LIMS Customization vs. Configuration
Whether to solve LIMS design puzzles via configuration or customization is an age-old question, right behind “Which came first: The chicken or the egg?” Ok, maybe it’s not that universal, but it is one of the most asked questions within laboratory informatics. What is the difference between customization and configuration, where is the line between the two, and which approach is the correct one to use in solving your design problems?
Put generally, customization requires a developer to make changes to code whereas configuration can be done by changing settings that are native to the system—even when those setting changes are very complex. Many laboratory informatics solutions offer some level of customization and configuration, and as enterprise LIMS expand their capacity and introduce ever greater flexibility, the hard line between configuration and customization blurs.
