, and precise management of your lab’s most valuable asset—its data.

In addition to the standard sample processing features that are common to most laboratories, Confience eLIMS provides a host of features that are specifically designed for Commercial Testing laboratories.  

Some features include:

• Workflow Management

• Automated Report Distribution via Email

• Quotation & Invoicing

• Instrument Integration

• Bar-coding

• Web Portal for Customer Access to Data and Reports

Workflow Management

To simplify the workflow process, the status of lab requests, samples, tests and schedules are automatically updated within interactive dashboards to allow laboratory throughput to be continuously monitored.  

The dashboard screen presents information that is most appropriate for each user upon opening their Confience eLIMS web page. From the dashboard screen, users can then drill into the function they wish to interact with or investigate further. The functions that are included within dashboard(s) are referred to as "web-parts" and are configurable based on user roles.

Automated Reports and Emails

Reports can be sent automatically based on status change or timing to ensure that information flows to the right people at the right time.  This means that COAs and invoices can be issued to customers upon final approval, notifications and warnings can be sent to responsible staff members via email or text, labels can be printed, and management reports can be sent without any time-consuming, manual effort.

Quotation and Invoicing

Basic pricing for each Test and for pre-defined Test Groups can be assigned within Confience eLIMS.  In addition, customer-specific pricing is also available, if required.  Site-specific prioritization levels can also be implemented to automatically calculate turnaround times (compensated for weekends and holidays) and adjust the prices of requests, samples and/or individual tests.  This information can be used to generate quotations and invoices.  Invoice data can be passed to your accounting system to provide a seamless flow of information from beginning to end.

Upload Data from Instruments

One of the most effective ways to enhance your workflow is by uploading data directly from instruments. This process not only helps to eliminate transcription errors but also significantly increases accuracy and throughput. By automating data transfer, you free up valuable time, allowing your team to focus on more critical tasks that drive your business forward.

Moreover, adopting this approach can dramatically accelerate productivity. With data upload systems in place, organizations can streamline operations, reduce manual input errors, and make more informed decisions based on accurate and reliable data.

Leverage Barcoding

Barcoding is easy to use and increases productivity from sample login through final disposal. One of the most compelling benefits of barcoding is its speed. A barcode scanner operates at an average speed that is estimated to be 5 to 7 times faster than that of a manual typist. This increase in speed is complemented by enhanced accuracy, as bar-coding effectively eliminates the potential for manual data entry errors, which are common in traditional methods.

By automating data collection, barcoding not only ensures the precision of data but also reduces transcription errors. This seamless integration of technology into laboratory workflows leads to significant cost savings. The combination of speed, accuracy, and efficiency translates into reduced operational costs, making barcoding an invaluable tool for commercial laboratories aiming to enhance productivity and maintain high standards of data integrity. ‍

Customer Portal

A customer web portal allows your customers to create their own requests and samples while avoiding inefficiencies that are often experienced by eliminating duplication of effort and transcription errors.  The customer portal also allows customers to monitor the progress of work, access validated and/or approved data and retrieve their reports without disrupting the laboratory staff with phone calls and emails.

Additional Confience eLIMS Functionality

Additional Confience eLIMS functionality beneficial for Commercial labs include: 

• Test and Test Group Pricelists

• Customer-Specific Pricelists

• Priority-Based Turnaround Time and Charges

• Interfaces to Accounting Systems

• Role-based Security System 

• Version Controlled Configuration Templates 

• Multiple Sample Login Options 

• Sample Tracking and Workflow

• Multiple Results Entry Options

• Test Worklist Management

• Powerful Calculation Capabilities

• Data Review & Release 

• Instrument Calibration & Maintenance 

• Online SQC/SPC Charting 

• Integrated Reporting

• Integrated Audit Trail 

• Document & File Integration  

Implementing Confience eLIMS allows you to consolidate all your information into a single application, removing the need for additional software.

Conclusion

A LIMS equips commercial testing labs with powerful features and tools, streamlining operations and boosting efficiency to deliver a competitive advantage. By automating sample tracking, data management, and reporting processes, a LIMS eliminates the manual handling and potential errors that can slow down laboratory workflows, allowing faster turnaround times and greater accuracy in results. This increased efficiency not only improves client satisfaction but also enables laboratories to handle a higher volume of work without compromising quality.