Q&A

The table below is intended to assist you in getting a better understanding of the LIMS features. Last update May 2001.

This Questionnaire was prepared based on Dr. John R. Joyce, "2000 LIMS/LIS Supplement Vendor Questionnaire".

Question Response
LIMS Configuration Indicate the operations configuration of the LIMS/LIS and its operating requirements below.
Client/Server based? Yes, full Client server architecture
Operating system of server? WinNT, Win2K
Operating system of client? Win9X, WinNT, Win2K
Is server located at vendor’s site or customer’s site? Customers Lab site
User Interfaces Provide detailed information on the available user interfaces in the space below.
Does system support a GUI interface?  If so, what kind (X-windows, Windows 3.x, Windows 9x/NT, etc.)? Win32, feel and look.
Does system support a character based interface? DOS version (LIMSY2K).
Is interface user configurable in terms of where and how data is displayed? The spreadsheet is completely configurable.
Is interface/configuration specific to individual user or are settings global? Global setting through user access rights.
Underlying data base engine (Oracle/Sybase/Interbase/etc.)
MS SQL Server (ODBC)
Oracle (ODBC)
Data Model (flat file, relational, object oriented, proprietary, etc.) Relational/object oriented
Maximum size of data base supported? (e.g., MBytes/Records) Depends on the database engine used.
Relationship of data base size versus response time.  Be as quantitative as possible.  Reads a Report (Job) with 34.000 Cells in less than 6 sec.  200 Cells < 1 sec. Test database contains 2.2 Million determinations (raw data records)
Employs native data base driver access or ODBC? Standard ODBC
Design language/tools? MS Visual C++, MFC, Object Oriented App
Concurrent Users Supply information relating to the number of concurrent users as specified below.
Maximum Number Supported?  (i.e. how many people can actually be logged on and using the LIMS/LIS at any one point in time?) Dependent on network and server used. Unlimited otherwise.
Relationship between number of concurrent users and system response time?  Be as quantitative as possible. Dependent on network and server used. This is not LIMS dependent.
Data Transfer Please supply as much detail as possible regarding the following approaches to transferring data into and out of the system.
Supports file transfer (can read spreadsheets or delimited ASCII files?) Yes, many formats, including, Text, CSV, Excel, XML, etc. Custom file transfer available.
Supports Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) standard? No, we believe in XML as the new standard.
Supports Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) or Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) control, etc.? Yes for OLE, Report and Worksheet. Also supports saving compound documents in the database, i.e. OLE documents.
Contains an integrated instrument control interface?  Specify details. Yes, the Online Worksheet is able to communicate on-line and through file import with numerous instruments. Online Worksheet is much more than a simple link between the LIMS database and the instrument.  It is an analytical instrument environment that enables analysts to structure and manage their analytical workload by creating technique specific worksheets. Please refer to the Online Worksheet page on this site for more details.
Supports an external or third party interface (e.g., LIMSlink)?  Please supply vendor name and describe import system. Online Worksheet competes with “LIMSlink”. Online Worksheet interfaces to Online LIMS and other LIMS systems via a the advanced worksheet. Please refer to the Online Worksheet page on this site for more details.
Supports the Laboratory Equipment Control Interface Specification (LECIS)? Not applicable in Geochemical/Environmental labs.
Supports eXtensible Markup Language (XML) imports and exports? Yes, full exporting, importing, and as data interchange.
System maintains an audit trail? Yes, Job (report) and test oriented for easy access and tracking
Degree of detail? (What types of changes are recorded?) User and Application level tracking, table modification, report modification, record level tracking on selected tables
How configurable? (What is the range of detail the system can be set to record?) User configurable by means of system wide settings.
Modification control?  (Who would be able to modify the audit trail configuration?) Only users with the adequate access are able to modify audit trail configuration.
Security Control Please provide specific information regarding the following security control questions in the boxes provided.
Who can modify security access? LIMS Managers / System administrators
To what level can security access be controlled? (i.e. what is the system granularity?) Via access code assigned to each user. There are five basic levels and ten sublevels of access control.
By group? Yes, client access.
By user? Yes, user access
By function? No
Based on operating system security controls? Yes, logon access.
Based on data base security controls? Yes
Based on network security controls? Yes
Based on application security controls? Yes
Requires physical access security controls? Yes
Inactivity security timeout Include information on automatic security logout in the spaces below.
Can system be configured to logout inactive sessions? Yes. Idle time specified in LIMS configuration file.
Can timeout value be set individually for a user or is it global? Global, specified in LIMS configuration file.
Time Lock/Lock Out Include information on whether system access can be restricted to certain hours in the spaces below.
Does system support a 'time lock' to restrict user access to specified time blocks? No
Is a security override available? No
Who can override the time lock? No
Can lock out be set individually for a user or is it global? No
Report Generator Include detailed information on the report capabilities of your system in the spaces below.
Does system have an internal report generator? Yes
How configurable is the report generator?  (e.g., is it configured using an editable script, a menu driven wizard, etc.) Configured using editable script.
What is the report design procedure? Design text based script.
Can it generate QC and other graphs? Yes, using the QA/QC module.
