In the lead up to ACannabis and AMCC 2020 conferences in March we are releasing a series of blog posts on how your organisation can implement laboratory informatics that can streamline your quality assurance processes right from cultivation to testing and finally manufacturing the medicinal cannabis product.
The first part of this series will focus on how QLIMS, Laboratory Information Management System, can help manage your cultivation facility and processes, with a focus on data management, quality, inventory and training management.
QLIMS and Cultivation
This is especially relevant for groups who are in the process of setting up or have already completed the set up of their cultivation facilities and are looking to implement a system to manage their plant yields, harvests and record each stage of the cultivation process
How can QLIMS help you?
Managing plant material and stages of cultivation:
- Generate unique ID’s for end-to-end trace ability of plant samples, batches and harvests
Segregate the different stages of cultivation by allocating a sample type to the batches associated with each stage
Split plant samples into clones with trace ability back to the mother plant
Track storage and disposal of plant materials
Record wet, dry, trim and cure yields for harvests
Set up automated calculations (Eg: Calculating moisture loss)
Maintaining product quality and consistency:
- Ensure only trained staff are performing any methods/techniques
Track equipment maintenance and efficiency
Document SOP’s to ensure staff follow repeatable processes
Record all metadata (pH levels, temperature, humidity, water nutrients) at each stage of the process
21 CFR Part 11 compliance
Manage stability studies
Managing cost and staying competitive in the market:
- Track the current quantity and cost of raw materials, reagents and consumables
Use a Business Intelligence suite to track the cost of nutrients and materials used for growing plants
Create interactive charts to track batch/plant/strain yields to determine which is the most profitable
Track turnaround times by task or staff
These are just a few areas where a robust LIMS can improve your cultivation and business practices. By being modular, tracking the subsidiary and allowing for integration to any other systems involved in a medicinal cannabis facility, a professional LIMS such as QLIMS acts as an extension to your staff’s scientific skills and forms a critical part of the supply chain.
Stay tuned for our next post in the series discussing how a LIMS assists with extraction and analytical testing!
