Productivity Leakage
A lack of efficiency at many analytical laboratories constrains growth opportunities and even threatens the survival of the labs. Rather than poor management, the culprit is productivity leakage. Fortunately, by implementing Element LIMS from Promium, the leaks can be eliminated and productivity will increase.
Leakage occurs when resources are consumed by non-productive activities. Performing manual and redundant data entry, correcting errors, chasing paper around the lab, compiling reports, and repeating complex calculations are examples of non-productive activities. Such activities are often referred to as “waste” by aficionados of lean operations models. See list of Top Ten Leaks and Solutions below.
One primary reason for this leakage is that many labs have outgrown their sample control and information management systems. Layers of workarounds and manual procedures mask the underlying task. Like an old car that requires an additional quart of oil before every trip, the infrastructure requires extra resources to keep samples flowing. To compensate for workflow obstacles and keep up with sample volumes, lab personnel are forced to expend more energy and more hours than would otherwise be necessary.
Frequently, the inefficiencies build up unnoticed over time. A false impression develops that the status quo is optimized while unproductive activities persistently siphon off time and dollars that could be invested more effectively. There is a steady unrelenting erosion of financial and operational performance.
Eliminating the leaks
Eliminating the cause of the productivity leaks requires a re-plumbing of your information management system. When you are done, not only will the leaks be resolved, but the flow of information will be accelerated and there will be greater access to analytical and operational data.
To illustrate the impact of eliminating the leaks and improving efficiency, we conducted a survey of labs that have implemented Element LIMS. The results point to significant and broad opportunities.