While the concept of laboratory management and automation started in the 1950s, the process of automating lab workflows only really started to take off during the technological revolution in our own time now. The standardization of laboratory systems and procedures across an entire organization is essential in establishing and maintaining the validity of any scientific establishment. 

Workflow automation has dozens of benefits, not only for employees who get to work more closely with each other than they would in isolated positions, but also for lab results in general. Let’s look at some of these benefits and explore ways to implement workflow automation in your laboratory-based organization.

What is Lab Management and Automation? 

Lab management involves the integration of both software and hardware to streamline and automate laboratory processes. The implementation of software for lab workflow management will have a significant effect on lab results in terms of their accuracy. 

For example, a blood sample vile that spins 1,000 times will deliver a different result than a vile that spins 1,001 times. Accuracy is vital to laboratory processes like these, and workflow automation software removes the chances of human error, while adding consistency across an entire organization.   

The automation and management of lab procedures aim to streamline all steps in every process of your research, including: 

• The collection of samples 
• The storage of those samples 
• The analysis of samples 
• The archiving of results 
• Accessibility of those records 

Suffice it to say that workflow automation is about more than simply speeding up research. It’s about focusing on the quality, accuracy, and objectivity of the research your establishment is entrusted with. 

The Manifold Benefits of Automating Laboratory Workflows 

Companies may wonder about the value of automating processes in the workplace, especially those relative to their laboratory workflows. The following advantages show it leads to a high ROI, and individuals can use this to motivate leadership or investors why laboratory automation should be a priority in the current market. 

Automation Increases Employee Effectiveness 

Streamlining laboratory processes not only speeds up the workload but also adds to the productivity of employees. While employees are still very much involved in day-to-day lab procedures, workflow software works with those employees to modernize processes in an accurate and structured way.  

By removing the chance of errors (see more in the point below), employees have the freedom to focus on the research objective itself, rather than the correctness of their analysis. 

Laboratory Management and Automation Reduce the Chance of Errors 

As mentioned, human error is a real concern when it comes to the accuracy of analysis in laboratory testing. Automation further assists employees by removing human error and creating a workflow system that is coherent with the standards of the testing set forth by the organization in question.  

Removal of errors from all processes speaks to the reputation of your laboratory. This reputation of high accuracy will cultivate trust among your clients, and ensure more work for the future. 

Improves Research Quality 

The reputation of any laboratory organization hangs on the value of its research. Since we have already shown that errors are removed and speed and accuracy are increased, achieving the highest quality research is a subsequent positive side effect. 

Improves Data Accuracy 

Laboratory workflow software that can be tailored to match a set of criteria is almost completely free of error. An organization’s reputation and value once again depend on the accuracy of data derived from its respective research. 

Data accuracy in research is essential in today’s information age. When it comes to any scientific research, details matter. The more we discover, the stronger our desire to be fastidious about what we learn. 

Cuts Expenses and Saves Money 

There’s a lot to be said about how much money can be saved during the long term when adequate workflow processes have been put into place. Employee participation is reduced, research processes run faster, and less time is spent overall in the collecting of data which would otherwise take days—even weeks—to complete. 

Tips for Improving Lab Sample Management Workflows 

Now that you’re persuaded of the benefits of implementing a laboratory workflow system, you may be asking, “How do I get started?” Let’s discuss the steps you can take to make this happen in the most effective way possible. 

Standardize the Processes Within Your Lab 

The standardization of all laboratory processes creates a controlled environment where all procedures are synchronized and unvaried. With one set of goals in mind (accuracy, quality, objectivity, and coordination) across all sample analyses, your entire organization will gain more direction in obtaining the most valuable results. 

Standardizing any laboratory requires the integration of workflow software that can be set and adjusted according to the mission objectives of your organization. There’s also the mission objective of your clients to bear in mind, which must be meticulously maintained. 

Know Your Capacity & Work Within it 

Whether your laboratory is small, medium, or large, the workflow automation possibility will depend on your capacity. Fortunately, laboratory workflow software can be tailored to accommodate any size, purpose, or objective you might have. 

It takes your employees into account, manages samples and their corresponding data, and can even be tweaked to adapt to new criteria when needed.  

Establish Proper Channels of Communication 

If synchronization is to take place and ultimately lead to success, communication is a key element. An important contribution of workflow automation is that it puts every department within your lab on the same page. 

