So this holiday season is coming up, and you know what that means; if you are in lab management, your manager/director/VP/COO will ask for LIMS cost savings.
We get it LIMS costs money, not just the software licensing but also implementation, integration, training, and maintenance. However, cutting out LIMS can cost more than just LIMS license fees because of the hidden costs.
On average, $438,000 per lab is realized from implementing a LIMS.
Let's look at some of those hidden costs of lab issues.
Lab Issues Hidden Costs
Hidden Cost #1: Employee Time When LIMS goes down or is unsupported by an outsourced LIMS provider, lab managers need to do more than their job description says they should be doing. This situation strains them, leading to higher turnover rates amongst lab workers due to poor LIMS support. Rework occurs when LIMS is down, and units need to be located, and then there's the time spent trying to set up LIMS again.
Hidden Cost #2: Scheduling Rework can also occur when LIMS goes down due to scheduling issues. LIMS often integrates with other lab systems, connecting employees and resources with tests, which means it takes up a lot of real estate on schedules, or LIMS has its auto-scheduler that needs to be worked around. Either way, your lab information management system going down (due to inferior software or not using a LIMS altogether) takes away from other schedules in your lab. This scenario often leads to poor workflow within the lab because people are missing units and resources for their tests which leads to more rework and more lost time. Not to mention if you are using spreadsheets as your system. This is why you need a reliable LIMS system like our lab information management system - QATrax.
Hidden Cost #3: LIMS needs to push units to other LIMS queues or send unit data to LIMS tests. If the system is down, it can cause hours of downtime for test engineers who are waiting on queue changes. The LIMS systems are typically the core of any laboratory. These enable you to save, organize, and retrieve information effectively while decreasing downtime with integrated communication and testing. This systematic approach is beneficial to your workflow as well as time and money by minimizing human error.
Hidden Cost #4: Future-Proof Your LIMS. LIMS software should never be cut, but you can tell your lab management that there are other options and costs more to cut a LIMS or not have one at all. The hidden costs of not adopting a LIMS system in your test labs are high. With the aid of a LIMS system, test lab mistakes that cause material waste, employee time loss, and company money loss can be reduced significantly. You will save time by not searching for test results or chasing down employees to obtain data with this sophisticated technology.
Hidden Cost #5: Lab teams not having a LIMS or using an unsupported LIMS will cost your lab more than just not knowing how to use it. LIMS training is crucial because it is how information and work move in your labs. Lab workers who aren't trained on how to use LIMS will have a hard time running unit prep, entering work orders, or performing tasks in their work area, which causes rework and more hidden costs down the line. And spreadsheet data isn't efficient for cohesive work. Knowing your LIMS system inside and out is beneficial, allowing LIMS managers to provide better LIMS support. With our dedicated LIMS team, we will be here to train and help you when you need it to make sure you are set up for success from day one with our QATrax LIMS.
Hidden Overall Costs Of Not Using a LIMS
Annual benefits of approximately $438,000 per lab were realized from implementing a LIMS.
Companies reported as much as a 40% reduction in total costs by using a LIMS system.
Be Thankful This Thanksgiving for LIMS
So this holiday season, remember, LIMS costs money but so do the hidden costs of cutting LIMS out of your lab. LIMS is a lab manager's best friend and should be treated so by not being cut from budgets.
Not having a LIMS can also cost more in terms of employee time, especially when your system goes down or is unsupported by an outsourced LIMS provider; scheduling issues; fast changeovers etc. If you want to learn how to manage this process seamlessly without cutting back on funding for LIMS and take your lab management to the next level, contact us today! We specialize in helping labs like yours get set up with a LIMS system without spending too much money on it since we know that LIMS doesn't come cheap - but we know the cost of not implementing one costs much more!
Book a demo today and see what our LIMS software QATrax can do for you and your company at traxstar.com/demo.
Happy Holidays from TraxStar's dedicated LIMS Team!
