As today’s laboratories evolve, the software solutions supporting them must keep pace with their changing needs. This also requires leadership, both in the lab and across the organization, to recognize and embrace the advantages modern technologies can offer.
Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) delivered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) are playing a key role in enabling the lab of the future. By integrating digital labs into the broader data ecosystem, these solutions help bridge the gap between lab operations and enterprise strategy.
Choosing to upgrade to a SaaS-based LIMS is a strategic move that delivers wide-ranging benefits—from improved efficiency at the lab bench to better-informed decisions in the boardroom.
Organizations working with older on-premises LIMS releases can benefit by upgrading to a current SaaS version, including:
- Automatic updates and patches ensure access to the most up-to-date productivity-enhancing functionality.
- Access to innovative artificial intelligence (AI) features.
- Guaranteed uptime.
- Automated backups.
- Current cybersecurity protections and ongoing scans.
- More time for science instead of IT setup and troubleshooting.
Today’s LIMS capabilities enable users to work at their fullest potential. In contrast, labs still relying on legacy systems often face significant obstacles—limited system visibility, duplicated efforts across departments, dependence on printed spreadsheets and paper notebooks, and manual data entry without the support of automated SOPs to uphold data integrity and regulatory compliance.
These challenges are often compounded by the need to coordinate with internal administrators, third-party consultants, or shadow IT teams. The result can be a patchwork of customizations, add-ons, and workarounds that are costly to maintain and difficult to upgrade, diverting focus from core organizational goals.
Deploying a SaaS-based LIMS backed by modern technology and expert support addresses these issues head-on. This article explores how a SaaS LIMS modernization program streamlines data management, enhances decision-making, and promotes collaboration, helping laboratories stay competitive and innovative in a rapidly evolving scientific landscape.
Image Credit: LabVantage Solutions
Why work with SaaS?
SaaS is a software delivery method that leverages secure cloud services to deliver software applications over the internet. These packages are offered as paid monthly or annual subscriptions, rather than on-premises perpetual licensing.
SaaS enables the adaptability, scalability, and cost efficiencies required for laboratories seeking to navigate the complex landscape of data-centered scientific research and manufacturing confidently.
The SaaS Academy states that: “The SaaS industry is experiencing an unprecedented surge, cementing its position as a cornerstone for businesses worldwide. From tech to healthcare, SaaS has penetrated every sector, and now many companies are transitioning to a fully SaaS-based model, fueling the demand for SaaS solutions.”
The global software as a service market was valued at USD 261.15 billion in 2022. From 2023 to 2030, it is anticipated that it will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.7 %.
“In today’s era where growth is not merely a choice but a necessity for organizations, the significance of cloud computing or SaaS migration cannot be overstated,” states one expert.
“Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) migration has emerged as a transformative force, empowering businesses to enhance customer experiences, lessen overhead expenses, and embrace unparalleled growth.”
SaaS eliminates the need for complex infrastructure, costly maintenance, and manual upgrades that are often delayed and disruptive to operations. By removing the burden of on-site hardware and servers, organizations can reduce overhead and redirect those resources toward other strategic growth initiatives.
Accenture estimates that migrating to the cloud can lead to a 30–40 % reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO), underscoring the financial benefits of this shift. At the same time, demand for scalable, flexible solutions continues to rise, driving increased adoption of SaaS across industries.
As CIO Dive highlights, SaaS is becoming central to IT strategy. “IT leaders have a profound opportunity to drive digital disruption with SaaS applications, which are easy to consume and enable business users to bypass IT,” states Manjunath Bhat, VP analyst at Gartner.
SaaS in the lab
SaaS deployments are a strategic decision, and as organizations continue to recognize this, business leaders are increasingly able to focus on their primary missions while experts manage and maintain systems and applications.
This is an especially important consideration for laboratories, where work is often mission-critical, highly specialized, regulated, and process-intensive. The laboratory workforce tends to be passionate about science, discovery, and problem solving, preferring not to engage with manual workflows or IT management.
Deploying an updated LIMS via SaaS and supporting it via expert services frees teams from managing non-lab-related issues such as hardware, infrastructure, backups, routine maintenance, and security.
As a result, scientists and lab technicians can concentrate on the work that drives meaningful outcomes. They no longer need to worry about whether data is properly encrypted to protect patient privacy, whether research is secure, if quality standards are being upheld, or if cyber threats are being effectively managed.
Transferring responsibility
Shifting laboratory operations to SaaS transfers the responsibility of LIMS platform maintenance to the vendor, allowing laboratory staff to better focus on science.
The table below highlights the responsibilities of the vendor and laboratory when comparing on-premises deployments to SaaS.