Communication and collaboration across all sections within your laboratory become a natural result when every bit of data is accessible. Employee communication is also improved because vital and accurate data is now available at their fingertips. 

Employ an Integrated LIMs System 

LIM (Laboratory Information Management) is crucial to the workflow success of any laboratory. Data can be retrieved according to a hierarchy of accessibility, and a history of results is stored for later use. 

The convenience of integrating a LIM system cuts costs, streamlines processes, and creates a digital workplace that thrives on quality research. 

Finalize 

As a laboratory manager or in any similar role, your concerns are diverse. There’s the duty to your employees, a responsibility to your clients, and an overarching desire to maintain the reputation of your establishment. Implementing automated workflow processes for your laboratory answers all of these concerns while saving you money and reshaping your organization for the better.   

There are many document management systems with various features.  New technologies come up every day and offer plenty of possibilities for the users. With so many choices, the decision-makers are baffled and often overlook the essence of the Document Management Software Solutions. Document Management Software is a system that is used to store, manage and organize documents. It can be used by an individual, business, or organization to store and manage their documents. The essence for an organization is to be able to preserve, define, store, index, update and explore legacy or the newly produced organization knowledge. To achieve that a decent document management system should have features like document security, version control, document sharing, and collaboration among others.

Before diving into the features that are important for Document Management Software to have, let’s describe what document management software is in more detail.

Document Management Software Definition

Document Management Software is a type of enterprise content management software that helps organizations manage documents, emails, and other types of information. It also helps organizations to find the information they need quickly. It can be used to manage and store documents in an organized manner, track, and share all types of data from different sources. The main objective of document management software is to reduce the risk of misplacing or losing a document because it can contain important information that may be needed for future reference. What’s more, these tools are designed in a way that allows you to store copies of your documents in remote locations. This gives you a higher level of security if something goes wrong with your physical storage space.

There are many document management software available in the marketplace that can address a wide range of needs. Document management software can be used to address the following needs:

• Providing an overview of all the documents in your organization, including their status and who is responsible for them
• Providing easy access to documents when you need them
• Ensuring that sensitive information is not shared with those without the necessary rights
• Tracking how often a document is accessed and by whom
• Reminding users when they are due to update or review a document

Document Management Software Features

1. Web access

In this time when the internet is so prevalent, users must have access to their documents from anywhere. A web-based document management system provides fast and easy access to files and folders which is important in this era of the internet. There is a number of Document Management Software features that help with web access to these documents thanks. These include:

• Mobile access – to view or edit documents on mobile devices
• Cloud storage – to store documents in the cloud
• File sharing – to share folders or individual files with others

2. Document Search

Each user has many files and must be able to search them really fast by using only a few letters of what he’s looking for. Document Management Software helps in storing documents in an organized way so that they can be easily retrieved when needed. Document Search is a feature of Document Management Software that allows users to search through the stored content.

The document search feature can be used for finding content by name, date, author, or other metadata like tags. It also provides a preview of the document before opening it and has some advanced features like highlighting text within the document and exporting files in PDF or Word format.

3. Drag and drop Features

Drag and drop – this feature is a must-have Document Management Software feature. It allows you to drag and drop files from one folder to another folder or even from one application to another application. When it comes to Document Management Software, the drag and drop feature that allows users to drag and drop files from their desktop into the online document management system is a time-efficient utility.

4. Embedded viewer and editor

The Document Management Software provides an embedded viewer and editor which allows the user to view, edit and save the document from within the software. The embedded viewer lets you view and edit documents without having to open them in another window or download them – this saves time as you don’t need to switch between tabs or applications.

With an embedded viewer and editor, there is no need to download any file to your desktop. Quick open and edit your files online.

5. Versioning

Another important functionality of a Document Management System is versioning. Versioning allows users to store previous file versions, have access to all versions of the document, compare them, and revert to an older version if needed. What’s more, users can see the owner and upload date/time! Versioning is a powerful Document Management Software feature that can help you to keep track of changes in your documents over time.

6. File Locking

File locking is an important feature for Document Management Software. It prevents users from making changes to a locked file until the user who had locked it, unlocks it.

