Why digitalization is key for lab procurement processes

From pipette tips and reagents to seals, quartz tubes, and filters – consumables and wear materials are the “operating system” of every laboratory. And yet, procurement processes in many organizations remain surprisingly analog: Excel spreadsheets, e-mail exchanges, informal approvals, and ultimately the inevitable bottleneck because a critical part is missing. The good news is that this is precisely where digital procurement processes come into their own, offering measurable improvements in speed, transparency, compliance, and security of supply.

The clear importance given to procurement criteria in laboratories can also be seen in a survey of around 150 laboratory leaders carried out by Lab Manager: Price/value is “very important” for 88% of respondents, and post-sale support, maintenance, and warranty are rated as “very important” by just under 80% (Source: Laboratory Purchasing Trends | Lab Manager). These figures reflect everyday reality: It is not just about low prices, but also about reliability, compatibility, quick availability, and dependable support when needed.

At the same time, the pressure to digitize processes is increasing. The PwC Digital Procurement Survey 2024 ( Source: PwC Global Digital Procurement Survey 2024) shows that companies are striving for an average digitalization rate of 70% by 2027, with the current average sitting at 41%. Even though these figures come from a survey spanning many industries, laboratories face the same challenges: supply chain risks, documentation requirements, cost transparency, and time pressure in projects.

Below, we will take a look at the four key components of modern laboratory procurement – and how digital workflows improve every step of the process.

Supplier selection is more than just “Who has it in stock?” – it is about risk management. Especially when it comes to wear parts for instruments or critical chemicals, choosing the wrong supplier can lead to measurement deviations, equipment failures, or audit risks. The conventional approach is to obtain offers (request for purchase / request for quotation), compare them, and make a decision. Digitalization turns this into a structured process.

Processes that work better when digital:

• RFP templates & standardized criteria: price, quality, delivery time, minimum shelf life, certificates (e.g., certificate of analysis / certificate of conformity), packaging units, refrigeration chain
• Evaluation via scorecards: going by your gut is replaced by a transparent supplier score – ideal for internal reviews
• Transparent total cost of ownership (TCO): not only the price per unit, but also delivery reliability, complaint rate, spare parts availability, and support

The fact that quality and supply issues often go beyond “mere price” is reflected in real-world procurement problems: In a survey by Nature Index on laboratory procurement, researchers report long delivery times and high dependence on intermediaries – over 80% procure through distributors rather than directly from the manufacturer (Source: Slow, difficult and expensive: How the lab supplies market is crippling African science | News | Nature Index). While this example is specific to a particular region, it also highlights a universal pattern: Less direct, transparent procurement means greater friction and inefficiency.

Practical tip: For each material class (e.g., “critical,” “standard,” “non-critical”), define minimum standards for delivery lead times, accepted quality documentation, alternative items, and a second source. Digital processes allow these rules to be automatically implemented in approvals and shopping carts.

Once a supplier has been selected, the order process determines whether the laboratory runs smoothly or remains in constant crisis management mode.

Digital order processes offer three main advantages:

• Fewer discontinuities in the process: catalog, availability, pricing, approval, ordering, tracking – ideally all in a single workflow
• Faster approvals: role-based workflows (e.g., laboratory management → purchasing → QA where GMP requirements apply)
• More reliable planning: delivery status, partial deliveries, backorder management and transparent communication

When it comes to instruments, an additional factor to be considered is the coordination of delivery and installation (including training, qualification, and any necessary IQ/OQ documentation). In this area, digital processes support a clear “order to install” approach involving clear references (quotation → order → serial number → installation date), centralized document storage, and a status visible to all stakeholders.

Many laboratories are familiar with both extremes: expensive excess inventory (expiring products, space requirements) and, at the same time, stock-outs that bring projects to a standstill. The extent of this issue is illustrated by a study on laboratory supply in healthcare facilities. In the period examined, only about 60% of the laboratory commodities were available on the day of visit; 12.94% of the goods were wasted due to damage/expiration, and the average stock-out duration was 58 days (Source: Inventory management performance for laboratory commodities and their challenges in public health facilities of Gambella Regional State, Ethiopia: A mixed cross-sectional study – ScienceDirect).

Of course, this does not map precisely to every industry laboratory, but it clearly shows how costly a lack of transparency can be.

Digital inventory management is characterized by three key levers:

• Minimum stocks and automatic reorder points
• Consumption data instead of estimates (e.g., per method/project)
• Consignment/depot models for critical materials

Here in particular, solutions such as Omnilab Depot offer exciting advantages. Materials are kept on site and replenished according to defined rules, and the laboratory benefits from both a reduced stock-out risk and reduced administrative effort. Going digital makes the difference, as consumption and refill logic are then based on hard data.

For laboratories that are working in regulated environments (e.g., pharmaceuticals, medical technology, food), procurement is part of the compliance chain. Good manufacturing practice (GMP) calls not only for the right materials but also for traceable documentation: who ordered what, according to which standard, from which supplier, and with which certificates?

One central component here is data integrity. Changes to and deletions of GMP-relevant data must be logged in an audit trail. With regard to procurement, this means that quotations, approvals, specifications, certificates, and delivery notes should be versioned, searchable, and referenced in an audit-proof manner.

Digital purchasing processes support compliance by:

• Documenting approvals (who/what/where/why)
• Centralized storage of supplier certificates
• Consistent item master data and specifications
• Identifying deviations (e.g., alternative items, partial deliveries)

Given that price/value is “very important” to 88% of laboratory decision-makers, the next logical step is to structure processes to reliably safeguard the “value” component: less time spent searching, fewer errors, better availability, and clear documentation. And if companies are targeting an average digitalization rate of 70% in procurement by 2027, this is also a clear signal to laboratories. Digitalization today means greater speed and control – not at some point in the future, but in the next project.