Information technology increasingly offers the possibility of a fully integrated, data, information and knowledge management environment to support the business and scientific objectives of our organizations.  But our legacy of application-centric approaches, the lack of good data standards, the constraints of business, legal and regulatory compliance, and the difficulties associated with managing change, all challenge our capability to move to a new paradigm.

The workshop format will be structured around facilitated sessions addressing the following topics:

  Understanding integration requirements and their business drivers

  Where do informatics systems fit, and what are their limitations?

  The challenges facing laboratory systems’ integration

  Emerging technologies and their integration potential

The workshop is designed to provide an excellent forum to enable participants to share experiences, concerns, opportunities and best practices capable of addressing concerns about laboratory integration. It also presents a unique opportunity for new or younger laboratory staff to understand the issues facing laboratory systems' integration and approaches for addressing them.

• The Laboratory Landscape
     An overview of the challenges facing laboratory integration

• Data Formats
     An overview of data interchange issues and a report of progress with AnIML

• Integration Strategies
      Strategic approaches to laboratory integration: faced with a complexity of legacy     issues, are there ways in which integration can be tackled?

• Data Preservation/Records Management
      Switching to electronic records creates a new challenge in managing and preserving     information over the long term. This session will identify strategies for meeting the     requirements for IP, Legal/Patents and Regulatory Compliance of electronic records.

• Emerging Technologies and Devices
      Will emerging technologies offer better potential to resolve laboratory integration     issues?