Over the past few decades, the majority of large laboratories have adopted modern Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS). The LIMS is a significant, long-term investment that is utilized and modified over decades and frequently serves as the laboratory’s heart.
Changes in processes, automation of workflows, and the ability to capture, comprehend, and visualize data have become increasingly important as testing methods and computing technology have advanced. How can laboratories ensure that their LIMS implementation will meet their ever-evolving requirements and provide them with this level of functionality?
The expectations people have for technology have changed even more over the last few decades. Everywhere you look, people want technology to make their lives easier. They would like technology to give them information before they even realize they need it. In many instances, laboratory management simply lacks a clear vision of what a LIMS ought to offer or knows where to begin in order to attain this level of sophistication.
Additionally, it can be challenging for laboratories to acknowledge that they may not be ready for the level of technological advancement that they believe they are. To even begin the process of putting the changes brought about by data-driven decision making or fully automated processes into action requires a great deal of dedication, discipline, and planning.
Although many of the most advanced LIMS solutions are capable of providing laboratory lifecycles that are completely automated, getting there requires navigating the maze of change management, which most managers and employees are unfamiliar with. This web, entwined with politics in business and a lack of attention to Benefits and momentum can be difficult, if not impossible, to articulate due to operational effectiveness.
When there is constant change and additional demand for new functionalities like automation, real-time data visualization, and automated workload planning, how can a LIMS evolve and continue to function effectively? How can laboratories justify the time and resources required to achieve these functionalities’ benefits through LIMS modifications?
A clear, concise, and actionable product roadmap is crucial in this situation. A path to data dominance and admirable automation will emerge by organizing overall goals, system needs, and desires into themes with planned, actionable blocks or phases! If you want to start the process of creating an efficient LIMS product roadmap, whether you already have an established system or are looking to implement a new LIMS, read on to learn what a LIMS owner can do.
What is a roadmap for a LIMS product
A strategic, documented plan of action for a LIMS that is maintained throughout the system’s lifespan is depicted in a product roadmap. The goal of the roadmap is to help ensure that guide rails are created to help maintain a cohesive LIMS over time as the system evolves, as well as to visualize the overall future of system functionality and maintenance requirements.
Roadmaps are typically created for long-term (years) planning and ought to be visually appealing in order to assist in articulating the LIMS’s long-term strategic focus.
Understanding not only the LIMS’s capabilities but also the requirements of its user base and departmental management is essential for crafting an engaging product roadmap. The product roadmap should reflect the diverse expectations and objectives of the IT team, Information Security team, laboratories, and management in order to establish a unified vision.
Take the time to get feedback from everyone who is involved in the LIMS sample tracking to get a comprehensive picture of where it should go. Throughout the system’s lifetime, as a variety of new processes and functions are implemented, this will assist in preventing potentially costly surprises.
A product roadmap should also emphasize maintenance tasks like system and module upgrades, security-related changes, and other infrastructure requirements, in addition to highlighting exciting functionality changes.
The laboratory will be able to appropriately resource projects because they will know what to anticipate as projects follow the roadmap, and the Infrastructure team in charge of maintaining critical systems will appreciate the forethought. Also read moreĀ smart export import expedition business guidance for all entrepreneurs dvcodes