LIMSzine
The following column is a wrap-up of the highlights that occurred at
the Ninth International LIMS Conference (LIMS-9) in 1995. It provides a
synopsis of conference events as well as a listing of what each exhibitor
showcased in their booths. The vendor listings are provided alphabetically
by vendor name.
With more than twice the number of attendees as the previous European
LIMS Conference, LIMS-9 held in Bonn, Germany from June 6-9 not only reflected
a more robust European economy, but a greater need for LIMS solutions than
ever. "Attendance was definitely greater," confirms John Trigg,
Program Chairman. "And there was a greater variety of nationalities
attending. Most of the vendors have been very enthusiastic, particularly
with the number of one-day visitors." More than 200 delegates registered
for the conference and an additional 100+ one-day attendees kept vendor
booths lively.
The conference was organized around presentations and breakout sessions,
with an exceptional keynote talk by Roland Blomer of AgrEvo Gmbh entitled
Information Technology Enabled Business Processes. His presentation set
the tone for the rest of the conference, with the themes of new technology,
business process reengineering, and a focus on strategic issues when designing
a LIMS echoed by subsequent presenters.
Presenters included LIMS users and implementers as well as vendors and consultants,
with topics ranging from LIMS Start-up to LIMS Integration in R&D and
Manufacturing. Almost 50 sessions were offered on a wide range of LIMS-related
topics. Most of the vendors also gave short presentations demonstrating
unique product features, giving delegates a quick tour of different LIMS
solution capabilities.
The LIMS Award for outstanding contributions to the field of LIMS was presented
to Alan McLelland of the Royal Infirmary in Glasgow. The LIMS Award was
established by the LIMS Institute to recognize and honor distinguished service
to the LIMS community. "Alan changed the way clinical studies were
performed in Europe," states Gerst Gibbon, President of the LIMS Institute.
McLelland has been active in the LIMS arena since its inception and was
the Secretary for the Ninth International LIMS Conference.
Vendors Displayed a Range of LIMS Products
Axiom Systems Group released a NEW Feature-enriched version of LabMaestro.
Release 1.4 includes a number of new features such as synonyms, direct submission
screens, shelf life, remote data entry, control charts, automatic notification
of biases and trends, barcode labels, chain of custody, audit trail, improved
workflow management, test method support, and multiple levels of approval.
These enhancements make the product easier-to-use and give it more flexibility
according to Karl-Heinz Aufermann, Geschaftsfuhrer of Management Software
Consulting, Axiom's European distributor.
BCO-Computer Services BV highlighted their LIMS products as well as the
BCO Paruna interface workstation. "BCO has factory floor expertise
with medical companies," states A.J. Schuurmans, Operational Manager.
Using this expertise, "we wrote an internal system then made it commercially
available. Now, BCO performs contract research and develops systems for
the analytical lab." The BCO LIMS uses 4GL tools to optimize the user-friendly
interface without loss of data security. A Windows version is expected to
ship within two months.
The latest generation of LabManager C/S LIMS and PeakPro C/S were exhibited
in the Beckman Instruments booth. Support services and configuration tools
were highlighted as well as reporting functionalities and connectivity to
a variety of instruments.
Blaze Systems exhibited their products for the first time in Europe, demonstrating
capabilities such as multinational characters and databases in several native
languages. BlazeLIMS was on display as well as their SDC serial data capture
and CDP command-driven parser systems, which have now been released on the
DEC OpenVMS platform.
Comlabs Systems & Design Pty Ltd highlighted their CCLAS LIMS software
product, which provides a variety of powerful features that perform sample
registration, instrument interfacing, reporting, quality control, sample
storage control, data calculation, and more. Total Quality Management (TQM)
concepts are incorporated throughout the product.
Compex BV demonstrated a NEW version of their Unilab LIMS. Version 3.2 offers
a client/server approach with a new GUI interface. In addition, it provides
DDE functionality and several new report formats via the Unirep reporting
module. Unilab does not require SQL knowledge and can export data to any
Windows application. Compex BV also provides integrated manufacturing execution
systems (MES) that include LIMS, QC, scheduling, maintenance, and more.
Creon Software GmbH highlighted QDIS version 2.1.5, a LIMS and lab data
management tool. The Q-DIS Quality Data Information System was originally
developed for pharmaceutical companies in Germany and Switzerland and is
now an international product sold worldwide.
The ILIS LIMS for industrial solutions was demonstrated by Delaware Computing.
