LIMS, ELN & Lab Management Articles

Most labs we talk to are not replacing an old system. They are running on spreadsheets, paper logs, and a shared drive that one person fully understands. That works until the sample volume climbs, an auditor asks for a sample’s complete history, or the analyst who built the tracking sheet leaves. A laboratory information management system (LIMS) is the software…

You have been asked to put a number on a LIMS, and every vendor site you open says the same thing: contact us for pricing. The public answers are not much better, a mix of guesses, stale figures, and comparison pages written by competing vendors. So here is a straight answer to the question most buyers actually have before they…

Most labs we talk to are not replacing one LIMS with another. They are running on spreadsheets, paper logs, and often a Microsoft Access database that one person built years ago and that nobody else fully understands. That setup is usually not a sign of a lab that fell behind. It is a sign of a lab that solved a…

Most labs we talk to are tracking samples in spreadsheets and filing chain-of-custody on paper. That works until an assessor asks for the complete history of a sample and the answer is a scavenger hunt. This piece walks through five traceability failures we see repeatedly and what changes when the lab has a system of record.…

If you manage a laboratory in 2026, you already know the reality. Positions sit open for months. Senior staff are retiring faster than new graduates can replace them. The people who remain are stretched thin, pulling overtime, and burning out. And the resumes simply are not coming in. This is not a temporary post-pandemic adjustment. The laboratory workforce shortage is…

Home→Articles Click a team in each matchup to advance them. Build your perfect bracket! Reset Bracket LIMS Madness: 16 Lab Pain Points Go Head-to-Head in the Ultimate Laboratory Bracket It is March, and brackets are everywhere. But instead of debating Cinderella picks and conference champions, we decided to run a tournament that hits a lot closer to home for anyone…

In Part 1 of this series, we explored how AI agents differ from AI analysis tools and how they’re transforming laboratory operations through autonomous action. Agents route samples, manage inventory, monitor quality control, and optimize workflows without human intervention—delivering efficiency gains of 30-70% across different laboratory functions. But autonomous operation creates a security paradox: the same capabilities that make AI…

Your laboratory probably already uses artificial intelligence. Perhaps you have algorithms that analyze spectroscopy data, machine learning models that predict protein structures, or software that helps identify anomalies in quality control testing. You might even use ChatGPT to help draft protocols or summarize literature. But AI agents represent something fundamentally different from these AI analysis tools—and understanding that difference matters…

Environmental testing labs face a unique challenge that can make or break their credibility: maintaining an unbroken chain of custody for hundreds or thousands of samples each month. A single gap in documentation can invalidate test results, derail legal proceedings, and damage your lab’s reputation. When you’re processing 1000+ samples monthly, the stakes—and the complexity—multiply exponentially. This guide shows you…

Laboratory compliance in 2026 is a strategic business investment, not regulatory overhead. FDA penalties reach $10,000-$20,000 per violation, while ransomware costs labs $1.85M per incident. Yet compliant laboratories gain advantages: ISO 17025 unlocks federal contracts, automated systems reduce findings by 60-85%, and modern LIMS enable 30-40% higher capacity without added staff.…