At the LabWare 2025 European Customer Education Conference in Glasgow, Chiara Olmi and Davide Massari from ERBC delivered a compelling session titled “From User Views to Company Vision – Tips and Tricks for Bringing LIMS into Production.” Their presentation offered an in-depth look at how a leading preclinical CRO successfully implemented LabWare’s Bioanalytical LIMS + ELN across multiple sites and disciplines, bridging day-to-day user needs with long-term strategic goals.
ERBC, formed in 2019 from the merger of two legacy organizations, has rapidly grown to operate six sites across Europe. The company supports pharmaceutical, biotech, chemical, and medical device clients through services spanning safety assessment, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, and bioanalysis, both for pre-clinical and clinical samples. With a diverse instrument fleet, from high-resolution mass spectrometers to clinical pathology analyzers, the need for a harmonized, flexible, and validated informatics platform was clear.
ERBC’s LIMS implementation officially launched in 2022, beginning with a requirements evaluation and a collaboration with LabWare’s validation services to upgrade and validate LabWare’s Bioanalytical Solution.
ERBC began with a long list of user-specific requirements, but with LabWare’s guidance, they refined their focus to a smaller set of essential customizations, greatly simplifying the implementation while preserving the functionality that mattered most. “It’s tempting to customize everything,” said Olmi, “but we realized the better approach was to adapt our processes and take full advantage of LabWare’s flexibility.”
The rollout began at ERBC’s Pomezia, Italy site, starting with core lab functions such as sample registration, instrument management, and user roles. A second phase added study workflows and reporting capabilities. By modularizing the implementation, the team was able to gain confidence, train users effectively, and reduce validation overhead.
One of the critical success factors was involving lab technicians and study directors directly in system configuration and testing. “People who work in the lab every day helped shape the system they would use,” noted Massari. This close collaboration between technical staff and system administrators helped smooth the transition from development to production.
A standout feature of the ERBC implementation was the development of a high-speed integration between LabWare and SCIEX OS mass spectrometry software using MQTT technology. This approach enabled the seamless and rapid transfer of large datasets, cutting data transfer time from minutes to under 30 seconds. MQTT was also extended to balances and lab sensors, highlighting the system’s scalability and the team’s commitment to automation across the lab.
Operating in a tightly regulated environment, ERBC leveraged LabWare’s robust audit trail and data integrity features to meet requirements for ALCOA+ and the ICH M10 guideline on bioanalytical method validation. With full traceability and secure data flows, LabWare enabled the team to streamline compliance processes without sacrificing flexibility or performance.
A major challenge, according to Olmi, wasn’t just technical, it was psychological. “The hardest part wasn’t instrument interfacing or guidelines, it was leaving our comfort zone,” she said. But embracing a company-wide vision proved essential. ERBC standardized validation documentation, avoided redundancy across sites, and adopted a global perspective while still maintaining site-level autonomy through role-based access and data segregation.
By establishing a lead configuration site and onboarding additional labs using a modular but fast-paced approach, ERBC achieved harmonization without disruption. As the team explained, departments can operate independently when needed, but common workflows and data structures ensure alignment and consistency.
Their advice to others: Don’t be afraid to change. “Progress is impossible without change,” Olmi quoted, closing with a nod to George Bernard Shaw. “And those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
ERBC’s presentation served as a masterclass in how to align people, processes, and technology during a complex LIMS implementation. From data integrity and regulatory readiness to instrument integration and user engagement, their story offers a roadmap for other organizations seeking to modernize and unify lab operations.
And while the journey may have started with a dream, ERBC had turned that vision into a high-performing, future-ready digital lab ecosystem, one MQTT message at a time.
Discover how LabWare’s LIMS + ELN can transform your organization—from local workflows to global harmonization. Learn from ERBC’s journey and start building your future-ready lab today. [Contact Us] or [Request a Demo].