Build vs Buy LIMS

Build vs Buy LIMS: The Question Every Growing Lab Eventually Asks

Agrowinglaboratory often reaches apoint where its software startsslowing downthe work it was meant to support. Sample volumes increase, new tests are introduced, another collection centre opens, or clinicians expect faster access to reports. Processes that once felt manageable begin to depend on repeated data entry, spreadsheets and manual follow-up.

That is when a familiar question appears: Should we build our own laboratory software or buy an established LIMS or LIS platform?

Both approaches can work. Both can also become expensive and difficult to maintain when the lab chooses without understanding its requirements. The useful comparison is how well each option supports your workflows, what it costs over time, and who takes responsibility when something goes wrong.

Start with the work your lab needs to perform

Before comparing products or requesting a development estimate, identify where your current process breaks down. Do staff enter patient details more than once? Is it difficult to locate a sample? Do report corrections require manual coordination? Does every template change depend on a developer?

Write down the five workflows that matter most to your lab. For a diagnostic laboratory, these might include patient registration, test ordering, sample tracking, result review and report delivery. Billing, instrument connectivity and branch management may also be essential.

Describe each requirement as an observable task. "Support report corrections" is a starting point. "An authorised user can correct a released report, retain the earlier version and see the change history" is a requirement you can demonstrate and assess.

Include common exceptions as well as the normal process. A rejected sample, cancelled order, duplicate registration or interrupted instrument connection can reveal limitations that a polished demonstration misses.

LIMS and LIS: understand the workflow behind the label

A Laboratory Information Management System, or LIMS, generally focuses on samples and laboratory processes. A Laboratory Information System, or LIS, generally focuses on patient-linked clinical testing and reporting. Product boundaries vary, and the names alone do not tell you whether a system will suit your lab.

For a diagnostic laboratory, evaluate the complete journey from patient registration to report delivery. Ask how the system handles orders, sample identification, results, review, authorisation, billing and historical records. The label is useful context; the demonstrated workflow is what determines suitability.

What building your own system involves

An internal build allows your team to design software around specific requirements. It may be appropriate when important workflows are unusual, available products cannot adequately support them, and the lab has the resources to maintain a durable engineering team.

The attraction is control. Your lab can set development priorities and decide how the system evolves. However, that control comes with ongoing responsibility for testing, documentation, access controls, backups, integrations, maintenance and technical continuity.

The first working release does not complete the project. As instruments, tests and operating processes change, the software needs continued attention. Someone must investigate errors, assess requested

changes and make sure updates do not disrupt existing work.

Before choosing to build, establish who owns the code and documentation, who handles incidents, and how another developer would take over. A system that depends on one person's knowledge can become difficult to support even when the original development was successful.

What buying an established platform involves

Buying provides existing functionality and a vendor relationship for implementation, maintenance and support. It may be appropriate when a platform demonstrably supports your lab's requirements and its service terms fit your operating needs.

Buying still requires substantial preparation. Your team must map workflows, configure the system, migrate records, test integrations and train staff. A feature listed on a website is not enough to establish that it works in your implementation.

A product may be unsuitable if essential processes require repeated workarounds or costly extensions. Ask the vendor to demonstrate your scenarios and explain which functions are available today, which require configuration and which require development. Record those distinctions before committing.

Where configuration fits

Configuration is usually a capability within a purchased platform rather than a separate ownership model. Depending on the product, it may allow administrators to adjust report templates, permissions, pricing or workflow rules within supported limits.

This can make buying more practical for a lab with specific requirements. The key is understanding the boundary between an administrator's supported changes and work that requires the vendor's developers.

Ask to see a routine change performed during the demonstration. For example, have the vendor update a report template or change a user permission and explain how the change is tested.

Hosting is a separate decision. A cloud-hosted product can have limited flexibility, while an internally hosted product can offer substantial configuration. Evaluate hosting and configurability independently.

Build vs buy LIMS: compare the responsibilities
 

Compare the full cost of ownership

Alicencequote anda developmentestimate rarely include the same work. Compare both approaches over a shared planning period - such as three to five years - using the same assumptions about test volume, staffing and expansion.

For an internal build, include discovery, design, developer salaries or agency fees, infrastructure, testing, security work, documentation, instrument interfaces, maintenance and training. Include the cost of maintaining support when technical staff leave.

For a purchased platform, include subscription or licence fees, setup, migration, training, integrations, storage, additional users or branches, support tiers and configuration services. Clarify data export and exit charges as well.

Ask both parties to put inclusions and exclusions in writing. Then compare a modest-growth scenario with a faster-growth scenario. Identify which charges change as your lab adds users, processes more tests or opens another branch.

Neither approach is automatically cheaper. A low initial price can lose its appeal if an essential workflow requires ongoing manual work or additional development.

