News

 

Instrument integration with LIMS is now easier and
more cost effective than ever

Do your laboratory technicians still spend time entering results manually, even though it would be possible to transfer the results electronically to your LIMS? Manual data entry requires human resources and may cause unnecessary errors. Integrating instruments with LIMS is therefore cost effective and also improves quality. For many laboratories, one of the measurable benefits of implementing LIMS is the increased level of automation.

Software Point has developed a software package, WSP Connect, for integrating laboratory instruments with LIMS. Software Point’s product manager Bengt Bredin says that the Connect tool is primarily aimed at integrating our own LIMS, i.e. Sapphire LIMS, C5LIMS, and WiLab LIMS, but that it can be applied as a portal for other solutions, too.  “WSP Connect has become a standard for us when interfacing laboratory instruments, and feedback from our customers tells that they really save time and money. “ says Bengt.  A large Finnish R & D laboratory reported that they can now analyze 30 % more samples with the same number of staff.

“We have a library of instrument drivers. Today more than 100 instruments are already included in the library, and the number is increasing rapidly. Laboratory instruments can be divided into three categories, depending on how they communicate with and transfer information to and from LIMS. Functionality for creating work lists and for validating instrument results in LIMS are also included in the WSP Connect package. Having WSP Connect in place is a benefit when the laboratory is buying new instruments. We deliver the correct driver for the new instrument at a fixed price and no changes are needed at the LIMS side. The new instrument can even be integrated without the need to interfere with the ongoing production. Customers in industrial, pharmaceutical and healthcare laboratories have reported that WSP Connect is easy to use, efficient and cost effective”, Bengt concludes.

WSP Connect can also be used for integrating LIMS with other systems in the organization. In healthcare environments, for example, the most widely used communication between organizations take place using the HL7- protocol, which is supported by WSP Connect.

Two of our customers, GSK and LKAB, tell about their experiences with WSP Connect in other articles.