We understand growing biotech laboratories play a crucial role in breakthrough therapies and technologies. To ensure accurate results and maximize productivity, it is essential to continuously improve lab operations. In this blog article we will discuss common challenges laboratories experience in their day-to-day operations and suggest solutions to overcome those challenges, enhancing efficiency and productivity in the laboratory. By implementing these strategies, labs can optimize their processes, streamline workflows, and ultimately contribute more time to their science.
Managing reagents
Biotech labs have the exciting opportunity to deliver groundbreaking results, but they often encounter the challenge of balancing time intensive product sourcing with their main objective. While outsourcing and searching for required supplies such as reagents can be time consuming, it is important to note that such efforts are essential to the success of the experiments. Thermo Fisher Scientific Supply Center Management System (SCMS) provides a web-based interface, streamlining product search, selection, and checkout processes. In addition to its existing functionality, SCMS seamlessly integrates with your company’s eProcurement platforms, streamlining the ordering process and providing comprehensive on-site inventory management. It also offers customized reporting capabilities for efficient cost center accounting. Lab technicians benefit from convenient self-service access to a diverse restocking and a customizable product mix. Adding Supply Center by Thermo Fisher will ease your efforts required to manage your reagents.
Managing consumables
Navigating the intricacies of inventory management, such as optimizing stock levels, maintaining cost-effectiveness, and ensuring unobstructed access to vital product information can be challenging and very time consuming. Unity Lab Services Inventory Manager is a robust solution designed to efficiently find, manage, evaluate, and optimize onsite stock. At its core, the system is metrics-driven to optimize both inventory availabilities and associated costs. A notable strength is the system’s ability to drive inventory costs down by transforming raw data into actionable knowledge, complemented by real-time reporting and recommendations. Catering to diverse inventory requirements, it supports an array of storage models, from stockrooms to point-of-use locations, guaranteeing the ideal storage solution for every type of consumable. Powered by a web-based platform, Inventory Manager boasts a flexible interface that seamlessly integrates with the Unity Lab Services eProcurement Manager, creating a unified system for simplified inventory and procurement processes. When deployed with the onsite service programs you receive industry best support across the entire laboratory. This not only enhances productivity in inventory management and purchasing activities but also minimizes disruptions for scientists, enabling them to remain focused on their science.
Managing procurement
In the quest to drive innovation, biotech labs can frequently encounter logistical challenges that can interfere with their core scientific discoveries. One such challenge is the complexities of procurement, ranging from maintaining stockroom purchases, ensuring purchase compliance, to efficient data management across multiple financial systems. As a result, the Thermo Fisher Scientific eProcurement Manager transforms these operational intricacies for the better. The data-driven decision-making capabilities combined with real-time reporting enables labs to make informed purchasing decisions. It effortlessly facilitates procurement of items ranging from lab consumables to office supplies to service providers. With its versatile data interface, transferring relevant information to any financial system becomes a breeze. Furthermore, it enhances fiscal responsibility and adherence to compliance through customizable workflows and predefined dollar limits, ensuring only approved suppliers are engaged. The singular dashboard offers a panoramic view, enabling labs to track the status of orders from all suppliers, and, in a move to ensure accountability, labs can verify the receipt of products before any financial settlements. The eProcurement Manager serves as an operational compass, guiding biotech labs to streamlined, efficient, and compliant procurement practices.
Managing instruments and equipment
Growing biotech labs are also faced with managing their laboratory assets. This includes overseeing the inventory of equipment, monitoring their service status, and ensuring regular maintenance to prevent operational interruptions. All of which can become complex if you don’t have a platform to help you along the way. To address these complexities, Unity Lab Services Asset Manager is a comprehensive platform providing labs complete visibility into their inventory and the entitlement status of each equipment piece, thereby ensuring seamless operations. With its user-friendly interface, scientists can effortlessly view assets, check their service status, and even submit requests for new services. Service reports for completed tasks are readily accessible, and for those keen on a broader overview, entire asset lists can be downloaded. The platform is mobile-optimized, enabling labs to check on or request services directly from the lab bench. Furthermore, the system provides valuable utilization data, fostering collaboration with the support team for optimal equipment use. Maintenance becomes a simple task with planned scheduling features, offering insights into progress on events and specific maintenance types. Additionally, the Asset Manager simplifies financial aspects by streamlining invoice and payment processes through a single vendor. When leveraging this tool, growing biotech labs can focus more on innovation and less on operational intricacies.
Managing instrument reservations and data
Labs are often juggling the challenges associated with coordinating instrument usage among team members, ensuring seamless data capture and analysis, and sharing data between colleagues. The Thermo Fisher™ Connect Platform, Team edition solution solves these challenges as it offers teams expanded connectivity, enhanced data management and advanced user experience for both scientists and lab managers. The centralized reservation calendar helps scientists find available instruments and provides the ability to secure the required time on the instrument, reducing potential conflicts for the team. By automating the data capture process, teams can access and analyze their data from anywhere at any time. In addition, users can monitor the status of instruments, experiments, and service needs. With the addition of Connect Team, biotech labs have access to real-time insights to instrument reservations and data, ultimately contributing to reducing operational challenges to foster a more collaborative, efficient, and data-driven laboratory environment.
Managing operations
By implementing one or more of these solutions laboratories can enhance their operations, boost productivity, and achieve accurate and reliable results. Thermo Fisher offers a comprehensive site services program through Unity Lab Services to deliver an integrated and seamless end user experience with a single point of contact for your team. With extensive scientific expertise, advanced technologies, and established processes to assist in various lab operations, Thermo Fisher is a reliable partner to support your laboratory needs. If you would like more information on any of the solutions discussed above, please reach out to digitalscienceinsidesales@thermofisher.com or visit thermofisher.com/informatics.
Leave a Reply