Optima PLC Tracking Tools S.L.

Optima is a web-based Laboratory Resource Management Solution (LRMS®) designed to help laboratories plan and track their activities, coordinate resources, and generate reports to smartly forecast projects. Developed and marketed by NL42 Consulting — founded by Roberto Castelnovo and Isabel Muñoz-Willery Ph.D, independent consultants with more than 40 years of combined experience in lab informatics — Optima serves both internal and external laboratory customers seeking to optimize their scheduling, resource utilization, and operational efficiency.

The Optima LRMS® is a multi-functional lab scheduling software that eases the scheduling of laboratory activities, provides quick insight into instrument status, highlights personnel availability based on performance requirements, and allows calendar sharing across the team. It is purpose-built to help laboratories operate smoothly and efficiently through a single, integrated tool.

Core Modules and Functionality

• Schedule & Planning: Handles all planning activities for the lab, identifies productivity gaps, and enables scheduling of activities, instruments, human resources, and tasks — all within one tool. The digital scheduling process accounts for resource availability, constraints, and deadlines.
• Track, Report & Forecast: Enables tracking and reporting of all activities, projects, and resources involved in the daily lab routine. Empowers labs to forecast resource needs at short, medium, and long-term horizons, and supports the creation of a Lab Business Plan with a single click.
• Resource Management: Provides complete insight into resource utilization, instrument usage, and availability for allocation, all immediately visible within the weekly schedule.
• Operative Decisions: Supports data-driven operational decision-making based on real-time scheduling and performance data.
• Instrument Qualification: Tracks and manages instrument qualification status as part of the broader resource management workflow.

Key Capabilities

• Digital lab scheduling that considers resource availability, constraints, and project deadlines, enabling efficient delivery of lab results through adjusted resource allocation.
• Workload forecasting based on the needs of both internal and external customers, with one-click Lab Business Plan generation.
• Customisable reports providing visibility into lab performance, resource utilisation, and instrument availability on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
• Goal-setting functionality within the application to monitor process improvement and track achievement over time.
• Efficient communication tools that reduce reliance on emails and meetings, including automatic reports and remote access for customers to monitor their projects and lab utilisation.

Integrations and Compatibility

• Supports easy import of information from any compatible laboratory management system to automate lab scheduling activities.
• Compatible with LIMS (Laboratory Information Management Systems), IMS (Instrument Management Systems), TMS (Test Management Systems), and other lab informatics platforms.

Company Background and Industry Presence

• Developed by NL42 Consulting, founded in 2013, specializing in paperless projects in the areas of operations, quality assurance, and quality control for laboratory management.
• NL42 Consulting organizes the Annual Paperless Lab Academy® conferences in Europe, the United States, and India, supported by more than 25 leading lab informatics solutions providers and acknowledged by Gartner as one of the best lab automation learning platforms in Europe.
• The platform is available in multiple languages, including English, Italian, French, and Spanish.
• Optima is delivered as a web-based application with secure login access.

Optima LRMS® brings together scheduling, resource management, performance tracking, and forecasting into a single purpose-built platform, making it a comprehensive solution for laboratories seeking to improve efficiency, reduce administrative overhead, and gain full visibility into their operations.