All four modules for pollution, water, commercial and environmental systems
that can be specialized to
customer specifications were highlighted. The products offer a choice between
character-based or client/server approaches.
The instrument division of Fisons, Labsystems
exhibited their new client/server environmental LIMS solution, ELIMS, for
the first time to a European audience. Also demonstrated were Sample Manager
3.1, which can run lab functions from Windows or character-based environments,
LabStation 2.4 and Xchrom 2.0. A web server has also just been implemented
and a pilot newsgroup in the U.S. is being set up.
A NEW interface with SAP R/3 was highlighted in the Hewlett-Packard
booth. The new quality management module interfaces ChemLMS with SAP integrated
solution modules that perform production control and quality management
on a corporate basis. ChemLMS, ChemServer, and the ChemStability stability
testing package were demonstrated throughout the conference. In addition,
ChemStore, the database on ChemStation, can now operate in the UNIX environment.
ICD GmbH promoted their object-oriented LIMS products: LABS/Q, LABS/R&D,
and LABS/E for quality, R&D and pollution control systems respectively.
A NEW version 2.0 of LABS/Q was introduced which offers true PC-client capabilities
in DOS and Windows environments, and supports multiple hardware platforms.
ICD's LABS products became IBM Deutschland vendor logo products in 1993
and are now supported by IBM.
An HP channel partner, Instem Computer Systems highlighted two NEW releases,
comprising their drug metabolism system and their Datatox-F1 pre-clinical
toxicology system. Originally developed for Glaxo and based on H-P's ChemLMS,
the drug metabolism system expands on ChemLMS's capabilities and includes
an extensive and flexible study management and reporting system. The Oracle-based
Datatox-F1 product assists users with in-life and clinical pathology requirements
and includes a library of instrument interface software.
Laboratory Microsystems highlighted their LabVantage client/server LIMS
which incorporates SQL, DDE, OLE and ODBC to draw on industry-standard capabilities
and functionality. The powerful report generator utilized by LabVantage
allows unlimited format and template developments, while LIMS data is easily
transferred and exchanged between Windows packages. Ease of user configurability
was highlighted during product demonstrations.
LabWare LIMS was demonstrated by LabWare Ltd both for individuals and during
group in-booth presentations throughout the conference. Now available for
Windows systems, LabWare's client/server LIMS product offers numerous capabilities,
including custom reporting, bar code
support, sample and reporting scheduling, function and data security, full
auditing, instrument integration, event triggers, and more.
Perkin-Elmer highlighted their new SQL*LIMS version 3.0 product that was
introduced at the recent Pittsburgh Conference. Based on leading edge three-tier
and multi-threaded technology, SQL*LIMS is a native client/server LIMS that
optimizes the LIMS' power and functionality, enabling lab data to be always
online, active and accessible. Features include zoom in and out, wild card
searching, graphics charting and an integrated laboratory notebook.
Phoenix International demonstrated their scientific software LIMS products,
including PhASE®, PhAST, PhATE®, PhIRSt®, and PhAME®, for
chromatography, pharmacokinetics, sample management, bioanalysis, and ADME
respectively.
For organizations seeking consulting help, SEMA Group GmbH highlighted their
offices from Sweden to Spain and their ability to perform system integration
on a variety of vendor products. Their capabilities include integrating
legacy systems with UNIX systems, consulting for business process reengineering,
and support during computer system validation.
Triestram und Partner (T&P) Unternehmensberatung highlighted their client/server
LISA LIMS and PRIVA R&D information and management system. Based on
Oracle7 and utilizing a GUI, LISA can be customized on a top-down basis
to individual lab requirements. PRIVA is based on the same Oracle architecture
as LISA and is used in R&D departments of different branches.
Triple P LabInfo Systems BV demonstrated their Didyma LIMS product. A market
leader in Holland, Triple P also highlighted their stability control system
for medicine as well as data handling system interfaces. Their focus is
on production control and system integration with an emphasis on delivering
turnkey network solutions.
StarLIMS 7.0 was introduced by Varian Associates at the LIMS-9 conference.
The NEW client/server version offers LIMS users a choice of SQL databases,
server hardware and server software, and can be easily integrated into any
corporate computing environment. StarLIMS 7.0 runs under Windows and supports
a variety of common databases.
The Swedish firm Wilnor AB exhibited their PC-based Windows LIMS. Wilnor's
Wilab® LIMS for Windows is available in seven languages and compatible
with Oracle, Sybase, RdB, Access and other popular databases. Wilab LIMS
is a modular system that enables labs to start small and expand as lab demands
increase.