It’s a great way of blocking the modification of files. If you lock a file, no one else can move, edit, delete this file. Except for blocking file modifications, file locking may prevent two people from editing the same file at the same time, which can cause data loss and other issues. The software locks the file when it detects that someone else is working on it and unlocks it once they are done with the edits,

7. Sharing and rating

A great Document Management System should give users the ability to share any folder or file with their team, or specific users and be able to rate its value.  Thus, business collaboration is more effective than ever, while each user can relate a document with tasks, opportunities, or contracts from the CRM package and any other entity.

Sharing documents is a great way to collaborate with teams, but it can also be a source of frustration if not done correctly. Good Document Management Software should allow users to share documents easily and securely. In addition, Document Management Software also can have a rating system where users can rate each document on a predefined scale. This rating system helps in keeping track of which documents are popular among employees and which ones need improvement.

Thus, collaboration is more effective than ever, while each user can relate a document with tasks, opportunities, or contracts from the CRM package and any other entity.

8. Files and folders rights

File and folder rights are a vital part of any Document Management Software. In a Document Management System, there must be the possibility to define who has access to the folders and the files but also must define the editing rights, so not all users can modify specific files. Assigning editing rights allows you to control what your team can do with the documents that they are working on. For example, if you have the sales team working on a document, you can restrict them from editing the document’s title and description or from deleting the document.

9. Document linking

Document linking is the process of connecting documents, files, or other data sources that are stored in different locations so that you can access them from one central location. This allows you to access one document from another, or link the document with any other relevant record inside the Document Management Software. This way, documents can be more easily searched for and accessed later on.

10. Inform mechanism

Inform mechanism is a Document Management Software feature that provides users with the ability to send a notification when new documents are created or modified in the system. Users can notify about any file or folder update with direct notification messages through the Document Management system.

Enhance your Business Collaboration with Comidor Document Management System

As a response to the pandemic, enterprise-wide collaborative technologies are credited with impressing improvement and innovation in all industries. Technology is continually evolving and we are now looking at a new normal in how things are being done and how teams work together. Businesses from all around the world work hard to strike a balance between innovation and continuity. Countless challenges appeared and the initial disruption of the pandemic led to brand new opportunities. The largest investment we saw came in enterprise collaboration or collaborative technologies. While remote work was growing for years, it literally took off in the past months. By the end of the year, it is expected that around 30% of employees are going to work from home several days per week. All this is possible thanks to the following collaboration technologies and innovations. 

Virtual Conferencing And Video Meetings 

We clearly noticed more video collaboration technologies developed in 2020, with options like Skype, Zoom, Google Meetings, and Microsoft Teams standing out. Close to 60% of current remote-compatible jobs take advantage of collaboration technologies and video meetings in order to replace drop-by chats and in-person meetings. 

Remote work offers huge flexibility and companies realized how beneficial it is. In the past, employers did not want to offer remote work since they were concerned about results, honesty, and productivity. After the coronavirus pandemic forced the use of video conferencing and virtual tours, it became clear that the concerns were not justified. 

Cloud Technology And SaaS 

Cloud computing kept improving in 2020 and in 2021. Work is being reimagined as people learn more ways to take advantage of cloud technology and SaaS. Businesses have the opportunity to build themselves or invest in web-based applications that can be used so that every single member of a team can work together without having to be physically present in the same room.  

One of the most significant advantages of cloud computing is that it allows remote teams to collaborate efficiently from anywhere in real-time, with an internet connection being the only prerequisite. Generally speaking, cloud applications can boost productivity while also lowering operational costs. As remote working is here to stay, cloud applications are becoming more popular. This fact is proven by a recent study that showcases that almost 80% of businesses employ a cloud communication platform to facilitate remote work. 

With the help of cloud technology, collaboration on projects is better than ever. Real-time sharing of data is another important advantage of cloud computing. File sharing enables teams to have instant access to files, control the file versions, and upload and download files that are continuously synchronized. It becomes obvious why building apps to take advantage of cloud technology is a priority for several developers right now, especially when these apps are cloud-based. 

Out-of-the-box Collaboration Platforms and Apps 

Enterprise collaboration is easier than ever before thanks to the advanced technological innovations and new collaborative technologies that are present in our digital era. Automation is playing a crucial role in the collaboration improvements within businesses. There is a plethora of collaboration tools to choose from, based on different business needs and requirements. 

