Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)

Even in the year 2020, the majority of well-established analytical laboratories are utilizing paper documents and excel spreadsheets to generate and compile data. While it is possible to run a lab with these basic tools, it makes it subsequently very difficult to scale up operations when operational efficiency is tied to pen and paper. Additionally, with the nationwide rise in legal and regulated cannabis markets, a significant amount of effort and attention to detail must be placed on laboratory personnel in order to ensure regulatory compliance. In this chapter, the functionalities of basic LIMS are discussed and how these functionalities can improve productivity, enhance traceability and testing quality, as well as reduce errors. Improvements to these systems are discussed and how the implementation of these enhancements can better inform laboratory personnel, encourage good laboratory practices, and ultimately, increase efficiency and reduce regulatory paperwork.