With the rapidly evolving landscape of laboratory workflows, automation, and SaaS, basic training for new systems is often overlooked.
Most laboratory personnel have long to-do lists, high-priority experiments, and tight deadlines. It’s more straightforward to skip the comprehensive training and focus instead on speed.
We’ve witnessed this first-hand when a new LIMS is implemented in labs: Lab personnel either (1) fall back on old habits, relying on tried-and-true processes without incorporating the lab’s new LIMS or (2) focus on the single, shortest path to complete their current work with the new LIMS, using only a tiny fraction of its total capabilities, rather than explore the functions and full potential of their latest software.
Both paths lead to “business as usual” and unrealized ROI from the research, vetting, and implementation of a LIMS.
A well-executed LIMS training can help labs avoid the serious consequences of failed implementation and open users’ eyes to new and better ways of completing their work accurately and quickly.
In the following blog, we go over a few training tactics and formats that work well in many different lab environments. Each has advantages, drawbacks, and ideal timing for deployment in the LIMS training journey.
Instructor-Led LIMS Training
Instructor-led training is a great way to sit a group of users down and review a lot of information relatively quickly. An expert leading a training course can offer presentations, demos, and hands-on time with the product with supervision to answer any questions and real-time feedback, correcting any mistakes and misunderstandings. This is an excellent tool for initial LIMS training to quickly get all users up to speed on a wide variety of topics.
Format for Instructor-Led Training
Training can be instructor-led in either an on-site or remote setting. When on-site, personnel can apply the features and concepts learning immediately and collaborate with their peers to learn how to use a LIMS.
In a remote learning environment, lab personnel can access training from anywhere, making it accessible to those with different schedules and working from different locations.
Pros of Instructor-Led Training
- Interactive and personalized learning environment: Participants get immediate feedback and receive personalized guidance for their specific challenges.
- Hands-on learning: LIMS users can go through live demonstrations and “real-life” laboratory exercises, sometimes in the same environment where they’ll be using the software.
- Structured and scheduled: Instruction can be scheduled to fit into all participant’s schedules so they can plan other priority work around the training.
- Team building: Users can learn from each other, fostering teamwork and knowledge sharing. It also allows users to identify skilled users that they can use as resources for troubleshooting in the future.
- Flexible format: Can be done on-site and in-person or remotely.
Cons of Instructor-Led Training
- Time and cost: Instructor-led training relies on external resources and takes personnel time away from other priority work
- Dependent on quality of instruction: The effectiveness of the instructor has a direct impact on the quality of the training.
- Information overload: Being presented with all the information and features related to a new LIMS may overwhelm some users.
- Scheduling difficulties: Depending on the company’s size, finding a time that works for all users may be difficult.
E-Learning-Based LIMS Training
E-learning is an online training option that allows individuals to learn about specific topics or take entire courses independently and on demand. This is a great training approach for new users learning the basics or experienced users looking to freshen up on a specific feature or focus on new functionality. Well-planned e-learning modules also provide content in different formats to suit users’ various learning styles and have ways of testing knowledge that reinforce learning. This training tactic can be deployed at any stage in the training journey.
Pros of e-Learning
- Convenient training format: Users can train on their schedule and at their own pace, making it easier to balance it with other high-priority tasks. This also makes e-learning amenable to continued training as new LIMS features are rolled out.
- Scalable and cost-effective: E-learning circumvents many of the costs associated with instructor-led training and can be easily accessed by large and dispersed teams.
- Customized for learning styles: E-learning can be done in various content formats, from written articles to videos.
- Track team progress: E-learning platforms can test personnel knowledge pre- and post-training, allowing managers to track organization-wide progress and identify users who need additional training.
Cons of e-Learning
- Self-directed: Users may struggle to find the time and complete the training without direct oversight or deadlines.
- Fixed content: Once an e-learning module is available, the content is set. Any questions that arise are hard to address in real-time unless explicitly discussed in the module.
- May not fit all learning styles: Some users may not be able to absorb the content as well on their own or without instruction.
LIMS self-learning with product documentation
LIMS product documentation provides in-depth information for all of the functionalities of a given LIMS platform. These are typically static documents (though regular updates may occur) that can be accessed on the LIMS website or printed for reading. Using this content for self-learning is helpful as a day-to-day reference for troubleshooting and investigating functionalities you’ve never used before.
Pros of self-learning with product documentation
- Convenient training format: Users can access and read product documentation on their schedule and at their own pace, making it easier to balance training with other high-priority tasks.
- Cost-effective: No e-learning modules or instructors are required for this training solution.
- In-depth product information: Product documentation is a comprehensive encyclopedia of LIMS functionality.
Cons of self-learning with product documentation
- Very little interactivity: Product documentation is static, written content with no hands-on or interactive training options, limiting user engagement.
- Challenging learning environment: For beginning users, product documentation is dense and written for a technical audience, making it difficult to absorb. The content is also fixed, so product documentation may not reflect new features and updates.
- Self-directed: Users may struggle to self-motivate or carve out time to read the documentation.
Putting it All Together and Fostering Continued Learning
Why should you care about these different training tactics?
Training is not a “one-and-done” type of activity. Laboratories are constantly changing, and a LIMS feature that wasn’t relevant last year might become relevant to your personnel in the near future.
The above three strategies all have their place in getting the entire team onboarded, supporting their continued learning about the LIMS, and staying up to date on new features. Each training strategy can be implemented depending on the objective: If your team needs a refresher on specific LIMS functions or a specialized session tailored to your team’s specific needs, either an instructor-led, eLearning-based, or self-learning strategy can be deployed. To stay on top of these changes, lab personnel will have to continually adapt and learn to make the most of the tools they have available. LIMS training is central to getting new information (or just remembering those things you’ve forgotten) to the right people when they need it.
Contact us today to see how LabVantage can support your LIMS onboarding process and continued education.