Building a Smart Laboratory 2015 Most laboratories already depend on an


informatics hub comprising one or more of the major tools: laboratory information management systems (LIMS); electronic laboratory notebooks (ELN); scientific data management systems (SDMS); and laboratory execution systems (LES). Te trend over recent years has been towards convergence. Originally these tools served distinct market sectors, and were provided by quite


“ The design and infrastructure of informatics tools will influence their ability to adapt to changing business circumstances”


separate vendor communities. Tat has changed so that many laboratory data and information functions – from data acquisition to data usage – can be accommodated within a single solution from a single vendor with the scope extending. In the past few years, mergers and acquisitions amongst the major players in the laboratory informatics market has led to a shiſt in their product portfolios such as the provision of tools to support data analysis and visualisation. Tis is an important change of emphasis and one that makes better provision for supporting science.


Not just a smart, but also a mobile laboratory system


Te design and infrastructure of informatics tools will influence their ability to adapt to changing business circumstances. Over the years, ELNs, for example, have evolved in a typical soſtware fashion, with extended and more detailed functionality, adding to their complexity. But the more simplistic ‘paper on glass’ style of


ELN has recently been gaining market share with faster deployments and greater user acceptance. If the trend continues, this may influence greater modularity across the market, opening up the options for ‘best of breed’ products to meet the specific demands of different types of laboratory. In some respects this type of approach, modularity and simplicity, reflects what has been happening with consumer technologies. Te combination of mobile devices, ‘apps’, and sharing/collaboration through social media has set a precedent for ‘user experience’ and raises some interesting questions for the laboratory informatics industry. With respect to mobile devices, there is


a delicate balancing act that falls somewhere between their desirability and their practical value in the laboratory. Limited screen sizes, gesture/ touch navigation, virtual keyboards and their


Introduction


physical vulnerability in a laboratory all conspire to challenge the business case for their use. But there is potential in that mobility, and


‘apps’ that offer dedicated functionality and are tailored for the small screen sizes. Te social media argument is an interesting one. Although in the consumer world, social


media serve an entire spectrum of good bad and ugly usage, the underlying principles of communication, sharing and collaboration are highly relevant to the modern ‘externalised’ laboratory environment. For this reason, they do have significant potential for the laboratory, particularly if they can be incorporated into the controlled environment of the informatics portfolio. Of course, ‘cultural’ issues remain with respect


to user adoption, but using the ‘push’ principles to inform, rather than the traditional ‘pull’, i.e. the information is there, but you have to find it, would seem to take a distinct advantage of the benefits of ‘social media’. All of this adds up to some interesting


times for laboratory informatics. With evolving business needs and rapid changes in consumer technologies that influence expectations in the laboratory, the gauntlet has been thrown down, and there is good evidence that the market is moving to address these demands. n


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