Lab Software Reality Checks

Part 1: Evaluation

As part of our Lab Software Reality Checks series, #TeamKC is addressing common misconceptions that our clients have and factors that they often haven't considered yet. Our goal is to clear up some of the mystery surrounding laboratory software solutions and help biotechs feel more confident about moving forward with implementation or optimizing their system. 

Here in Part 1, we discuss what our Evaluation projects entail and how the insights we learn inform our strategies.

Here at Karchem Consulting, our goal is to optimize lab data systems by configuring new and more effective frameworks. Our evaluation projects serve as a means to assess current software use and provide recommendations to enhance or improve workflows wherever bottlenecks may have occurred.

This process begins with a comprehensive evaluation of a biotech's scientific and technical operations, in which we dive into their end-to-end process. Once we gain an understanding of their workflows, it’s time to dig into what's working for them, and what's not, in regard to their lab software. We outline your processes, gather insights, and derive actionable data points to guide our recommendations.

Every biotech is different and has its own distinct characteristics, but there are some themes that we consistently encounter:

A Singular System That's Spread Too Thin

Many biotechs are highly complex organizations with multiple teams, each working on a specific aspect of scientific research. As such, they all require their own individual workflows set up to suit their particular corner of the science. 

However, what we see happening all too often is a biotech with one “catch-all” data model that each team uses slightly differently, but is far from optimized. On top of that, it's not uncommon for these teams to fail to communicate with one another, leading to an organization-wide lack of understanding of how neighboring teams use the same data tools, or even the same entity in the data model. 

In instances like these, an entirely new system may not be in store; rather, the existing tools need to be modified to suit each team.

Under-Configured & Over-Configured Systems

When purchasing laboratory software directly from vendors, you can end up with a generic system that doesn't fully support your biotech's science. With an under-configured system, scientists end up fighting tooth and nail just for the bare minimum of what they need. 

Conversely, we've also come across biotechs who have sprung for all the bells and whistles available, only to realize later that many of them aren't necessary or helpful for that stage in their growth. An over-configured system – too busy and too difficult to use – is just as bad as an under-configured one.

Each of these scenarios tends to lead to the same problem. Missing data, difficult sample tracking, and confusion in later-stage analytics. 

If either of these scenarios sounds familiar, Karchem Consulting is here to help. Our team will help configure a software solution tailored to your lab, with all of the features you need and none that you don't.

Less of a Technical Problem, More of a People Problem

A data system is only as good as the scientists who use it and the IT teams who run it. Sometimes, the issues that a biotech is experiencing aren't with the data infrastructure, but originate within the organization itself. Whether it's scientists with insufficient technical training, IT teams lacking resources, or leadership that doesn't fully understand the lab's intricacies, all of these can lead to significant workflow inefficiencies. 

If this is the case, our team of scientific and technical experts will partner with all of your biotech's stakeholders to address these underlying issues and help your lab communicate more effectively across departments. 

Preparing for Next Steps

Once our evaluation is complete, we begin formulating a strategy and recommending the necessary updates to your current system. From there, our team is ready to transition to implementing these changes and can take over the ongoing management of your lab's data infrastructure. Working directly with your scientists to help the system follow their processes.

And if evaluation shows that your current system just isn’t working for your team? We can help select and implement an entirely new one.

We'll discuss all of these factors and more in Part 2 of our Lab Software Reality Checks series. 

Ready to transform your lab's data infrastructure? Contact us at Karchem Consulting today to get started.