On a daily basis, lab managers face a daunting amount of data they need in order to maintain the integrity of their quality program. This challenge is especially true within the food and beverage industry, where product safety is dependent on timely and accurate laboratory testing. Fortunately there is a well-defined process to ensure that the food being produced and shipped from a company is safe and contains no contaminants.

With more people becoming regular consumers of cannabis-derived products, some business analysts estimate that the United States cannabis industry could exceed $100 billion in only four years. 

Ensuring the quality and safety of cannabis products is a top priority for cultivators, manufacturers, and distributors to build consumer trust and achieve regulatory compliance. A growing number of US states have enacted new regulations that require comprehensive testing of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) products by state-accredited laboratories.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are invaluable tools that measure a company’s effectiveness. Each KPI “measures the goals of the business against the actual, quantifiable data over a specified period.” Laboratory KPIs help your laboratory stay accountable toward the lab’s goals. KPIs should be specifically set and customized to each laboratory. For example, the lab manager may want to evaluate the number of completed tests, as well as see those still under processing. These indicators serve as an index of how well the lab is running at any time, based on its set standards.

Although all laboratories must comply with industry standards in order to produce valid results, the pharmaceutical laboratory’s quality control (QC) team must adhere to some of the most stringent standards. This team is responsible for ensuring the quality and purity of pharmaceutical ingredients and products, where there is no room for error.

The traditional role of a compounding pharmacy is to make specific drugs prescribed by medical doctors to meet the needs of an individual patient.

Prescription compounding has seen a resurgence in recent years because of the many benefits offering formulas tailored to patient needs. Many patients have found mass-produced drugs difficult to stomach, or are sensitive or allergic to dyes and preservatives in commercially produced medications. Although this is great for patient care, regulatory scrutiny is increasing to ensure the safety of these same patients.

Scientific industries are challenged to keep pace with global demands for safe and effective pharmaceuticals, chemicals, medical devices and other scientific advances.

Contract research organizations (CROs) have become progressively more common in meeting laboratory outsourcing needs. In fact, they are now critical collaborators in assuring safety and effectiveness in a variety of scientific developments and innovations.

Integrating technology into your laboratory is never a one-person decision. Key stakeholders have different perspectives in terms of what they need from technology depending on their individual needs. Even within a small laboratory, there are many people impacted by the implementation of a laboratory management system (LIMS).

In the next five years, the lab information management system (LIMS) market is projected to reach approximately $2.22 billion. One of the most consistent sectors of growth is the cloud-based LIMS segment, which continues to grow each year.

Implementing a LIMS is a critical way in helping laboratory facilities track samples from receipt through storage and usage. A LIMS can save lab staff time by automatically documenting more features about each sample than an individual could and provides resources for automating sample testing and batch control. It addresses human error by helping to avoid penalties with a trail of data that can withstand auditing to the most rigorous of industry standards.

Effective and successful lab managers are first and foremost dedicated to the scientific endeavors of their chosen industry. The prospect of providing innovative and well-researched products and services to the global community is undoubtedly gratifying and honorable.

In today’s highly competitive scientific market, it is essential that all deliverables be timely, within regulatory compliance, and within budget. To merge the necessities of scientific rigor, health and safety, and global competition, the choice of your laboratory information management system (LIMS) is critical.

There are a growing number of LIMS solutions available to laboratories. Selecting the best choice for a laboratory requires a careful evaluation of the potential solutions. Perhaps the most important variable in this process involves ensuring that the LIMS meets the critical needs of the lab, which in turn requires a measure of awareness on the part of laboratory management.

Labs using manual or older systems might be putting their workflows and compliance costs under undue stress. Consider if your current system isn’t saving you money and time -- or perhaps, actually increasing your expenses. If it is costing you money and time, this presents an opportunity to find an updated lab management system software that can streamline processes and track data for increased efficiencies.

Before considering if it’s time to update your systems, here’s what you need to know to conduct a needs analysis of your current workflow and systems.

Regulators are ever increasing scrutiny into labs and testing environments, including pharmaceutical development, compounding pharmacies, and others, to enforce compliance with industry standards. Audit findings of noncompliance may result in consequences as severe as loss of accreditation or even termination. Implementing LIMS software can help resolve or even get ahead of noncompliance by automating laboratory processes and documentation.