Custom Software for the Genomics Industry
Successfully scaling a next-generation sequencing (NGS) lab takes careful preparation. Myriad complexities are involved, any of which could cause delays and extra expense. For some labs, scaling up means hiring more staff and ordering more consumables, or even acquiring additional physical space to house lab equipment and supplies. If this extra space isn’t available onsite, labs might need to rent […]
A laboratory information management system (LIMS) can provide tremendous value to a lab. It can enhance efficiency and productivity, improve data quality, save time, and ensure compliance with traceability and auditability. However, to get the best return on investment, you need to ensure that it’s set up to manage your lab’s entities and workflows properly. What are entities and workflows? […]
Busy labs collect an incredible amount of data every day. From patient and sample data and test results to information about equipment, reagents, and personnel, data is the foundation of the lab business. So safeguarding this valuable data — maintaining its security and ensuring it is always accessible — is critical. In our last post, we shared four ways to […]
Cloud-based laboratory information management systems (LIMS) are highly scalable and conveniently accessible. They handle automatic updates and patches so that the software is always current. Plus, they provide state-of-the-art security to ensure sensitive patient data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. However, because labs operate in a sector where patient privacy is paramount, many hesitate to transition to the cloud. […]
Clinical diagnostic laboratories can gain a significant advantage by ensuring their data conforms to FAIR principles — that is, data is easily findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. But many labs don’t recognize the importance of FAIR data or they find that implementing these principles is challenging. At Semaphore, we believe FAIR data sets forward-looking labs apart from their peers, giving […]
Labs that are implementing a laboratory information management system (LIMS) generally start with “happy path” use cases. These ideal or expected workflows represent the most efficient, smoothest route to complete a task. But a system that only meets these straightforward requirements will quickly run into trouble in a production environment. Experienced LIMS implementers know it’s also critical to support unexpected […]
Whether you’re choosing your first laboratory information management system (LIMS) or thinking of upgrading to a different platform, it’s tempting to focus solely on product features and capabilities. But that’s only looking at part of the equation. It’s equally important to consider the services available for the product through the vendor and/or third parties. In our previous post on selecting […]
“Do we need a new laboratory information management system (LIMS) or can we make do with our current system?” This is a question we often hear from labs struggling to make their existing software do what they need. “Replace the LIMS” is generally not the answer labs want to hear. That’s because a new implementation can be costly and time-consuming. […]
When we talk to labs about choosing a laboratory information management system (LIMS), a common question we’re asked is: What will a system cost? First, it’s important to note that with any LIMS purchase, there are three cost categories to consider: the cost of the licenses for the software, the cost for implementing the system into your lab’s specific environment, […]
Regular readers of Semaphore’s blog know that over the last decade we’ve spent hundreds of thousands of hours building software for some of the most innovative, fastest growing laboratories in the world. Our clients know that we have refined our process for collaboration across interdisciplinary teams into a pipeline that produces high-quality and repeatable work. Labbit is a concept we’ve […]