The Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) module in Batch 1 of the BIS Manakonline Platform is one of the highest-priority implementations — digitizing operations across all 10 BIS laboratories and the broader network of recognized external labs.
Laboratory operations — testing, sample management, equipment calibration, result recording — are central to BIS's core function of certification. Getting LIMS right from the start enables all subsequent certification modules to reference reliable, digital laboratory data.
Every sample submitted to a BIS laboratory is registered digitally — company name, product description, applicable standard, sample condition at receipt. Chain of custody is maintained throughout — who handled the sample, where it was stored, when each test was conducted.
Test officers are assigned to specific tests based on their expertise and equipment availability. The LIMS schedules tests to maximize laboratory throughput — ensuring expensive test equipment is fully utilized and testing bottlenecks are identified and managed.
Test equipment must be calibrated regularly to maintain measurement accuracy. The LIMS tracks calibration due dates for every instrument, generates calibration alerts, and locks out instruments that have exceeded their calibration interval from being used for certified testing.
Test results are recorded directly in LIMS — no paper worksheets that require later transcription. This eliminates transcription errors and provides an immutable digital audit trail of all test measurements.
Test reports are generated from the LIMS database — standardized format, consistent layout, digital signature of the authorized officer. Reports link directly to the sample registration and all test measurements.
The LIMS extends to BIS-recognized external laboratories — they can submit test results digitally, and BIS can track the quality metrics of each recognized lab. Recognition decisions are informed by objective performance data.
For manufacturers submitting samples to BIS labs: digital sample registration, online status tracking, and digital report delivery — the same improvements that manufacturers experience with commercial testing laboratories. House of Testing uses a modern LIMS internally — the BIS LIMS will eventually align BIS labs to similar standards of digital service.