Lab Quality
Harford’s Lab Quality solution is Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) designed specifically for manufacturers. Automate laboratory workflows, streamline sample management and connect laboratory testing directly with production, batch records and manufacturing execution systems (MES) to improve quality, compliance and operational efficiency.
Still Managing Lab Data Manually? Go Digital and Improve Quality & Speed with Harford LIMS
Still relying on paper logs or spreadsheets to manage lab testing? That’s not just slow—it’s a compliance risk. In many food, drink, pharma, and chemical factories, lab data lives in silos, disconnected from production. Without real-time alerts or batch context, teams are left chasing results and reacting too late when issues arise.
Harford Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) integrates lab results directly with batch, line, and yield performance. Results are captured in real time, automatically validated, and instantly available to inform production decisions.
Improve Laboratory Quality with an Integrated Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)
Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is designed to manage laboratory operations by tracking samples, automating workflows and centralising data. For manufacturers, relying on paper records or disconnected spreadsheets often creates data silos, transcription errors and slow quality control processes that delay product releases.
Harford’s Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) addresses these challenges by replacing paper based laboratory processes with digital workflows and real time data capture. The solution delivers robust inspection, track and trace capabilities, automated sampling, Lab MC control and taste panel management.
By integrating laboratory testing directly with production lines, Harford provides seamless visibility from raw ingredients to finished goods, automatically flagging out-of-specification results before products leave the factory floor.
Connect Laboratory Testing with Production
A key differentiator of Harford LIMS is its ability to connect laboratory testing directly with real-time production operations. By functioning as a unified Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and LIMS platform, Harford creates a single source of truth across the factory, linking laboratory data directly to raw materials at goods-in, batch records, recipes and the exact operators on the line. This interconnected architecture provides comprehensive manufacturing visibility and seamless track-and-trace reporting from the consumption of raw ingredients through to final dispatch.
Automate Laboratory Sample Management (Laboratory Worksheet)
For specialised processes like microtesting, the system guides operators through drawing the sample, connecting it to specific batch records, preparing petri dishes and generating unique labels for identification before incubation. Harford tracks these incubation periods in the background, automatically populating an interactive worksheet when samples are due, such as flagging micro tests a few days later, so technicians know precisely which items must be removed and analysed.
From qualitative assessments such as taste testing and sensory checks to quantitative measurements, results are entered directly into the digital worksheet, creating a tamper-proof audit trail that accelerates sample approvals and guarantees compliance without manual paperwork.
Integrate Laboratory Equipment and Eliminate Manual Data Entry
Harford LIMS achieves a level of data integrity that paper-based methods simply cannot match by directly connecting with the laboratory to enable automatic data capture. By establishing seamless instrument integration with scales, spectrometers, pH meters and other analytical tools, the system automatically pulls test results directly into digital laboratory records the moment a measurement is taken. This instant transfer eliminates human transcription errors.
By removing the need for technicians to manually write down numbers and re-key them into spreadsheets, Harford significantly reduces processing times, accelerates product release cycles, and ensures an unalterable, compliant audit trail that ensures complete confidence in your quality data.
Support Compliance with Accurate Laboratory Records
By replacing easily lost paper logs with secure electronic laboratory records, the platform ensures that every test result, calibration and sample approval is captured permanently and cannot be altered or deleted. Every user action automatically generates a comprehensive, time-stamped audit trail, proving exactly who performed a test, when it was completed and what the raw data revealed.
This total visibility ensures effortless compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and strict industry quality standards, transforming audit preparation from a stressful, multi-day paper chase into a simple, click-of-a-button demonstration of complete traceability.
Analyse Laboratory Data to Improve Manufacturing Performance
Harford LIMS transforms isolated test results into actionable operational insight by aggregating chemical, microbiological and machine performance data into real-time dashboards and KPI reporting tools. The system conducts continuous specification monitoring and trend analysis to support data driven decision-making across the plant.
For chemical profiles, this means tracking parameters such as pH balance or alcohol percentage from batch to batch to identify spot subtle drifts before they breach acceptable limits. For microbiological testing, it logs bug growth across various incubation cycles (e.g., 3, 5, 21 or other numbers of days), mapping trends back to specific sanitation routines on the factory floor.