Decide who keeps the system running

Aninternal teamcontrolsits priorities but must maintaintechnical knowledge and respond to incidents. A vendor can provide support and releases, but the practical value depends on the agreement.

Clarify support hours, escalation routes and responsibility for investigating problems. Ask how restoration is handled during an outage and how updates are communicated. Your lab should understand which issues its own staff must resolve and which belong to the technical team or vendor.

Use a concrete example: if reporting stops during a busy working day, who receives the first call, what information do they need, and what happens next? This makes support arrangements easier to assess than a general promise of reliable service.

Evaluate access, audit history and recovery

Assessrole-basedaccess, account creationand removal, audit history, backups and recovery. Request evidence or demonstrations rather than relying on broad security claims.

For example, ask whether staff can view and change only the information their role requires. Check whether important changes can be traced to a user and whether earlier report versions remain accessible where required.

Clarify the division of responsibility. Even when a vendor manages the platform, the lab still needs owners for user access, training and appropriate use. Discuss recovery expectations and how recovery procedures are tested.

Test your exact integrations

"Instrument integrationavailable"doesnotestablish compatibility with your equipment. Confirm the exact instrument model, interface method, supported fields and error-handling process.

Test relevant exceptions, including duplicate messages, corrected results, connectivity interruptions and reconciliation after a connection returns. Ask who investigates a mismatch and what happens when an instrument or connected system changes.

Apply the same discipline to other connected services. A successful demonstration should show how information moves between systems and how staff identify and resolve failures.

Check what growth actually requires

Growth involves more than processing a higher number of samples. Another branch may need separate permissions, pricing, stock and reporting while sharing patient information appropriately.

Demonstrate these requirements explicitly. Can users access the right branch records? Can managers review combined information without losing branch-level detail? What additional setup or charges apply?

An internal build can support expansion when its architecture and resources are sufficient. A purchased platform can support expansion within its capabilities and agreement. Neither should be assumed to scale without assessment.

Run a workflow-based demonstration

Use synthetic patient data to test a realistic journey:

1.  Register a patient and place a test order.

2.  Create, identify and track the sample.

3.  Enter or receive results.

4.  Review a correction and inspect the change history.

5.  Authorise and deliver the report.

6.  Complete the associated billing workflow.

7.  Test common exceptions, such as a rejected sample or cancelled order.

For each step, record whether it works as demonstrated, needs supported configuration, requires development or remains unsupported. Involve the people who perform the work every day; their observations can reveal practical gaps that a feature checklist overlooks.

Ask these questions before committing

1.  Which essential workflows are supported today?

2.  What can our administrators configure themselves?

3.  Which integrations have been tested with our exact equipment?

4.  What is included in implementation, training and support?

5.  How can we access and export our data?

6.  What happens during an outage?

7.  How are updates tested and communicated?

8.  Which costs change with users, volume or branches?

Use the answers to compare workflow fit, total cost, technical capacity, support and exit options together. A long feature list cannot compensate for an unsupported essential process.

Plan migration before switching

Inventory your existing records, templates and interfaces. Map the data to the new system, test a representative migration and reconcile the results. Check that transferred records remain usable for the people who need them.

Assign owners for training and acceptance. Define the conditions for switching, whether a period of parallel operation is necessary and how you would roll back if serious problems appear. Plan historical access according to your applicable requirements.

Migration should be part of the selection conversation. Its scope, responsibilities and acceptance criteria affect whether either option can be implemented successfully.

Frequently asked questions

Is building a LIMS always cheaper than buying?

No. The answer depends on scope, staffing, infrastructure, maintenance and the period being compared. Evaluate the complete cost of ownership using consistent assumptions.

Does buying eliminate validation work?

No. The lab still needs to verify that its implementation supports its intended use and applicable requirements, including workflows, integrations and migrated records.

Does cloud hosting mean a system is configurable?

No. Hosting describes where the system runs. Configurability describes which supported changes users or administrators can make. Evaluate them separately.

Can a purchased platform support unique workflows?

Sometimes. Demonstrate each important rule and establish whether it is supported through existing functionality, configuration or additional development. Confirm the limits and ongoing support arrangements.

Make the decision against your lab's requirements

Building may be appropriate when available products cannot adequately support important requirements, ongoing development ownership has clear business value and the lab can sustain the engineering responsibility.

Buying may be appropriate when a platform demonstrably fits your workflows and its maintenance, support and data-access terms meet your needs.

Start with your five essential workflows. Evaluate both approaches against the same list, test the exceptions and compare the full costs. That process gives your lab a clearer basis for choosing software that can support its next stage of growth.

Explore Dorays LIS for your laboratory

Evaluating laboratory software? Request a Dorays LIS demonstration using your five essential workflows. Confirm supported features, integration compatibility, configuration limits, migration scope and service terms before making your decision.

Visit dorayslis.com to enquire about a demonstration.