These platforms offer numerous tools and capabilities that can transform businesses and accelerate collaboration and communication among teams and users. Examples of enterprise collaboration apps are the following: 

• Document Management System (DMS) 
• Video conferences 
• File sharing 
• Instant messaging 
• Real-time analytics 

One thing for sure is that SaaS companies deliver the apps and the connectivity the company needs while prices are kept much lower than the costs associated with developing such apps alone. 

With the use of enterprise collaboration software , and new collaboration technologies,  users with no coding experience can create collaboration apps, link them to workflows and end up with faster project development since workflow automation becomes a reality. Also, many collaboration apps are accessible across several mobile devices, which also increases workplace efficiency and productivity. 

Artificial Intelligence And Wearable Technology 

While industry analysts kept saying that wearables and artificial intelligence were going to take off, the pandemic led to much faster adoption. The distrust and doubts that affected AI adoption disappeared. Employees and employers normalized the use of cognitive technologies because of how our lives changed. 

With the use of smart home devices and wearable gadgets, it became easy to share data with your colleagues and managers. Also, it became much easier to use the devices for work-related tasks, like answering emails and receiving important notifications about specific projects. And the great thing about wearable devices is that they are new to the market. Only time will tell what they will be able to deliver.  

In a nutshell 

Undoubtedly, collaboration technologies lead not only to improved collaboration but also to exceptional corporate performance and remarkable results. The only concern that may arise is if you should invest in only one collaboration technology or find the best solution that incorporates different collaborative technologies and tools.

Comidor is here for you. With Comidor’s enterprise collaboration software, you are able to automate your routine, time-consuming tasks, track your daily work, receive smart notifications about business progress and communicate in real-time with everyone in the business. Schedule your demo, and let a Comidor expert navigate you through the Comidor digital workplace.  

Numerous businesses were unrehearsed to deal with the new limits and challenges the new era brought into the light. Many companies struggled to alter their operations and get prepared for the next normal.  

Due to the current situation, the majority of businesses are trying to find new ways to keep their competitive advantage, while at the same time, keep up with the market trends. It seems that the “Work From Home” model is here to stay, as organizations will continue to work remotely after the pandemic end, too. Researchers estimate that by 2025, 22% of the workforce will work remotely. This brings into businesses’ attention new approaches and needs. Online collaboration tools play a significant role, shared files and a central data management system are necessary to perform daily tasks, and meetings should be done over online platforms. It is obvious that companies needed to develop other ways to adapt and survive the existing environment. 

After the non-stop struggle of companies to search for a solution to the situation, they discovered an alternative route with the help of digital workplaces. Digital workplaces enable businesses to continue their operation virtually.  They do so while following all precautionary measures and restrictions implemented by the government.  

The trend of the digital workplace opened new possibilities, opportunities, and most importantly, jump-started the market globally. Just to mention, Australian states were the pioneers of using digital workplaces, and currently, co-working spaces are becoming the norm. 

Digital Workplace: Definition  

A digital workplace is a cloud-based work environment that allows companies to migrate their work to the cloud and develop shared workspaces for their employees. Employees may access all apps, data, tools, and collaboration features they require.  They do this through a secure web interface from anywhere, anytime, and on any device.  

The term was used years ago to describe a vast community of virtual workplace technology. The digitalization of workplaces constantly developed throughout the years by incorporating new technologies, ideas, and the ever-changing needs of businesses. 

The Need For Digital Workplace 

Businesses must take alternate measures to survive. The boundaries of a physical office are ignored in a digital workplace. Thus, it allows for virtual information sharing and collaboration in a variety of new and productive methods. It is a linked workspace in which employees have access to whatever they require through digital technologies like digital process automation without physically visiting a workplace. 

