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A New Approach to Error Reduction in the Acquisition and Delivery of Analytical Laboratory Data

This article describes a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), named “ACCOMPLIS,” that was designed and developed by Imperial Chemical Industries PLC (ICI), one of the world's largest and most diversified chemical companies. ICI initiated development of its own system only after conducting a detailed study into the economic benefits of applying LIMS technology to the company's business and concluding that commercially available LIMS products would not deliver the major benefits that had been identified. With particular reference to the pharmaceuticals industry, this article describes how the system's design was specifically targeted at the main economic benefits to be derived from application of this technology. The primary design goals were to produce a system that would contribute strongly to the reduction of error in the generation, interpretation, and communication of analytical information. Furthermore, the system was designed to be responsive, reliable, flexible, and easy to use as well as aiding conformity to regulatory standards for laboratory data management. The system devised to achieve these objectives employs a star network of DEC, VAX, and/or microVAX computers and makes extensive use of bar code technology. An account is given of how the design criteria are reflected in the hardware architecture and in the approach taken and structure adopted for the computer software. An overview is given of the functionality and operation of ACCOMPLIS and of the approach taken towards validation of the system software.