Implementing a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) in an Army Corps of Engineers' Water Quality Testing Laboratory
Authors: Turner Elizabeth , Paszko Christine , Kolva Don 
Published: October 2018

Today's environmental laboratory faces numerous challenge such as enhanced regulatory oversight, decreasing costs per tests, and numerous laboratory accreditations that are offered and/or required. Selecting the LIMS that will “fit” your laboratory is important, but so is finding a system that has the flexibility to conform to the changes that will be required by the laboratory over the years. These changes will occur not only in terms of reporting, but also in terms of the ability to integrate new instrumentation, calculations, screens and future software.

When selecting a LIMS, it is important to have a good understanding of the requirements of current and future laboratory needs. Equally as important in selecting the functionality that matches the laboratory requirements is selecting a technology platform that is easily managed and utilizes open architecture. The Army Corps of Engineers' Laboratory chose SQL Server as the backend database because of the robustness of the product. Microsoft® Access was chosen as the front-end database partially because of its provision for seamless integration. These functions allow users to export directly from the LIMS to any of the programs in the Microsoft Office suite and vice versa. Synergy such as this enhances the flexibility of the LIMS.

There are many features in a LIMS; however, the primary functionalities include sample tracking, data entry, sample scheduling, QA/QC, electronic data entry, chemical and reagent inventory and personnel and equipment management. Other features that help increase productivity and efficiency include the use of bar codes, data loggers, instrument integration and specialized software modules such as cost accounting/time tracking.

The Washington Aqueduct, a division of the US Army Corps of Engineers, operates two water treatment facilities and a water quality laboratory in Washington, D.C., which perform testing on a wide array of water and wastewater samples. Washington Aqueduct is a wholesale water producer serving one million residents in Washington, D.C., Arlington County, Virginia and Falls Church, Virginia. Challenges faced by many environmental laboratories include enhanced regulatory oversight, decreasing costs per tests, and numerous laboratory accreditations that are offered and/or required. The Washington Aqueduct laboratory implemented a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) as its data management solution to combat some of these challenges. Sample Master® Pro LIMS offered Washington Aqueduct their ability to track samples, data entry capabilities, sample scheduling functions, QA/QC, electronic data entry, chemical and reagent inventory and personnel and equipment management. The Washington Aqueduct also needed to increase productivity and efficiency. These challenges were met through the use of bar coding, instrument integration and specialized software, which offered a cost accounting/time tracking module. This paper will focus on the process of implementing a Laboratory Information Management System, flow-charting through software installation, instrument integration and full automation.