What built in reports, if any, does it support? (e.g., Workload, Overdue Samples, etc.) All pertinent statistical information, Revenue, Workload, Analysis and Samples stats. Workgroup perfomance,.etc.
Is system distributed with an external/third party report generator? Yes
Vendor name and contact information? Crystal Reports
What is the report design procedure? GUI designer
How is it integrated into the system? (e.g., can report generation be triggered by the LIMS or must it be manually run?) Manually run by user.
Can the report generator be controlled through an external interface (as can Seagate Software=s Crystal Report Writer)? Yes
Does the LIMS/LIS include internal logic triggers to launch external applications or run internal functions based on sample information?  (e.g., concentration too high or sample weight/volume too small) Currently from application on demand only.
Does the system support internal calculations? Yes, all grids support Excel like formulas and math operations
What calculation functions are supported? Any mathematical or logical function with Excel compatible formulas
Can calculation results be stored in the LIMS/LIS database? Yes, results and formulas as well.
Can calculation results be used to trigger other events? Yes, QC events
Does the system allow lookup of static data (e.g., customer name/number, work group, etc.).  What approach is taken for this (e.g., pick lists)? Yes, pick list, look up tables, etc.
Can new static data (e.g., customer name/number, work group, etc.) be added from work screens (such as Sample Login). Yes, through using the LIMS setup module (OnSetup)
Can field entry be marked Required or Optional? No, but users are trained in which fields are required and which are optional.
Is knowledge base data (e.g., users, customers, services, sample types, security, etc.) hard coded or stored in data base tables? Stored in database.
Is system menu controlled, command controlled, both, or other?  If other, please describe. Menu and/or command depending on task
What kind of field/record commenting/annotation facility is supported? Text annotations, and formatted text (color, alignment, font, back color, etc).
Data Archiving Please provide detailed responses to the following data archiving questions in the spaces provided.
Does system incorporate data archiving capabilities?  If so, to what degree? Yes, advanced feature through database tools. Additional archiving for worksheets in Zip files.
How are references to archived data handled?  Must archived data be reloaded to be accessed by the system? Must be reloaded.
Is multi-tiered archiving supported (e.g., active data on hard drive, older data on slower optical platters, perhaps with a jukebox)? Yes, depending on client hardware and system requirements.
Is LIMS/LIS user configurable (Note: configurable implies you control the behavior/appearance of the system without modifying the program code)?  What is the general configuration procedure? Yes, through global settings or user access level settings.
Is LIMS/LIS user customizable (Note: customizable implies you control the behavior/appearance of the system by modifying the actual program code)? Yes.
How is the system customized (e.g., direct code modification, customization program/wizard, etc.)? Script and global settings.
What kind of expertise/training is required for customization? User training required.
Is this cost of this training included in the system cost or is it a separate item? Separate.
Is source code available to the customer? As Escort agreement.
If available, is it supplied with the base system or is this a separate purchase? Supplied with the base system.
What kind of vendor support, if any, is available if user modifies the source code? Depends on agreement. 
Is this support, if any, part of the regular support contract or is it a separate cost item? Depends on agreement. 
What kind of vendor support, if any, is available if vendor modifies the source code at the users request? Depends on agreement. 
Technical Support Describe the levels and types of technical support available as well as the relative cost.
What types and levels of training are available?  Is there an additional charge for this support? Onsite training, additional charge
Does vendor perform system installation?  If so, is a sign-off required for customer acceptance Installation perform by vendor. Customer satisfaction guarantee.
Tier support?  What are the levels, charges, and degree of support provided?  (e.g., phone, on-site, 24 hour, 7 days a week, etc.) Phone, on-line remote access and on-site support are available.
Is on-line (remote access) support available? Yes, full through remote network support (NetSupport)
Is emergency on-site support available?  Is there a guaranteed response time? Negotiable
Is there a charge for bug repair as opposed to enhancement requests? Bugs are our bugs, no charge.
Documentation Describe the amount and degree of documentation as specified below.
What level of detail does the documentation address?  (e.g., general operation, low level configuration, report design, API access, etc.) General operation, configuration, User guides, QA/QC guides, etc
Are there separate manuals for each module? Yes
If on-line, what format?  (e.g., Adobe Acrobat (PDF file), Window=s Help files, HTML, etc.) Html help (Robohelp tools)
Warranty Please provide detailed information regarding the scope of the system warranty, if any, in the spaces provided below.
How long? 1 year
How comprehensive (what does it cover)? Free update
Is an extended warranty available? Negotiable, ~ 15% of LIMS purchase price
Sample Throughput Include information relating to the sample throughput below.  Please be as specific as possible.
What is system's designed sample throughput? (i.e. a thousand tests per month, ten thousand, etc.) Successfully operates with 30 K samples/300K analysis by month.
What is the relationship between response time and sample/test load (i.e. how scalable is the system)?  Be as quantifiable as possible Reads a report with 34K Analysis in less than 6 sec.  200 Analysis < 1 sec. Test database contains 2.2 Million Analysis (raw data records)
Bar Codes Include specifics regarding the system support of bar codes in the spaces below.
Does the system directly support bar code printers? Yes
What bar code printer vendors/models are supported? Eltron, other by request
Are bar codes directly generated by the LIMS/LIS or do they require an operating system specific bar code font (e.g., True type)?