Source: LabVantage Solutions
| |
On-Premises |
On-Premises |
| Daily maintenance and backups |
Lab/IT |
Vendor |
| Encryption and security |
Lab/IT |
Vendor |
| Disaster recovery |
Lab/IT |
Vendor |
| Upgrades |
Lab must pay to install each upgrade and is responsible for all supporting activities |
Vendor sends updates. Lab decides which features to engage |
| Customer Care |
Pay for support level |
Comes with subscription; tiered levels of support for every budget |
Leveraging a LIMS modernization program
Implementing, upgrading, or migrating a LIMS can feel overwhelming, but the risks of sticking with outdated software or manual processes make it increasingly difficult to justify delay. The longer organizations wait, the more they risk falling behind in efficiency, compliance, and innovation.
A modern LIMS from a trusted, experienced vendor helps reduce many of the typical implementation hurdles. It enables labs to tap into the full value of analytics, automation, cybersecurity, data integrity, and more, without the complications of legacy systems.
LabVantage’s LIMS modernization program is designed to make that transition worthwhile, providing the features, functionality, and support needed to break free from systems that limit adaptability and growth.
A closer look at what’s included in a SaaS upgrade reveals the clear advantages of modernizing and moving to the cloud, showing that the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial time and effort required for a successful implementation.
New functionality
SaaS deployment means updates are automatically applied. The software solution is always up-to-date and equipped with the latest features and functionality, without the need to perform manual upgrades.
Subscription model
The SaaS model reduces LIMS-related costs into predictable ongoing operational expenses rather than one potentially disruptive large capital expense. This helps organizations better manage cash flow while avoiding unanticipated or hidden costs. A typical subscription has a fixed monthly cost, with organizations able to scale up as required.
High-value services
A SaaS subscription allows its users to take advantage of zero-touch maintenance. Infrastructure and hardware are provided, and applications are managed daily. There is no need to worry about maintenance, servers, backups, or protection against cyber threats, because these are all managed by the SaaS solution provider’s team of highly qualified experts.
Reliability
LabVantage delivers highly stable, reliable systems due to its partnerships with top-tier hosting providers. Connectivity is seldom interrupted, and the use of multiple data storage facilities ensures that data is always safe in case of natural disasters or other issues. Should issues occur, however, disaster recovery is rapid and straightforward.
A trusted advisor
The responsibility for maintaining the system is transferred from an organization’s internal staff to LabVantage’s experts. These experts work closely with an organization’s team, regularly checking in to discuss requirements, issues, and innovative ways to maximize performance.
LabVantage’s team gets to know a client’s business model and workflows, proactively supporting them to find new ways to optimize efficiency.
Product expertise
With deep product knowledge, LabVantage Customer Care and Product Support are the best resources to offer advice on capabilities, how to leverage specific features, when to turn modules on or off, or the best way to set up a specific desired workflow or use case.
Getting and staying ahead with SaaS conversion
The future of technology and science remains unknown. Laboratories and their solutions providers, like LabVantage, must closely work alongside one another to be prepared and respond to the sector’s changing needs.
LabVantage is committed to supporting its customers with reliable, easy-to-use, next-generation technology that meets all industry mandates and regulations, from 21 CFR Part 11 to HIPPA, GMP, and ISO to SOPs.
LabVantage’s on-premises customers are offered the opportunity to shift to SaaS and expedite an upgrade to the latest LabVantage LIMS release via the company’s modernization program, allowing its customers to take advantage of LabVantage’s investments in product development and enterprise SaaS.
Smooth upgrade, support, and continued services
LabVantage develops an implementation plan to expedite the move to the new LIMS environment. This plan includes steps for migrating existing data and any data clean-up required before it can be stored in the cloud.
This process is mapped out as part of the transition and is completed in phases, ensuring minimal impact on day-to-day functions. Users are trained on any new functionality or processes during the implementation stage.
LabVantage’s SaaS customers are able to choose between various levels of service packages, ranging from basic escalation to zero-touch. Customers can select their ideal option, whether this includes 24/7/365 support for round-the-clock operations or local time-zone support during conventional working hours.
A support team member is assigned to each account. This team member maintains regular contact with the customer and schedules management review calls quarterly or as required.
Their role lies in supporting the customer to get the full value out of the LabVantage LIMS, and this proactive interaction ensures that customers are informed about best practices, new functionality, and ways to optimize features for best results.
Organizations work closely with LabVantage to improve the user experience, whether this involves working with users at the bench to eliminate tedious steps or working with managers looking to improve their team’s productivity.
The current generation of early-career personnel expects easy-to-use technology that anticipates their needs. LabVantage works with its customers to ensure that bench users have the experience they want.
The company’s customer care service offers advice and support with a range of use cases, helping its customers personalize the solution without risking data security or system integrity.
