Lisa Seymour, Head of Operations at Macomics, on switching from scattered supplier shopping to one platform and why the benefits have “massively outweighed the costs” ever since.
Macomics is an SME biotech R&D company with lab premises in Edinburgh and Cambridge, and around 20 staff predominantly lab-based. When Lisa Seymour joined as Head of Operations, MyAmici was already in place. She’d never used a procurement platform before. Here’s what she found and what’s changed since.
Before using the MyAmici platform, Lisa had experienced purchasing being spread across multiple retailers with no single source of visibility, a familiar story for growing biotechs juggling lab sites, budgets and forecasting with limited operational headcount.
What changed on day one:
Every year, the MyAmici team presents Macomics with a breakdown of savings achieved giving Lisa’s team a clear, evidenced view of the value delivered beyond day-to-day ordering.
“It gave us a clear view of the value being delivered… you could see straight away the benefits of the platform.”
Those reviews go further than a savings figure they surface where Macomics could do better, whether that’s consolidating orders or shifting spend to preferred suppliers already on the system.
Since adopting the HSE module 12 months ago:
Every hazardous chemical order now triggers an approval step from someone with relevant H&S experience
Orders are reviewed before the chemical arrives checking COSHH forms, risk assessments and control measures are up to date. The team has moved from a reactive process to early intervention
“It’s given us better oversight, earlier intervention, and more confidence that hazardous substances are being managed properly across both sites.”
As Macomics grew from one site to two and its equipment inventory grew with it, tracking service contract renewals and sourcing better-value alternatives became harder to manage without a central system.
“Instead of using their time meeting with suppliers, negotiating prices for consumables, they can now spend that time on the science.”
“The customer service at MyAmici is honestly the best that I’ve come across.”
Lisa highlights quick, knowledgeable support from sourcing advice on lab equipment to fast resolution of supplier and delivery issues delivered by a team she describes as building genuine trust with Macomics over time.
“There has been no negatives since we’ve been using the system… the benefits massively outweigh the costs. We would definitely recommend MyAmici for other companies out there, big or small, especially in the R&D and life sciences space.”
— Lisa Seymour, Head of Operations, Macomics Limited