Scitara recently did a poll asking what percent of your lab assets are digitally connected. The options were 0-25%, 25-50%, 50-75% and 75-100%. Here are the results:
| Percent of Assets Connected | Percent of Respondents |
| 0 – 25% | 35% |
| 25 – 50% | 24% |
| 50 – 75% | 29% |
| 75 – 100% | 12% |
These results were not surprising; the state of laboratory connectivity varies widely. Let’s talk about each one of the ranges and recommend a path towards increasing the level of connectivity.
0 – 25% Connected :
Labs in this range are early in their digital transformation journey. Where do you start? We recommend picking 1-3 uses cases where you will get the biggest impact from digitally connecting assets. For example, you might have one or more file-based instruments that are the basis of a high-volume assay. If the instrument is not digitally connected to your LIMS or ELN, you are probably spending a lot of time manually transcribing samples sets and sample results between your informatics system and the instrument. Eliminating these transcriptions will save time and money and will also dramatically reduce errors. It will also boost the morale of your scientists; who really wants to do manual transcriptions?
25 – 50% Connected:
In this range you have achieved some level of connectivity but still have quite a bit of work to do. Maybe you have connected your major systems like your ELN/LIMS and your CDS. As with the 0-25% range, we recommend looking at your file-based instruments and prioritizing them next, given the benefits associated with doing so. Scitara has a File Parsing Connector that will allow us to digitally connect these instruments and eliminate manual transcriptions.
50 – 75% Connected:
Getting to this stage of connectivity is great progress. Our experience is the remaining assets to connect are usually what are considered to be the most difficult, devices like pH meters and balances, ubiquitous throughout labs today. Scitara has a strategy that will integrate your pH meters and balances that leverages our Serial Device Connector. Once again there may also be some file-based instruments that need to be connected.
75 – 100% Connected:
Labs in this range are well on their way in their digital transformation journey. Congratulations! Typically, in this stage you have the “long tail” of instruments that are either simple devices or file-based instruments that need to be connected to reach 100% connectivity. Once you get to the 100% connectivity level, you will truly be a paperless lab, eliminating all manual transcriptions and saving time, money and dramatically reducing error investigations.
Wherever you are in your lab digital transformation journey, Scitara can help. Our iPaaS for Science will digitally connect all your laboratory assets. We use a connectivity strategy that leverages both targeted connectors as well as universal connectors to ensure no lab asset is left behind. Once you bring our platform into your lab, you can add more and more assets to it until you achieve nirvana; 100% connectivity.