Key Aspects Of A Digital Workplace 

Digital workplace solutions introduce the inevitable progression of the workplace.  Hence, bringing together a collection of technologies, platforms, and tools that digital employees require to generate business results and run a company efficiently. The incorporation of these methods ensured the presence of the following common aspects of a digital workplace: 

• Social and Collaborative Tools: These tools enable employees or any users to interact and share information to achieve common goals and build professional connections and relationships. Slack, Slater, Pie, Messenger, and Trello are some examples of these types of tools. 
• Cloud Storage Tools: These tools store data virtually and are usually managed by the company to regulate and grant permission to access stored data. Because of this, data can be accessed anywhere through the use of the internet. Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, and iCloud are some popular tools of this sort. 
• Video Conferencing Services: Tools that offer chat and video conferencing services allow business members to take part in online conversations, make presentations, and overall boost online collaboration. While most and most people are working remotely, platforms like Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams have been an essential part of employees’ business life.  
• Enterprise Collaboration Platform: An enterprise collaboration platform provides a virtual environment where teams work together to efficiently perform business tasks and processes towards operational goals. These usually cloud-based platforms include chat and video conferencing capabilities, document sharing, knowledge management tools, and other collaboration and productivity features.   

Benefits Of A Digital Workplace 

 In many firms, the digital workplace has become an integral aspect of the employee or team member experience. It’s only typical for a company to consider the benefits before building or implementing a digital workplace plan. 

 The following are some of the benefits of having a Digital Workplace: 

• It improves flexibility and productivity: Employees will be more flexible with their working schedules and work environment. Thus, enabling them to work during their most productive time and in their most comfortable place. It’s also beneficial for the company because this will drastically increase the productivity level of a team member. 
• It reduces or avoids operational costs: Water, electricity, internet, and telephone bills that eat up a material part of a company’s expenses can be avoided or minimized with the implementation of a digital workplace. 
• It provides safety: Especially during the pandemic, physical interactions are risky. With a digital workplace, you will be safe working at home. In this setup, customers can transact with the company virtually from the comfort of their homes.  Thus, protecting them from the threat of the pandemic. 
• It enhances employees experience and customer satisfaction: Within digital workplaces, team members can share ideas, ask and respond to questions, discuss business topics, solve issues, and more, faster than ever before.  This leads to better communication and enhanced collaboration. Finally, employees feel less stressed, highly motivated, and maintain a passion for their work.  When employees feel good, their performance is improving, too. Consequently, you will be able to deliver high-quality products and services that meet and exceed your customers’ expectations, making them happy.   

Comidor Digital Workplace 

Comidor offers an intelligent digital workplace where people work effectively and efficiently. Teams and users are able to view, create and complete their tasks while at the same time having a clear overview of the entire team progress. All processes, workflows, and applications are accessible in a single place. In addition, every source of data is available anytime from anywhere since everything runs on the cloud. Users can create their customized dashboards, add interactive tiles to trigger a workflow or application with the click of a button. Widgets and advanced report boards, live updates, and smart notifications create a powerful digital workplace that helps teams organize their work, from daily, routine tasks to long-term projects. Connect all your work in a single digital workplace, bring your teams together from anywhere, and smarten your work with an artificial intelligence-driven workforce and state-of-the-art automation features.   

In a Nutshell 

The digital workplace is a virtual workplace built by companies by integrating numerous software, tools, and apps to accommodate the current situation. This setup requires employees to work remotely. It is of paramount importance for businesses to implement digital workplaces to survive and go towards the digital transformation of their business. Empower your people to do their best by providing them with advanced collaboration and productivity tools. Contact us to learn how our Comidor Enterprise Collaboration Platform can make your company a wholesome working mechanism.

Teamwork really does make the dream work. That’s why collaboration is such a major key to business success. But how do businesses improve their collaboration? And are there collaboration tools for businesses out there to assist in this improvement?  Read on to learn the answers to these questions and more about business collaboration.  

What is Business Collaboration?  

Every business is working toward specific goals. Collaboration is a working approach that has emerged in response to these goals. Business collaboration is the method in which people work together to achieve a common goal. Businesses that collaborate effectively know how to use each members’ unique strengths and skills to complete their goals. They build off of each other, coming together as a cohesive unit.  

To fully achieve business collaboration, there are a few factors you’ll need to consider. Your overall company goals, the type of business collaboration that will work best for your organization, and the business collaboration tools you’ll need are among these factors.   

