Case Study

The client

WearCheck USA
WearCheck Canada Inc.

The business

Commercial Used Oil Analysis Laboratory

Server Technology used

Windows NT 4.0 Server
SQL Server 6.5
IIS 3.0
Active Server Pages
HTML 4.0
ActiveX
  ChartFX
  EasyMail
  ActiveFile
CSS

Client Technology used

Windows 95, 98, NT Workstation
MS IE 4.0, 5.0
HTML 4.0
ActiveX
CSS

by Bill Quesnel

A Web-Centric Laboratory Information Management System

Business Needs and Objectives

WearCheck Canada, Inc. (WCA) had a Windows based Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) that was did not meet their business needs and was difficult to modify. As a member of WearCheck International and with a list of globally partnered laboratories, WCA wanted as LIMS that would allow the interfacing of two or more sister laboratories.

After recently undergoing a joint-venture project with CompuChem, a large Environmental Laboratory based in the United States, WCA required the ability to implement the same LIMS at the JV's remote site and be able to both operate the laboratory, and diagnose sample results at CompuChem from the WCA laboratory in Canada.

Solution Description

WCA determined that they required a Web-centric LIMS that replaced all the functionality of the Windows-based LIMS they were currently using. In addition, WCA did not want to undergo a painful turn-key startup process on the new LIMS, and therefore would prefer to replace the older LIMS module by module.

The resulting application produced by CINRG System Inc., WebCheck LIMS, took advantage of ODBC, and was able be developed one module at a time, to gradually replace the aging LIMS. The new LIMS was operated through a client Web browser with no additional sofware or plug-ins required. The new modules interfaced with the existing LIMS database, allowing for the simultaneous usage of both LIMS and the gradual phasing out of the the older LIMS.

Advantages and Benefits

The implementation of WebCheck LIMS allowed the joint-venture project between WCA and CompuChem (WearCheck USA) to work without the need for dividing staff between the two sites. Fully trained personnel from WCA were able to perform training, laboratory functions, and sample analysis all remotely.

WebCheck LIMS is now operating successfully in both laboratories, and has allowed WCA to return to same day sample processing, an impossibility with their older and slower Windows based LIMS. The new LIMS is easily modified and functionality grows on an almost daily basis.