Greetings,
In our technological age, the work that laboratories do contributes immeasurable good to the lives of people everywhere. Laboratories insure the quality of every product we buy, and protect us from the consequences of uncontrolled events, inadvertent errors, negligence, intentional compromise and sabotage that have the potential to do unimaginable harm. The products we use, what we eat and drink, the medications we take and the air we breathe, to say nothing of our entire economic system and quality of life are deeply dependent on the work that laboratories do. In short, laboratories do good things.
In successfully fulfilling this vital role, even the smallest laboratory deals with a complex, information rich task that demands perfection. In thinking about this the old saying comes to mind, “When I am right who remembers, when I am wrong who forgets”. The application of information technology is essential to successfully carrying out this task, particularly when viewed in the context of the broader information supply chain in which the laboratory functions. The accuracy, reproducibility, response time and cost of the laboratory function are all critical elements of performance which are enhanced by the successful application of information technology, largely in the form of LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems) and related application software.
We at Blaze Systems are privileged to participate in and contribute to the success of this vital enterprise function for each of our customers.
Yet there is the sense that LIMS, although a mature technology, remains underutilized when compared to its potential. This is not surprising in view of the reality that the successful acquisition and application of a LIMS can be a daunting task for a laboratory whose main focus is carrying out its day-to-day tasks, with scant resources to simultaneously assimilate and apply a complex technology. As a LIMS supplier we are continually lowering these barriers to LIMS implementation and have made significant progress in doing so. In fact, I believe we have reached the cost/benefit point that every laboratory should be saying “Now is the time for a LIMS or we should know why not.”
Thanks for listening,
Larry DeHeer
President
Blaze Systems Corporation