A technician opens the freezer. Another sample is missing. Again. Forty-five minutes later, after digging through mislabeled vials and expired reagents, they finally find it, but it’s too late for today’s run.
For a molecular diagnostics lab processing over 2,500 clinical samples per month, delays like this were a constant problem.
- Lost and misplaced samples led to testing delays and thousands of dollars in wasted materials each year.
- Running out of key reagents in the middle of testing meant patient reports were delayed.
- Scientists spent more time checking inventory than focusing on research.
Tracking everything in spreadsheets wasn’t working. They needed a better way to manage inventory, prevent shortages, and reduce waste.
The Problem: Inventory Tracking Was Slowing Them Down
With over 20 freezers storing thousands of clinical samples, finding what they needed was a slow and frustrating process.
- Locating a specific vial could take almost an hour, delaying test results.
- Reagent stock levels were tracked in different spreadsheets, leading to errors and unexpected shortages.
- Without proper tracking, over 40% of over-purchased reagents expired before they could be used.
The lab tried different solutions. They assigned a full-time technician to monitor supplies and updated shared tracking logs, but nothing worked. They needed a system that didn’t just track inventory, but helped prevent problems before they happened.
The Solution: Automating Inventory Management with Scispot
The lab switched to Scispot’s inventory and sample tracking system, replacing spreadsheets with a smarter, more reliable process.
- Every reagent and sample was labeled with a barcode and scanned into a real-time tracking system connected to lab instruments.
- A digital freezer map showed the exact location of every sample, cutting search time from almost an hour to under five minutes.
- Automated stock level alerts helped the lab track reagent supplies and reorder before running out, reducing expired reagents by 40%.
Instead of scrambling to find missing samples and supplies, the team could now see everything at a glance.
The Results: Less Time Wasted, More Time for Science
Once the system was in place, the improvements were immediate.
- Manual inventory work was reduced by 90%, saving the team over 500 hours a year.
- Scientists could now find samples in under five minutes instead of searching for nearly an hour.
- Smarter tracking helped prevent stockouts and over-purchasing, saving the lab $75,000 annually.
- Every patient sample was accounted for, eliminating misplaced or lost vials.
The team no longer had to worry about tracking inventory. They could finally focus on testing and research instead of fixing mistakes.
From Disorganized to Efficient
Before Scispot, keeping track of reagents and samples was a struggle. Scientists wasted hours searching through spreadsheets and freezers. Now, inventory is organized, searchable, and easy to manage.
"Tracking reagents and samples was a nightmare. We wasted hours updating spreadsheets and searching for missing samples. Now, everything is barcode-tracked, and reagents never expire unused. We have full visibility over our inventory, which has dramatically reduced waste and saved us tens of thousands per year."
— Lab Manager, Molecular Diagnostics Lab
A Smarter Way to Manage Lab Inventory
For labs that handle a high volume of clinical samples, manually tracking inventory isn’t just inefficient, it’s expensive.
The most efficient labs aren’t relying on spreadsheets anymore. They are using systems that give them full control over their inventory, reduce waste, and eliminate the delays caused by missing or expired supplies.
How much time does your lab lose every year searching for samples and manually tracking inventory?
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