By cross-referencing test outcomes against machine standards to validate instrument calibration, Harford ensures analytical accuracy while supporting continuous improvement initiatives that optimise raw material yields, reduce waste and improve manufacturing performance.
Integrated Laboratory Quality Across Your Manufacturing Operation
Rather than functioning as standalone software, Harford LIMS operates as a core component of a single integrated Manufacturing Execution System (MES), breaking down the barriers between the laboratory and the shop floor. This unified approach connects laboratory data with broader Manufacturing Quality Control initiatives, feeding real-time results directly into Statistical Process Control (SPC) charts to prevent process drift on the line. Synchronised with Paperless Quality modules, manual checklists are replaced by automated workflows that tie sample results straight to operational events.
By integrating LIMS into your overarching Process Quality and Product Traceability frameworks ensures that from raw material to dispatch, compliance data is watertight, operators are aligned, and the factory operates with total manufacturing visibility.
Materials Compliance
Ensure correct usage for regulatory compliance.
Bulk Material Evaluation & Tracking
Track and trace approved materials throughout the production process.
Automated Sampling & Labelling
Notify lab team, print sample labels for compliance and risk reduction.
Lab Equipment Integration
Automatically link peripheral equipment to mitigate risks.
Non-Compliant Product Monitoring
Track and take action on non-compliant products.
Why Choose Harford Lab Quality?
Manufacturers choose Harford Lab Quality over standalone LIMS providers because we do not just manage laboratories. We optimise the entire manufacturing operation.
Backed by over 60 years of hands-on manufacturing experience and expertise, Harford replaces disconnected, single-purpose software with a fully integrated platform that bridges the gap between laboratory operations, shop-floor production, quality control, and end-to-end traceability. While traditional LIMS solutions leave quality data isolated in a boardroom report or a siloed database, Harford transforms laboratory testing into a live, operational tool.
Transform Your Laboratory Quality Processes
Harford Lab Quality helps manufacturers improve laboratory efficiency by connecting laboratory testing directly with production through an integrated Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Gain greater visibility, improve compliance and make faster, more informed decisions across your manufacturing operation.
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FAQs
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What is a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)?
Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) helps manufacturers manage laboratory workflows, sample testing, data capture and reporting within a single digital platform. Harford’s Lab Quality solution integrates laboratory operations directly with production and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), improving efficiency, data accuracy and compliance.
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What are the benefits of a Laboratory Information Management System for manufacturers?
LIMS helps manufacturers automate laboratory processes, reduce manual data entry, improve data accuracy, strengthen compliance, increase traceability and provide faster access to laboratory results that support production decisions.
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How does Harford's Laboratory Information Management System integrate with production?
Unlike standalone laboratory software, Harford’s Lab Quality solution connects laboratory testing directly with production, batch records and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), providing real time visibility across manufacturing operations.
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Can Harford's LIMS integrate with laboratory equipment?
Yes. Harford’s Laboratory Information Management System can integrate with compatible laboratory equipment to automatically capture test results, reducing manual data entry, improving data integrity and minimising the risk of operator error.
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How does Harford's Laboratory Information Management System support regulatory compliance?
Harford’s Lab Quality solution provides electronic laboratory records, complete audit trails and secure data management to help manufacturers meet regulatory requirements and maintain high quality standards across production.
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Which industries benefit from Harford's Laboratory Information Management System?
Harford’s LIMS is designed for manufacturers operating in highly regulated industries, including food and beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, chemical and household goods, where laboratory quality, compliance and traceability are critical.
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Why choose Harford's Laboratory Information Management System instead of a standalone LIMS?
Harford’s Lab Quality solution forms part of a fully integrated Manufacturing Execution System (MES), connecting laboratory operations with production, paperless quality, product traceability and wider manufacturing processes within a single platform.
Get in touch
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Telephone
+44 (0) 1225 764461Address
35 Harford Street
Trowbridge, Wiltshire
BA14 7HL
Harford Control Ltd is a company registered in England with Company Number 1207483. VAT No. GB 140 2121 39.