Why labs need custom solutions and how we create them
Labs can work on standard boxed solutions that most companies on the market use. But if you create a custom one, the customer will get a competitive advantage and a good opportunity to become a leader in their niche. They will be able to complete more orders in less time, which means earning more money.
We created a custom system for managing the SpectroChem laboratory, although at first we didn't understand anything about its activities. In this article, we will tell you how we found a common language with the client and what we can offer to other companies that are not satisfied with ready-made solutions.
How they used to work at SpectroKhim
The company “SpectroKhim” is located in St. Petersburg. It produces precursors (substances necessary for some chemical reactions) and standard samples with pre-determined characteristics. The company also conducts interlaboratory comparison tests, during which many laboratories evaluate the same samples.
Until 2022, SpectroChem employees used a well-known German platform for data analysis and reporting. It was old, complex and expensive. In the new economic conditions, it became difficult to work with this product. Through a designer friend, SpectroChem specialists contacted us to order a more modern and convenient analogue.
Previously, employees performed tasks manually. For example, SpectroChem sent samples of a substance to dozens of labs for analysis. Each lab was registered in the study, and the data was sent to it by email. Then the information received was collected and reports were compiled. Without automation, this would take weeks.
Our task was to optimize processes and offer the client a product that they can work with without any worries and without depending on third-party service providers.
How we took on a non-standard order
Not every developer takes on complex subject areas and business processes. For us, on the contrary, this is the most interesting category of tasks. We love to understand what at first seems incomprehensible, and do what others do not dare to approach.
We immediately grasped the essence of the task from the technical side. The designer who brought us together with SpectroChem drew the interface for the custom solution. He also communicated with the client to draw up the technical specifications. We took the admin panel template engine as a basis and began to “tweak” it to suit the customer's requests.
It was not easy to speak the same language with scientists. A lab assistant at SpectroChem helped us “translate” professional terms into understandable language, so we managed.
What we got
We were the first in the country to create a complex platform for data comparison. It can be compared to an advanced version of Excel, developed specifically for the needs of the laboratory. It processes data quickly and accurately, shows users clear and detailed reports. There are solutions on the Russian market that at first glance are similar to ours. But their functionality is much more modest.
Here's what we've included in our custom product:
The website contains a form through which laboratories can submit applications to participate in research rounds.
After laboratory representatives pass an interview with the administrator, the system automatically creates a personal account for the laboratory.
The administrator enters and edits data on tests and their objects.
Laboratories enter test results, the administrator checks and confirms them.
The system combines all information into a single report that can be exported to Excel.
Once a research round is closed, no one can change the data on it anymore – this is a government requirement.
We tried to save time and effort for all participants in the process. For example, in the future, laboratory staff will be able to add new methods to the system without our help. The chief laboratory assistant can set up access levels for his colleagues. Clients receive the minimum necessary number of messages, they are not overloaded with redundant information. Messages about the creation of a new round are sent to all its participants automatically.
Benefits of our custom platform
According to SpectroChem reviews, our product allows the company to:
Collaborate with 160 active laboratories.
Involve 320+ laboratory technicians in research.
Reduce the number of corrections by half.
Increase the speed of work three times.
We have automated the process of submitting and processing applications, so the processing time has decreased. Lab technicians now enter and confirm data through a single system, so they make fewer mistakes. Administrators have received convenient tools for managing rounds and data. Labs noted that it is now more convenient to use personal accounts and appreciated the speed of access to results.
What can we offer to other clients?
We have a developed base that we can use for custom products from different areas. It remains to add modules that correspond to the logic of the business. We select technologies based on three criteria: common, simple and inexpensive for the client.
In some areas, there is a problem with data exchange. You need to adhere to standards and protocols, many of which are outdated. Different institutions may use different platforms that are poorly compatible with each other. Custom solutions are one of the best ways to solve this problem.
In a number of industries, boxed solutions simply do not exist, but there is a need for custom developments. We are ready to cooperate with clients from narrow niches and will soon tell you more about this.
Why Companies Need Custom Solutions
Custom solutions are a business asset. First, the company invests in it, then starts making money on it. For example, in these ways you can:
monetize accumulated data;
hire less qualified personnel, spend less time and effort on finding specialists, save on the payroll fund;
take more orders;
perform more research in less time and with fewer resources;
avoid spending money on third-party subscriptions that are usually included with boxed products.
Organizations sometimes don’t know how to approach ordering custom solutions and writing technical specifications for them. The solution is very simple — contact us!
We will talk to you and find out what you need. We will select five industry solutions for your business for free, compare them with custom development, and give recommendations. We will find out which of your business needs are not covered, what can be simplified, accelerated, and improved. We will draw up a detailed and clear technical specification. From the very beginning, we will clearly define the deadlines. No matter what area your business belongs to, we will definitely find a way to improve the efficiency of your work.
