Seeing Matrix Gemini Configuration Tools in Action

The Matrix configuration tools set Matrix Gemini apart from other LIMS. We can’t emphasise enough the importance of this approach, because it allows the LIMS to be configured to exactly meet the needs of any laboratory without compromising the ability to support the system or upgrade it in the future. We’d like to show you just how versatile the system is in our recently updated LIMS configuration video series which demonstrates the configuration tools in action. The graphical editor provides a ‘drag and drop’ approach to provide a personalised user interface with no impact on the underlying core code. There are a few extremely important points to remember when watching the video:

• These tools are available for use by any Matrix Gemini user and we provide a comprehensive training course to teach you how to use them. So if you want to develop your own configuration or modify an existing one you can.
• These tools are exactly what our implementation team at Autoscribe use if you ask us to configure your system for you. That’s why support for all systems with a maintenance contract covers configuration changes made by you or us; everything is being done in exactly the same way.
• Every screen in the system can be modified to meet your exact needs using this graphical editor. It is a unique feature in Matrix Gemini and provides many benefits over other LIMS solutions both by making changes simple and by making the resulting solution intuitive and easy to use.
• Screens will also be auto generated if you don’t have a screen to start with – another unique feature that ensures you have a known good starting point in any new configuration work.

The video series shows the configuration of simple items in the Registration Screen such as how to change the text on a screen, saving additional information fields with each sample and using predefined pull-down lists with each sample.

Once approved and checked in all resulting screens are immediately available in both the Matrix Gemini desktop and browser-based environments. The configuration details of each screen is stored within the database itself, so it is completely separate from the underlying software. Every change to a screen is automatically audited for version control, ensuring that it is possible to revert back to any earlier version, if required. Should any additional help be required, screens can also be saved and e-mailed to Autoscribe help desks for modifications, before being returned and incorporated into the system! The core software, developed to our ISO-9001 Quality System, is rigorously tested before release and remains unchanged by any configuration changes that are made. Separating the software from the configuration in this way allows easy upgrade of the software to new versions without affecting your existing configurations and is why Autoscribe can support those configuration changes through multiple software upgrades.

The configuration of Matrix Gemini is done through the use of controls that are available for each type of screen or workflow. The controls are used to change the behavior of the system, however the controls themselves are not changed by being used. The same controls can, therefore, be used any number of times within the system to define specific screens and workflows with different configurations. This is unlike developing a system using a programming or scripting language where a change made to a function to meet one specific requirement can have huge implications throughout the rest of the system and require sifting through thousands of lines of code to identify and resolve any conflicts.

These configuration tools make it easier for us and easier for you to get the LIMS that you want and to update it as your needs evolve in the future.

The video series consists of three short videos to watch - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Enjoy the videos and, if this sparks an interest, please contact our technical team via our website for a personalized demonstration.