a)Through Crystal reports

b) C39.TTF

c) Directly in printer
What bar code symbologies are supported? Depends on driver
What functionality is present to allow system to associate and track QC/Calibration samples? Sample Id (selected by cursor position or Bar Code) associates QC in Work Sheet
Does LIMS/LIS include capability to monitor and enforce instrument calibration schedule (for GLP)? Yes, user is notified when calibration or service dates expire.
Does LIMS/LIS include capability to track and enforce operator training/certification (for GLP)? Not automatically through LIMS. Operator records fields available, open to other tools via ODBC.
Binary Large OBjects (BLOBs) Include specific information on the systems capability to store or link to data/report files in the spaces below.
Can LIMS/LIS store BLOBs  such as digitized microphotographs or electrophoresis plates? Yes. LIMS and Online Worksheet support it through compound document (OLE) architecture.
Are BLOBs stored in the LIMS/LIS data base or referenced to an external repository? Either method is possible. Actual method used depends on user preference or requirements.
How comprehensive are the statistical capabilities of the LIMS/LIS. Extensive quantitative, financial and production statistics.
Does the LIMS/LIS support version control of associated objects such as SOPs or methods?  Yes, on the Analysis Library it is possible to associate an SOP/method description with each analysis. SOP/Methods are stored as HTML and later can be loaded context sensitive into the LIMS like Windows Help files.
If so, to what degree? Only version change
Is an audit trail maintained? Yes, User-id and date-stamp added
How, and to what degree, does the system support work scheduling? Through color status and many customizable reports.
Does the LIMS/LIS support the handling of associated sample batches?  (i.e. the grouping of samples for the performance of a common test) Yes:
*
 Report templates in LIMS
*
 Worksheet template in the Worksheet
 
