A laboratory workflow serves as a structured guide for managing tasks throughout each stage of testing, outlining procedural rules and ensuring consistency, precision, and compliance with standards across every phase – from pre-testing analytics through to final reporting on results.
With lab leaders highlighting that they are under increasing pressure to boost efficiencies in their processes and drive higher value strategic science, whilst meeting required quality standards and remaining compliant, it is vital that they get the utmost from their lab environment, its workflows, and the people who work within them.
Here we identify the current challenges being faced in laboratories, further highlighting the importance of workflow optimisation, and discuss how – with the help of scientific management experts – labs can improve efficiencies, meet their objectives, and produce their desired results and outcomes.
Operational challenges in laboratory management
The spotlight on labs and their outputs was undoubtedly strong during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the fact is that laboratories have always had a crucial role in shaping the future of pharmaceuticals, medicines, and patient care, and have faced significant challenges and pressures as a result – long before COVID and ever since.
Laboratories, their leaders and teams are required to be efficient and effective in their operations, driving high-value science whilst adhering to strict regulations and other constraints.
A perceived lack of specific, specialised skills within a lab; difficulties in attracting and retaining talent; or the pressures of demanding projects with tight deadlines can significantly disrupt a laboratory’s operational efficiency. Research shows that many lab leaders, whilst being aware of the need to address such problems, are concerned about their impacts.
According to the findings from Synergy’s 2025 Lab Leader survey, conducted in partnership with SRG – Impellam Group’s Life Sciences recruitment specialists, 73% of lab leaders worry about lab efficiency and what could impact it, with 60% also concerned about their potential to problem solve. Additionally, 23% of lab leaders are showing concern beyond the here and now, telling us that operational efficiency will remain a concern into the future.
The Importance of Workflow Optimisation in Laboratories
For laboratories to achieve peak efficiency, their operations need to be refined and optimised to maximise their potential.
This could include enhancing team performance by better utilising their skills and expertise; integrating advanced technology and software for specific tasks; and aligning strategies to meet organisational goals and project demands.
Within laboratory settings, the optimisation of workflows has always been vital to delivering optimised processes and outcomes. The Lab Leader research found that over half of current lab leaders (55%) valued the value of workflows highly, describing workflow optimisation as a ‘critical’ factor for fostering innovation.
What’s more, nearly half of these leaders (49%) pointed out that manual processes consume the most time in laboratories, emphasising the need for improvements to enhance overall efficiency.
3 steps to manage resource constraints with laboratory workflow management
1. Focus on optimising essential workflows
Begin by identifying the processes that are highly influential in driving lab productivity and staff effectiveness. These could include procedures central to customer satisfaction or areas where challenges frequently arise for researchers. Once prioritised, collaborate with your team to ensure the selected workflows align with organisational goals.
2. Recognise hurdles impacting workflows
Streamlining workflow processes necessitates pinpointing areas of complexity or delay. A practical approach could involve assessing turnaround times to locate bottlenecks or inefficiencies within the testing cycle. This will provide a foundation for targeted improvements.
3. Evaluate readiness for workflow enhancements
Successfully implementing new workflows often hinges on effective resource allocation and personnel management. Assessing laboratory capacity, while reassigning tasks and strategically supplementing resources, can enhance productivity and operational efficiency. Balancing these adjustments can help laboratories meet both financial and performance objectives seamlessly.
How can specialist scientific services support workflow management?
Unlike CRO’s, scientific solutions specialists work in collaboration with laboratory leaders, and integrate their own scientific experts into a lab to supplement its existing workforce and help them streamline processes and reduce complexities, manage and enhance workflows, and drive results.
At Impellam Project Services, we offer such support through a Functional Service Provision (FSP), a targeted outsourcing model. Lab leaders outsource specific functions and tasks to our scientific experts, who provide specialised services, expertise, and resources to meet the specific requirements and project goals.
The lab retains and maintains control overall and can concentrate on the core objectives at the heart of their overarching strategies, whilst we provide specialised scientific services in support.
The benefits of optimising workflows and lab management via an FSP include:
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Specific Functional Services
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Flexibility and Control
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Cost Efficiency
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Expertise and Specialisation
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Risk Mitigation
Work with Impellam Project Services’ Scientific Experts
Impellam Project Services’ dedicated scientific experts are specialists in scientific functional service provision, who have extensive experience of partnering with laboratories across the globe to help them ‘break free’ from operational constraints and ‘break through’ in science.
We work closely and collaboratively with our clients, creating tailored solutions that aim to add value and enhance business efficiency. We highly value our teams who are integral to the success of our solutions and we ensure that not only are we managing and supporting them, we are also identifying training opportunities for them to upskill and develop which not only helps them stay engaged and motivated but also promotes business continuity. Our programme of Continuous Improvement run by our in-house expert ensures we have productivity and efficiency at the heart of every solution.
If you’re looking to streamline your scientific projects and strengthen them with dedicated expertise, and improve efficiency and reduce costs – all whilst maintaining control over your projects and objectives – contact Impellam Project Services today.