Integrating LIMS with MS Windows programs

PCs with MS-Office products (WORD, EXCEL) are commonly available at every workplace in analytical laboratories. These programs are used for data processing (EXCEL) and reporting (WORD). If a LIMS is available to store information the question often arises, if and how these WINDOWS programs can be integrated into a LIMS environment. The advantages are obvious: (a) the user can still employ his everyday programs; (b) a spreadsheet is often more appropriate for data input and processing than a LIMS; (c) automatic insertion of LIMS data into a Word document can simplify reporting considerably. Nevertheless, few points must be considered: (a) fast direct data access is necessary; (b) data validity must be guaranteed; (c) data are usually not transferred directly into the database but are presented to the LIMS as a file, which has to pass through a checking procedure; (d) GLP validation of all components (LIMS as well as EXCEL) is required. Our solutions. We employ SQL∗LIMS from PE installed on an Alpha Vax under OpenVMS. For data input and reporting we developed several EXCEL spreadsheets. To extract data from the LIMS database we used the ODBC mechanism based on ORACLE SQL∗NET 2. The ODBC connection is integrated into a visual-basic module of the EXCEL sheet. To ensure data validity we use the ‘LIST of Values’ method. A necessary prerequisite is a download from LIMS of a set of allowed values. Since with analytical data a check against a set of allowed values is often not possible, the amount of values necessary for checks is limited. Plausibility checks can well be performed within an EXCEL spreadsheet. To transfer data to LIMS we employ two mechanisms. A third (stored procedures) is being tested: (a) an NFS connection between a NOVELL-Netware Server and the LIMS—VAX; (b) ORACLE tables on the VAX, into which the data are loaded and then automatically spooled into the respective files. The NFS-connection between the Novell Server (Netware 4.1) and the VAX avoids the necessity for special drivers on the PC. This connection maps a VAX directory onto the PC.