Can LIMS Compete With Features?

In these days where it seems that every feature is available in some of the LIMS, can LIMS (or ELN or LES) vendors compete with features?

Can LIMS Compete With Features, These Days

Somewhere, I recently read something someone wrote about how LIMS can no longer compete with features. I don’t think that’s actually true and I have several reasons for thinking that.

More Features Coming

There are always more features coming that customers want. Let’s consider a few special topics, such as genomics, biobanking and veterinary systems. Even though these aren’t new needs for our industry, they’re still not as fully-served as many other sectors of the LIMS, ELN and LES industry.

For the largest systems, where customers think they can use these systems for every need, these systems don’t necessarily have complete solutions for these industries. Look at systems such as LabWare or LabVantage, for example. Even though they might have solutions that fit into the industries I’ve just mentioned, they typically have big gaps in features.

Now, let’s consider some of the more specific software to apply to these industries. Even with these, many of them have large functionality gaps, as well.

My point is merely that there’s still room for competition with features among these software products.

Solution Delivery

Let’s suppose that a software vendor has specific features that meet a customer’s needs. Even then, the gaps are often in the delivery of the solution.

For example, even though we see many “QC Pharma” solutions out on the market, there is no customer who takes these solutions as they are. Every customer ends up with modifications even though we think of QC Pharma as a fairly mature solution set.

One reason for this is that some of the solutions are heavily code-based and changing them isn’t a matter of changing some dropdowns and clicking some radio buttons. Instead, the bulk of the changes require actual programming work.

Another reason is that these solutions might be aimed at the “average” customer but that customer doesn’t exist any more than the average person actually exists.

Solution Combinations

Top all this off with the fact that many customers have a wide variety of needs. Some customers need the QC Pharma features PLUS if they’re a contract lab, they probably need the contract lab features. Now, we’ve started to narrow the field greatly among how many product choices have both.

In addition, just because a software vendor has all the features, it doesn’t mean they’ll have the shortest implementation time. If each feature requires a great deal of programming, then it can quickly outweigh the fact that all the features are actually present.

LIMS Doing Other Things

All our software seems to have more features than we thought they should have. LIMS have ELN features. ELNs have LIMS features. All of them have features we wouldn’t even consider as “true” LIMS or ELN features.

As such, some systems compete based on the fact that it’s easier to add more of the additional features. They provide more options to do one of these, based on the process and technical needs:

• Build the new feature within the LIMS, ELN or LES.
• Build the new feature outside the LIMS, ELN or LES.
• Link with another system that provides those features.

An Example: Resource Planning and Scheduling

Years ago, I mentioned getting involved with a system called BINOCS, which does resource planning and scheduling. At the time, it was heavily integrating with the LabWare LIMS. In speaking with some of my own customers about the BINOCS software, it happens that LabWare was announcing their new schedule module, at the time. Many customers felt they would use what they’d already paid-for, which was the module that LabWare would release.

That’s a valid initial thought, by the way. If you’re scheduling and planning only for your own labs, using something provided by your software vendor that’s included in your annual maintenance costs is a good start. With that, though, there’s a LOT of programming and configuration that goes along with it. It’s still not trivial.

But let’s consider those companies that want an integrated solution that would plan whether the labs have the capacity to accept the samples from an increased production schedule. The modules that are included with a LIMS, ELN or LES aren’t probably going to work.

Then, customers are looking for software that specializes in handling the entire “big picture” and that comes from specialized software such as BINOCS. And, of course, none of this is trivial, either, as something like the BINOCS software has to have the right type of access and interfaces to do all this. But the advantage is that the features it provides are specific to doing this type of work – work that a LIMS, ELN or LES aren’t primarily meant to do.

Note: I’ve speaking here of the BINOCS software as it was some years ago. Since then, it now integrates with other brands. In addition, in 2019 won an award from Garner relating to the “Lab of the Future.”

Finally

My point in all this is that there are still features that will be added to LIMS, ELN or LES software. It’s either because it’s for a still-undeserved industry or because it seems to fit. It doesn’t mean that feature belongs in this type of software.

In addition, just because a feature exist doesn’t mean it will be easy to implement nor feature-rich.