Contract Analytical Laboratory "Precision Analysis (NW) Ltd" needed a system to efficiently communicate with its growing customer base. The LabCom System supplied by Village Software allowed customers and laboratory staff to work in the familiar Windows Forms environment while securely updating a centralized database.
LIMS Lite
LabCom is a LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System), one of a class of products that assist in the efficient running of laboratories. LabCom helps communication and administration as part of the laboratory process, without constraining the scientific processes. It can be considered as a LIMS Lite product, which aims to assist staff without creating a dependency.
It focuses on doing a small number of tasks, by which a lab will be judged by its clients, well
- Sample recording
- Result entry
- Result reporting
Return on Investment
In the competitive field of analytical laboratory testing, Precision needs to both operate efficiently and add value for its clients. On some occasions, it is a requirement of the contract to offer such a system.
Offering an online Windows based system allows clients to gain control of their data as if they had their own lab on site. Among other features, it allows them to report against a range of criteria. This adds to Precision Analysis's selling points and helps it compete in the market place.
LabCom Case Study
Company Background
Precision Analysis (NW) Ltd is a flexible and expanding contract analytical laboratory. It provides chemical, microbiological and asbestos testing services for customers in the UK and Ireland.
Among others, it serves the food, water and building industry. A typical Food sector client will send batches of product and swabs taken around the factory to Precision Analysis. They will test these samples for both undesirable elements and to confirm content.
Clients with a large throughput of samples to Precision themselves need to improve their efficiency of operation. In a cost competitive market Precision needs to both increase its customer service as a differentiator, and to reduce its non value-added costs such as administration.
Solution
Precision was not in a position of wanting to have to develop or pay for its own IT department. Instead LabCom offers a solution where the key elements are held in an offsite data centre and the Lab's PCs can connect over a broadband connection. This modern broadband approach is also in line with the expectations of Precisions clients.
The principal technical problem of the development was ensuring that the system operated in such a way that the user was unaware that it was communicating with an offsite database.
The resultant application allows both Precision's lab and their customers to operate the system without being dependent on an onsite server.
Close Relationship
The LabCom support staff at Village Software maintain a close relationship with Precision Analysis and its most important clients.
Precision often call-in Village Personnel or another member of the team to represent Precision as part of a team making sales visits to explain LabCom in the context of Precisions overall product offering.
By taking advantage of modern technologies deployed through a service provision model Precision has been able to
punch above its weight with it's clients. Clients moving from similar systems offered by large labs have demanded
and then been happy with this service.
Offering value added services to the clients means end clients are inclined to stay enjoying the service and savings
that come from the enhanced service a key element in a price sensitive market.
