Out on a LIMS

A laboratory information management system (LIMS) is a computerised laboratory data and information management system that helps manage the daily operation of a laboratory, allowing better control and allocation of resources.

It offers a flexible technological solution that assists both R&D and manufacturing quality control functions to meet regulatory requirements for audited data. The intention is to help laboratory managers to better control testing procedures while keeping track of information.

It is generally recognised in process manufacturing that a LIMS becomes more responsive, decisive and productive when it is integrated with an IT environment. Indeed, this is often a major justification for implementing a LIMS. Seamless integration between a LIMS and what are termed 'enterprise solutions' has become a significant aspect in IT strategy of many progressive science-based organisations.

The timely delivery of quality data both to and from enterprise resource planning (ERP) and process information management (PIMS) systems is a vital part of process optimisation. A LIMS plays a pivotal role in this information flow.

LIMS/PIMS Integration

Modern LIMS must also provide the tools to report data and results in a format that satisfies the rest of the organisation. It is in this latter area that LIMS vendors are focusing their efforts. In order to achieve this, a number of business alliances have been established between LIMS vendors and suppliers of complementary corporate and process software products to ensure tight system integration.

For example, SampleManager from Thermo LabSystems was specifically designed as an 'enterprise LIMS' application, to support laboratory operations and integrate those operations into the corporate enterprise. One of its main attractions is its strong connectivity with mission critical, enterprise-level systems.

Integration between LIMS and Process Information Management Systems (PIMS) allows validated analytical information to be directly available to the systems and managers that control the manufacturing process. This can result in a better-controlled process, reduced product loss and greater productivity. Huge benefits can be realised when a plant engineer or operator is able to quickly and easily analyse and track data trends, as well as make decisions about data from the different locations throughout the production process. Access to such data results can be invaluable in optimising processes and highlighting problems before they occur.

With the latest SampleManager 2001 release, Thermo LabSystems is looking to address the increasing demand for 'process ready' LIMS with the introduction of an integration solution with OSIsoft's PI (plant information) system. This new product is called SM-PI.

SampleManager LIMS transmits data taken from discrete measurements to PI. Samples obtained from the discrete sampling points and taken to the laboratory can be logged into SampleManager. Once the sample has been analysed for the pre-defined test, it can be sent to the PI system in a secure manner using the SM-PI interface.

SampleManager can retrieve both discrete and continuous measurement data from PI. For example, a user may wish to log samples into SampleManager when a certain limit is exceeded in PI. This would allow the analyst or engineer to view a certain trend, as samples become available from the laboratory.

SM-PI at Atlantic Copper

Atlantic Copper of Spain is the first company to pilot this system over an extended period. The results it has reported are very encouraging and suggest major savings could be made with SM-PI's rollout to cover all of its laboratory sample testing.

Atlantic Copper's Huelva Smelter is one of the world's largest copper smelters and is claimed to be one of the most cost efficient and environmentally friendly. Atlantic Copper is among the lowest-cost smelters in the world, with direct operating costs from copper concentrates to copper cathodes of around $0.13 per lb. The company has been a user of PI for many years, while SampleManager has been used at Huelva since Spring 2000. Early in the implementation of SampleManager LIMS, plant management at Huelva became aware of the benefits that could be realized from close integration of the two systems.

Thermo LabSystems presented Atlantic Copper with the option of either developing a customised interface or awaiting release of a standard interface as part of the core SampleManager product. Atlantic Copper chose the second option and took delivery of a field test version at the end of May 2001.

The pilot study focused on 'commercial samples' tested to calculate the market value of finished copper metal, accounting for the cost of production. It was concluded that a total of 624 man-hours was saved in analyst, management and administration time over the period. When taken over a twelve-month period for all commercial samples, this figure extrapolates to 1690 man-hours per year.

In order to leverage the full benefits of modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, organisations require automated access to all aspects of their business, including the process laboratory. Such laboratories are increasingly opting to implement specialist, functionally-rich 'enterprise-centric' LIMS products to achieve this. But the organisations must then integrate LIMS and ERP products to exploit the benefits of laboratory automation and, ultimately, improve supply chain management.

One of the most predominant ERP systems is SAP R/3, whose quality module (QM) is essentially the data warehouse, storing data for the other modules to use. It does not need to 'know' how data is generated and relies on external systems for automated data entry.

The LIMS, meanwhile, is the data generator, creating results based upon sample requests. A LIMS 'warehouses' data but lacks the integration of the ERP QM. To address this Thermo LabSystems has developed an integration solution, SM-IDI (Inspection Data Interface) for SampleManager and SAP R/3.

SampleManager can isolate R/3 from a large volume of laboratory operational data, providing summarised data. SampleManager can also connect a vast array of laboratory instrumentation and technology, reading results from analytical quality tests directly into the LIMS, and therefore into the ERP system.

Typical upload options from SampleManager LIMS to QM would include results, the outcome of comparison of results with specifications, 'usage decisions' and inventory postings.

Calibration assistance

LIMS/ERP interfaces also eliminate transcription errors and provide an audited record of methods and instruments used, ensuring instrument calibration histories are maintained and enforcing security access to the system. All of which is vital for laboratories working in regulatory environments to achieve compliance.Among new functionality delivered in the latest version of the SM-IDI interface solution are a number of features to ease the manageability of data. Static data, such as product specifications or analysis components, are now more readily available from the interface 'on the fly' which means that less is maintained in the LIMS itself. This eliminates time spent synchronising data, avoiding transcription errors and maintaining data integrity.

The roles of ERP, PIMS and LIMS are quite distinct, but in combination their power can be utilised to deliver comprehensive quality management support throughout the supply chain to the full advantage of the enterprise.

Nick Arnold is the LIMS Product Manager for Thermo LabSystems