A Realistic Timeline and Cost Breakdown for Implementing Bika LIMS

The process typically involves two main variable cost components:

• Installation and Configuration
• User Training and Onboarding

A third component, Customisation, will apply only if required

Gap Analysis

Establishing the lab's requirements and scoping the project

Installation

Both a Production and a Test LIMS environment are installed. The Test environment is used for training, configuration testing, and acceptance

As a cloud solution:

• A branded Test LIMS can be made available within 30 minutes
• The Production LIMS, installed on its own server stack, typically takes 2 to 3 days including testing
• On-site installations generally follow a similar timeline but often require a week due to the additional time needed to understand and integrate with the client’s existing environment

Installation Costs:

• Cloud installation usually costs a few hundred dollars
• Monthly hosting fees are also in the low hundreds of dollars
• On-site installations typically cost closer to $5,000

Customisations (if required)

Custom development can be expensive because it requires highly skilled developers. You need strong Python and Plone skills to take on new features yourself. COA modifications and new instrument interfaces are easier entry points

Each customisation is analysed with the lab’s superusers, towards a detailed functional specification for the lab’s approval. Once approved, the scope is used to provide an accurate cost and timeline estimate, that vary significantly depending on the complexity and volume of work. For larger customisation projects, favourable rates can be negotiated

Most popular customisations are Instrument Interfaces, Unidirectional approximately $3,000, Bidirectional approximately $5,000. Depending on complexity. They take one to two weeks including testing with the help of the lab

Maybe an interface for your instruments or middleware already exists, they are free

Configuration

Strong assistance from the lab will keep this task short and affordable. Tabled setup data, like Analysis Services, Specifications, Client lists etc. makes it easy to capture in Bika Import format

Populating the sheets is tricky as data integrity needs to be maintained - missing reference values see the importer fail with cryptic messages that can be difficult to decipher if you want to do this step yourself

After the Test LIMS’ configuration was imported, it can be refined in the UI by users themselves as they pick up the ropes

Time and costs, thus vary depending on the complexity and quality of the setup data, 25 hours by a specialist for a small wine lab, 120 for a big food and beverages configuration where there are hundreds of products/sample types, each with its own food safety specification. Medium sized labs normally need 60 - 80 hours, spread over 3 - 4 weeks

At Bika we estimate the numbers after an early inspection of the data, and budget accordingly, say 70 hours - if only 60 was used, the credit is brought into account. Ditto, if we run out the lab buys more. It works in favour of labs who respond diligently on data requests and questions

Training

In the form of 90 minute screen sharing sessions on the Test LIMS that are recorded for future use, LIMS administration for lab managers, using Bika for everybody. Using the lab’s own configuration and workflow.

It is expensive because of the preparation they take. Two sessions are normally enough as superuser will pick up a lot during the configuration and analysis phases

Startup Assistance

After the first training session users are encouraged to practise and experiment on the Test LIMS, post questions in the user group that includes Bika trainers, who reply to questions. A second training session is scheduled depending on progress. Sometimes tutorials using the lab’s own data are put together and shared out

At the same time, the lab will very likely find places where the configuration can be improved and they do so via the UI, assisted if needed

An acceptance notice by the lab, to indicate the system functions to specification, marks the end of this phase.

Ten to fifteen user labs, use about 40 hours of startup assistance. All budgeted hours not used are rolled over into post implementation support

Go Live

When the lab is ready, Go Live is scheduled. The Test LIMS configuration is exported, and imported on the Production instance.

Final manual configuration tasks are performed, a smoke test of the full workflow too. When it passes, user password reset requests are mailed from the LIMS to everybody. If all goes well, one day

The Test LIMS stays in place for onboarding new users, and others to uninhibitedly experiment and e-learn without disrupting Production

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The hours estimated are for actual pro hours applied, on the calendar it takes longer. Sure, if the lab superusers have lots of time and there are no customisations, a cloud based implementation can be completed in six weeks, but realistically, for a full implementation with users well trained and confident, three months is a good target date

Cost thus depends on the required hours and the extent to which a hybrid approach is followed - where the lab takes as much of the tasks one themselves is, followed. Savings can be had using online content. See the Hybrid approach - how to navigate Open Source projects most affordably

For $7500 a small lab can make a good professional start, $12500 is a good target for medium size labs. Cost of Customisation to be added.