Organizations can save money because there is no need to hire consultants for small projects or outsource day-to-day tasks such as backups. Transferring responsibilities via a SaaS deployment regularly offsets these third-party fees and other hidden costs.
LabVantage’s product development teams focus on innovation and bringing new technology to its customers, continually driving customer value via improved user experiences and ongoing product enhancements. Updates are rolled out semi-annually, with users benefiting from full documentation and training.
The close support relationship afforded by working with the Customer Care team means customers are updated on LabVantage’s product roadmap, with regular updates on the release windows for major innovations.
This communication is two-way, with laboratories able to make enhancement requests, share the types of issues emerging in the market with LabVantage, and outline how they would like the technology to develop. Organizations can also provide feedback on release updates.
This closed loop of timely, strategic-level communication is highly advantageous for the organization, affording company leaders a position of respect and influence.
Advantages for everyone: From benchtop to boardroom
Priorities vary among different people in organizations, but everyone can benefit from the deployment of a SaaS LIMS.
CEO
As the leaders guiding an organization’s growth, CEOs rely on access to timely, actionable information. Laboratories are often at the core of an organization’s intellectual property, yet lab data is frequently siloed or disconnected from enterprise systems.
A modern SaaS LIMS bridges this gap by bringing the lab into the digital-native enterprise, integrating it with the broader digital ecosystem to unlock insights and analytics that extend well beyond the lab.
By doing so, a SaaS LIMS not only enhances lab productivity and performance—it also drives better insights, supports more informed decision-making, and helps accelerate time-to-market for new products.
CFO
SaaS shifts an organization’s LIMS costs from a capital to an operational expense.
The subscription model associated with SaaS means that budgeting and planning are scalable and straightforward, with organizations only paying for what they need. Multiple contracts with third-party consultants are no longer required, because an organization works with one preferred vendor as its trusted partner.
CIO
Responsibility for the LIMS environment is shifted to LIMS experts. The SaaS solution's zero-touch, zero-maintenance nature means that daily maintenance, automatic backups, cybersecurity, disaster relief, daily management, and routine maintenance are all managed by the LIMS vendor.
Users benefit from highly reliable uptime with minimal risk.
Lab managers
Get the most out of your LIMS platform—and your scientific team. With an always-up-to-date LIMS managed by the vendor, your scientists can focus on running experiments, analyzing data, generating reports, and staying compliant.
The system is automatically patched, updated, and backed up; processes are automated; oversight is simplified; and both accuracy and data integrity are maintained.
You also gain access to real-time analytics and visualization dashboards, giving you a clear view of lab performance and productivity to quickly adapt to changing business needs.
Bench users
Bench users benefit from working with the newest features and the latest technology, whether this is in terms of R&D or QA/QC. The SaaS LIMS gives all users access to up-to-date workflows and features, reducing repetitive work, automating processes, ensuring accuracy and data integrity, enforcing SOPs, and streamlining scientific work while limiting the impact of IT issues.
Image Credit: LabVantage Solutions
The next steps
Adopting SaaS for LIMS modernization is a strategic necessity for today’s laboratories. With access to greater scalability, adaptability, and cost efficiency, lab-centered organizations can optimize data management, foster essential collaboration, and enable faster, more informed decision-making.
Deploying the latest technologies through SaaS is critical to staying competitive and driving scientific innovation forward.
Organizations currently operating LabVantage’s LIMS on-premises should consider evaluating a SaaS modernization path without delay. Postponing this decision means postponing key benefits, and increases the risk of falling behind competitors or eroding customer trust.
There’s also the potential risk to data if existing backup systems are unreliable or cybersecurity measures are not sufficiently robust.
Choosing to modernize with a SaaS LIMS addresses these concerns and prepares the organization for the future, no matter what challenges lie ahead.
Acknowledgments
Produced from materials originally authored by LabVantage Solutions, Inc.
About LabVantage Solutions
LabVantage Solutions, Inc. is the leading global laboratory informatics provider. Our industry-leading LIMS and ELN solution and world-class services are the result of 35+ years of experience in laboratory informatics. LabVantage offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services that enable companies to innovate faster in the R&D cycle, improve manufactured product quality, achieve accurate recordkeeping and comply with regulatory requirements.
LabVantage is a highly configurable, web-based LIMS/ELN that powers hundreds of laboratories globally, large and small. Built on a platform that is widely recognized as the best in the industry, LabVantage can support hundreds of concurrent users as well as interface with instruments and other enterprise systems. It is the best choice for industries ranging from pharmaceuticals and consumer goods to molecular diagnostics and bio banking. LabVantage domain experts advise customers on best practices and maximize their ROIs by optimizing LIMS implementation with a rapid and successful deployment.
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