Being Assessment Ready: Leveraging LIMS as an Audit Assistant

Presentation Description: Preparing for an assessment is a significant responsibility for municipal and environmental laboratories, often requiring staff to divert time from analytical work to compile records, verify documentation, and trace gaps in compliance. This presentation will examine how a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) can assist in maintaining ELAP readiness by helping ensure regulatory requirements are embedded into daily operations. We will explore common assessment challenges such as incomplete chain-of-custody, documentation, instrument calibration and maintenance logs, inventory management, and inconsistencies in QC records. The discussion will highlight how a lab can utilize LIMS to assist in compliance, enforce data integrity, and generate reports for the purposes of traceability. Using a LIMS can shift a laboratory’s approach to audits. Instead of stressful last minute preparation, labs can leverage the LIMS to allow for continuous assessment readiness while simultaneously enhancing operational efficiency and data reliability.