An Interview with Promium CEO Scot Cocanour

Q: What sets Promium™ apart from other LIMS providers?
A:There are really two things. The first is our team. Most of us are chemists and have worked in laboratories just like our customer’s labs. This gives us very unique insights into the nuts and bolts of what people in the lab really need. The second thing is a product that is a unified solution. The Element DataSystem® LIMS includes all the core functionality in one system. Other LIMS providers break functionality up into modules and then charge separately so that many labs have to buy additional modules after the initial purchase in order to have a fully operational system.
 
Q: Not only are you a chemist, but you’re also a former lab owner. How does that experience effect the way you interact with your customers?
A:It is very helpful in terms of keeping the company grounded and customer-centric. I truly still see the world through the eyes of a lab owner—with a first-hand understanding of the economic pressures and the operational opportunities. I put a lot of emphasis and making sure our solutions add value—especially in the areas of improving productivity, quality, and access to information.
 
Q: Who is a typical Promium LIMS customer?
A:We sell to labs of any size, both commercial "production-oriented" and public entities, but we do focus on labs that primarily test soil, water and wastewater, and air—what we think of as "production-oriented" labs.
 
Q: You call Element DataSystem LIMS a "configurable, off-the-shelf" solution. Why is that better than a custom or internally developed solution?
A:First and foremost, there is a significant cost advantage to be being "configurable." With a configurable system it is simply quicker and easier to make changes. Instead of hard-coding things, we give users and administrators choices and flexibility. Plus, we’re able to spread the cost of development across a large customer base. A custom or internally-developed system is a one-off solution that you will keep paying for with unique upgrades and specialized support. Many times, the cost of purchasing our Element DataSystem is actually less than the annual maintenance on some of these other systems. We have the advantage of getting feedback from many, many labs that are essentially using the same core system. That means that we can leverage their collective experience to continually improve our solution.
 
Q: The Internet continues to play a transformative role in the LIMS industry. What do you think the implications are of that trend?
A:We see the growth of a hybrid model—where you have desktop and Internet software co-existing. This is frequently called “software plus services.” For example, a lot of our customers use their LIMS to do a great deal of computational work with large amounts of data. This is usually best managed with the power available on the desktop. Other tasks like giving lab clients access to their project status can be done conveniently and efficiently using web-based functionality. In our case, we do also offer a full “software as a service” (SaaS) option for our solution whereby we host the application and labs subscribe on a monthly basis.
 
Q: How are changes in the regulatory arena influencing the use of LIMS?
A:We’ve always felt that facilitating regulatory compliance was one of the core responsibilities of a LIMS. In fact, seven out of ten EPA labs have selected Element DataSystem so we’re pretty familiar with a dynamic regulatory environment. We definitely see more States requiring programs like NELAC certification and we see an increase in Federal regulation and enforcement. The result is that any lab that wants to be truly competitive has to have what we would think of as a “modern” LIMS. Legacy systems and home-grown systems that are held together with duct tape and chewing gum have outlived their usefulness.
 
Q: What do you think about the current environment for analytical testing laboratories?
A:Like a lot of businesses, testing labs have had a tough time navigating some very difficult economic conditions—testing demand is uneven in some areas and there is relentless price pressure. On the other hand, we’ve seen quite a few labs make the investment in a new LIMS in order to improve productivity and competitiveness. Those labs get the obvious short-term operational benefits—that help pay for the system—but with a more efficient infrastructure they are also better positioned to take advantage of market changes.
 
Q: Are you optimistic about the future?
A:Absolutely. Particularly for environmental and food testing labs. Federal, State and Municipal agencies are taking a hard look at new regulations and more effective enforcement, businesses and the general public are becoming more “green,” and consumers are demanding more testing of food, water, and air. All this will lead to an increase in business for testing laboratories.