Does the LIMS support the processing of Work Orders separate from sample batches?  How flexible is this? Yes, full work order, by selected service group, test, etc. Different types of reports and Crystal Report interface
Does the LIMS support a Internet/Intranet Web interface?  Yes. For sample login, tracking and result retrieving. Spring 2002 full Java version.
If so, please specify the type of interface available, e.g. HTML, Active Server Pages (ASP), Citrix Server, etc. HTML and XML.
Does the LIMS support multiple sites? Yes, at database level and MS SQL replication tools
How is system configured? (One central data base, satellite data bases, etc.?) Central database for each lab with Lab ID designation
Can system continue to run if network link is down?  If so, how? Yes, for Worksheet and instrument link, not for reports and statistics
How are separate data bases reconciled when the network link is restored? Database tools
Sample Login Insert information regarding the different ways that samples may be logged into the system in the spaces below.  Be as specific as possible.
Handles individual samples? Yes
Group or Batch login with automatic field duplication? Yes, batch or Report, like spreadsheet. Sample ID user macros for filling.
Supports duplicate sample numbers? Yes, including replicate statistic
Can schedule samples for automatic login and generate sampling orders? Yes, as batch of samples
Login triggered by internal/external event? No. Available upon request.
Supports multiple sample types with different associated field data? Sample types include, Samples, No valid samples, Duplicates, Standard, Blanks, and Control samples
Requires sample approval before reporting? Yes, password required for approval.
Are multiple levels of approval supported? Yes, Test (column), Job and Invoice.
Can track analysis and turnaround time for costing and billing purposes? Yes, full sampling tracking and turnaround time.
Supports use of psychometric ID verification? N/A for Geochemical samples
Tracks sample location? Yes, sample tracking module
Tracks sample disposition/disposal? Yes, sample storage module
Work List Generation Use the following spaces to describe the ways that work lists may be generated by the system.  Be as specific as possible.
By Analyst? Yes, by Analyst batch
By Work Group? Yes, called Service Group
By Instrument? Same as Work Group
By Analysis? Yes
Other?  Please specify. Client, Client group, Pending, Rush, etc..
LIMS/LIS supports multiple sample priority levels? Yes, user definable categories.
LIMS/LIS supports different billing costs based on sample priority? Yes, different price list selection.
Sample Billing In the following spaces, describe the different ways that the system can handle sample billing.
By Sample Type? Very comprehensive and flexible invoicing module with many features.
By Customer?  
By Work Group?  
Other?  
Reporting Use the following spaces to provide detailed information on the report capabilities of the system as well as the procedures in place to prevent unauthorized access to the results.
Security access to result?  To what detail can you restrict access to results, particularly between different users or workgroups? Through LIMS user authentication and user access level.
On-line on-demand viewing? Yes, validated results only
Export to files? Yes, many formats, including txt, csv, xls, xml, etc.
Direct FAX output? Using standard windows tools
Direct E-mail output?  Are e-mailed results encrypted and, if so, using what process? Yes. Email reports are encrypted.
Report of Analysis printing? Direct or by Crystal Reports interface. Paper or email.
Data Acquisition List the data acquisition interfaces supported.  Please include specifics where applicable.
RS-232? Yes, for more information refer to Online Worksheet on this site.
IEEE-488/HP-IB/GP-IB? No
Custom ADC control interface? Yes, for more information refer to Online Worksheet on this site.
RS-485? Yes, custom
RS-422? Yes, for more information refer to Online Worksheet on this site.
Universal Serial Bus (USB)? Yes, depends on instrument
Bi-directional instrument control? Yes, depends on instrument
List instruments for which bi-directional control is supported. Balances
Requires proprietary control hardware?  What is the additional cost?

No.

Additional drivers are free of charge
Data Integrity Use the following spaces to provide detailed information on how the system ensures the integrity of the data.
Are business rules to forbid invalid data transitions implemented in the data base, the LIMS/LIS application, or a middle tier? Yes, mostly at the database level.
Ensures transactional integrity (data base commits, rollbacks, etc.)? Yes, full transaction integrity including commits and rollbacks supported.
Does system directly support replication of data to multiple sites? Through the Database server yes.
What is the critical system redundancy?  (e.g., replicate data, alternate reporting tools, etc.) Customer discretion. Not a LIMS function.
Supplied Data Base Tools Are data base tools to perform the following functions supplied with the system?
Initialize Data Base? Database engine
Scanner to validate data base integrity? Database engine
Data base repair and optimization? Database engine
Data query? Yes, customizable.
Import/export of data for application migration? Yes, full support for importing legacy data. May require additional support
Archiving/restoration? Database engine
Directly edit the data base? Database engine
Audit Trail Use the following spaces to provide detailed information on the different aspects of the critical audit trail feature.
Does the application generate an audit trail of all entries and changes? No, only selected operations and fields.
Does the application allow modification of the audit trail from inside the application? No. Audit trails can't be altered. 
Does the data base engine maintain an audit trail? Yes