There are more than a few types of business collaboration. These include but are not limited to:  

• Team collaboration. This is the most common form of business collaboration. In this type of collaboration, every team member knows how they contribute to the goal and work with their fellow team members to combine strengths.  
• Internal collaboration. Microblogging, wiki pages, or discussion boards are all common forms of internal collaboration. These formats make it easier to share information across the entire company and collaborate as needed.  
• External collaboration. Businesses looking to share information with clients or customers may utilize external collaboration. This may be a weekly email with information or a social media post that encourages engagement.  
• Network collaboration. In this form of collaboration, not everyone in the network will know each other. Instead, individuals make their expertise known and may be matched with or sought out by those wishing to collaborate.  
• Cloud collaboration. Anyone in this collaborative network can access and edit documents stored in the cloud. Information is easily shared amongst team members and collaboration can happen in real-time in a document.  
• Video collaboration. Virtual conference rooms are an essential tool for collaboration in a remote environment. With these platforms at your fingertips, you can collaborate with team members and clients easily. 

Each type of business collaboration has its unique advantages depending on your business’ needs. No matter which you choose, your organization will benefit from business collaboration. Keep reading to learn more about these benefits.  

Benefits of Business Collaboration 

Business collaboration does more than just increase team productivity. In addition to faster results, your business will likely see an improvement in a few other areas, including:  

Employee Engagement

When employees understand their role on a team, they’re more likely to effectively engage with their fellow team members. Knowing who to turn to when problems arise or when a task should come in through this engagement can further increase productivity and drive more well-rounded results. Enhancing employee engagement requires not only effective communication but also the right tools. Exploring the best intranet software solutions can offer a way to foster collaboration and drive engagement in innovative ways.

Cost Reduction

One of the many benefits of business collaboration that is often overlooked is cost reduction. Inefficient business processes can lead to delayed project deliveries that then lead to an increase in cost. With improved collaboration comes lower costs as projects are finished and delivered on time.  

Process Improvement

Having a continuous growth mindset is part of what makes a business successful. To achieve this growth, your business has to be open to feedback and improvement. With an uptick in collaboration, your team can identify and discuss common bottlenecks that are delaying results and stunting business growth. By implementing new collaboration tactics and investing in collaboration tools for business, your organization will have the resources they need to brainstorm solutions and improve business processes.  

Client Satisfaction

Much of what businesses do revolves around client or customer satisfaction. Both process improvement and increased employee engagement internally can lead to higher-quality results. These results drive better products or services, keeping clients and customers happy.  

Collaboration Tools for Business 

Business collaboration is easier than ever before in this digital age. The emergence of automation has single-handedly improved collaboration for businesses across the globe. Check out just a few of the automation collaboration tools for businesses that are changing the way of the workforce.   

Task Management

Automation comes to life with task management tools. When a task is created, it is automatically added to a team member’s Timesheet, alerting them of what needs to be done. Once a task has been completed, others working on that project will be promptly alerted and can respond accordingly.  

These tasks can be managed using tools such as workflow automation and business process management (BPM) software. These tools can further improve automation and speed up project completion.  

Document Management System (DMS)

With a document management system (DMS), your team can efficiently share information with ease. Users added to the DMS can create, upload, store, and share files in one convenient, secure location. Team members can safely share information with one another, improving business collaboration over shared documents.  

Video Conferencing

In a world where the remote work environment is becoming more and more common, video conferencing is a must-have collaboration tool for businesses. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Comidor Events, and Google Meet are all viable options for meeting with team members in real-time. With an application like Comidor Events, you can quickly create video meetings and automate repetitive events with the use of process scheduling and process templates. Eliminate the need for travel through this business collaboration tool. 

Cloud Document Storage

Cloud storage is an ideal solution for businesses without an internal DMS. Individuals working in a remote environment can upload and view information from a telecommunication network that can be accessed from anywhere. This allows for efficient business collaboration without the need to be in the office.  

Instant Messaging

The final collaboration tool for business is instant messaging. IM platforms allow team members to collaborate in real-time without needing to work around schedules for a video conference or waiting on an email response. IM is an efficient way to communicate quickly with team members to share information, ideas, and more.  

Reach Enterprise Collaboration with Comidor 

When it comes to business collaboration, automation is the way to go. Comidor’s enterprise collaboration software offers businesses an automated platform to track tasks, share information, and manage projects. Using collaboration applications, team members can share ideas, ask questions, solve problems, and more, faster than ever before.   

Schedule a demo with Comidor today and give your business collaboration a boost!  

* Featured image: alphaspirit/Shutterstock.com