To make sample workflows more efficient, map how samples actually move through your lab, make identity and custody visible at every handoff, assign clear responsibility for exceptions, and measure delays and rework before and after changing the process. A LIMS, barcodes, and instrument integrations can help when they support that defined workflow; none guarantees faster work on its own.
What sample management means in a LIMS
Sample management covers a sample’s lifecycle from collection or receipt through identification, handling, storage, testing, transfer, and final disposition. A LIMS (laboratory information management system) can record intake, custody, processing steps, activity milestones, and location, making it easier to reconstruct what happened and see where work is waiting. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) describes these functions in its DNA-laboratory guidance; the operational principles can inform other settings, but its recommendations are specific to forensic DNA laboratories (NIJ best practices).
Efficiency is not simply fewer clicks or faster processing at one station. A change that speeds accessioning but creates a storage queue, missing metadata, or extra reconciliation may just move the bottleneck. The goal is a traceable process with fewer avoidable waits, errors, and repeated tasks.
Map the workflow before changing it
Document the real path of samples and the actual handoffs between people, systems, instruments, and storage areas. Include the exceptions staff routinely handle; an idealized diagram can conceal the work that consumes time.
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- List lifecycle stages. Start with collection or receipt, then include accessioning, preparation or aliquoting, testing, storage, transfers, and disposal where applicable.
- Mark each handoff. Record who receives or releases the sample, what information or checks are required, and where the next action takes place.
- Identify waits and repeats. Note queues, manual re-entry, unclear ownership, missing information, relabeling, and rework. Distinguish occasional exceptions from recurring process problems.
- Define the record at each stage. Specify which event, status, location, and operator details must be captured for the lab to reconstruct identity, custody, and process history.
NIJ recommends a detailed process map to define LIMS needs and to consider infrastructure, barcoding, integrations, instruments, consumables, quality controls, legacy data, and backups as part of implementation planning.
Make identity, custody, and location traceable
Use a unique identifier that remains associated with the sample throughout the workflow. When a sample is split into aliquots or produces derivatives, record the relationship to the parent so staff can trace lineage rather than treating each container as unrelated.
Choose required record fields based on what the lab needs to verify and reconstruct. Common operational fields include the identifier, event time, responsible operator, location, status, and a reason for a transfer or exception where relevant. Define these requirements for each handoff rather than collecting data that no one uses.
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Storage is part of traceability, not a separate inventory task. Record the location and applicable storage conditions; for workflows where temperature control matters, establish how monitoring, alerts, and responses are documented. The Global Bioanalysis Consortium’s recommendations for regulated bioanalysis address chain-of-custody continuity from collection through disposal, as well as traceable storage conditions and disposal documentation (Global Bioanalysis Consortium recommendations). Apply these recommendations in the context of the lab’s procedures and obligations.
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Use barcodes and automation where they fit
Barcodes can reduce reliance on manual transcription and help connect a physical container to its authoritative LIMS record. They are most useful when identifiers, scanning points, and exception handling are built into the workflow—not when labels are added without changing unclear handoffs.
- Test label adhesion and readability on the actual container, including under the lab’s storage temperatures and chemical exposure.
- Confirm scanner compatibility and define when labels are printed, scanned, replaced, or handled as unreadable.
- Ensure scans update or verify the authoritative sample record rather than creating a disconnected label inventory.
- For automated transfers or instrument interfaces, determine what data moves, how failures are surfaced, and how staff reconcile incomplete or duplicate transactions.
NIJ notes that barcoding systems may be LIMS peripherals and that their impact depends on the product and how functions and peripheral systems are incorporated. Illumina identifies automation and integrations as LIMS selection considerations for genomics workflows, while Agilent describes instrument transfers as a capability of its SLIMS product. Those vendor descriptions are not independent evidence of performance gains.
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Assign ownership for queues and exceptions
A visible task status is useful only if someone is responsible for acting on it. Assign ownership for intake checks, exception review, storage moves, and final disposition so that incomplete work does not sit in an unowned queue. Roles and escalation paths should reflect the lab’s staffing and quality system.
Define what happens when a sample arrives with missing information, a scan fails, a location is unavailable, or an instrument transfer does not reconcile. A short, documented route for resolving exceptions is often more useful than a generic instruction to contact an administrator. Review recurring exceptions to determine whether the cause is process design, training, system configuration, or an upstream handoff.
Measure whether a change improves the whole workflow
Establish a baseline before changing the process. Track timestamps at meaningful milestones and choose measures that illuminate the lab’s actual problem, such as processing time between stages, backlog, throughput, rework, and exception frequency. Define the period and denominator consistently so comparisons are meaningful.
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After a change, compare results with that baseline and check whether delays moved elsewhere. NIJ recommends reviewing LIMS metrics to guide resource decisions, monitor milestone processing times, identify bottlenecks, and assess whether mitigation plans worked. It does not establish a universal time-saving percentage for laboratories, so use local results rather than assuming a published gain applies to your workflow.
When a recurring failure points to a process or training issue, make a targeted adjustment and review the outcome. Apply change control appropriate to the lab’s quality system, especially where records, validated processes, or regulated work are affected.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose a LIMS against operational requirements
Start with documented requirements rather than a feature checklist. Describe the sample types and lifecycle stages the system must support, the identifiers and lineage relationships it must preserve, the storage hierarchy, the interfaces staff need, user roles, audit and reporting needs, and expected throughput. For regulated work, have the lab’s quality and compliance leads determine which obligations apply; there is no universal compliance specification established for every lab.
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Compare candidate systems or process designs against the same criteria:
- Lifecycle coverage: Can the system represent the lab’s actual stages, handoffs, and exception paths?
- Traceability: Can it preserve sample identity, custody, location, and aliquot or derivative lineage?
- Connections: Does it support the barcode, instrument, and other system interfaces the workflow requires?
- Adaptability: Can authorized staff configure changes as protocols and processes evolve?
- Controls and records: Does its auditability and access control fit the lab’s needs?
- Operational fit: Are reporting, training, implementation, maintenance, and IT support adequate?
NIJ recommends considering user-acceptance testing, projected customization needs and costs, training, implementation, future growth, maintenance, and IT support, as well as involving a cross-functional planning group. For NGS workflows, Illumina’s vendor guidance additionally lists sample tracking, automation, integrations, configurability, audit trails and electronic signatures where required, scalability, and role-appropriate interfaces. Treat these as considerations to evaluate—not as a neutral comparison or proof that a product will produce a particular outcome.
For example, Agilent describes SLIMS as offering sample and workflow management, barcode design, sample lineage, audit trails, instrument integration, and workflow visibility (Agilent SLIMS). These are vendor-stated features, not an independent evaluation or measured evidence of savings. Evaluate any product against your documented requirements, implementation plan, and acceptance tests.
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