Scientific research requires focus, precision, and uninterrupted time at the bench. Yet in many laboratories, scientists spend a significant portion of their day managing operational tasks rather than conducting experiments.
According to data referenced by MyAmici, scientists can lose up to 20% of their research time to manual administrative work, including sourcing supplies, placing orders, tracking deliveries, and reconciling invoices.
For modern biotech and life science labs, this hidden operational workload can have a major impact on productivity.
Running experiments requires far more than scientific expertise. Many labs rely on scientists themselves to manage routine operational processes such as procurement, approvals, and inventory tracking.
These tasks often include:
Scientists frequently search multiple supplier websites to locate reagents, equipment, or consumables. This process can involve comparing suppliers, checking availability, and placing individual orders across multiple vendors.
When experiments depend on precise timing, delayed or missing deliveries can disrupt research schedules. Scientists or lab managers often spend time contacting suppliers, tracking shipments or trying to locate missing deliveries.
Orders may require internal approvals from finance or safety teams. Without streamlined workflows, this often means chasing approvals through emails or disconnected systems. Once products arrive, finance teams need to match invoices, purchase orders, and deliveries. Scientists are often pulled into this process to confirm details or resolve discrepancies.
Research from MyAmici indicates that scientists can spend up to one day per week on administrative tasks related to procurement and lab operations. At an organizational level, the impact becomes even clearer.
In one biotech case study featured by MyAmici, replacing spreadsheet-based purchasing workflows saved 89 working days per year across ordering and sourcing activities. You can read the case study here.
For fast-growing biotech companies, that amount of time can represent the equivalent workload of an additional full-time team member.
Administrative complexity often grows gradually as research organizations scale.
Early-stage labs typically start with simple tools such as:
These processes can work well when teams are small. However, as labs grow, operational demands increase:
Without centralized systems, information becomes fragmented across tools and workflows. Scientists and lab managers often end up acting as the bridge between procurement, suppliers, and finance.
Over time, administrative tasks become embedded in everyday scientific work.
Reducing administrative workload in research environments typically involves improving how procurement and inventory workflows operate.
Centralized procurement systems can consolidate tasks such as:
When these processes are integrated into a single workflow, laboratories spend less time managing operational details and more time on research.
In addition, real-time inventory visibility can help labs maintain critical supplies without manually checking stock levels or placing urgent orders.
The statistic that scientists lose up to 20% of their research time to administration highlights a broader operational challenge in life science organizations. Biotech companies depend on speed, innovation, and efficient research cycles. When scientists spend large portions of their week on procurement tasks, the pace of discovery slows.
Reducing operational friction does not just improve efficiency — it enables research teams to focus on the work that drives scientific progress.
Ultimately, the goal is simple:
Less time managing lab logistics. More time advancing science.
Scientists often handle operational activities such as ordering supplies, tracking deliveries, and reviewing invoices. In many labs these processes rely on manual workflows, spreadsheets, and supplier websites, which can create additional administrative work.
Data referenced by MyAmici indicates that scientists can lose up to 20% of their research time to administrative tasks such as sourcing supplies, placing orders, and reconciling invoices.
Many labs begin with spreadsheets to manage purchasing because they are simple and easy to implement. However, as teams grow, spreadsheets can create confusion when multiple users edit the same documents or manually enter product information.
As labs scale, procurement and inventory management become more complex. Organizations must manage more suppliers, products, approvals, and compliance requirements, which increases administrative workload.
In one biotech example, replacing manual purchasing processes resulted in 89 working days of time saved in one year across sourcing and procurement activities.
Procurement processes determine whether labs receive the equipment, reagents, and consumables needed to run experiments. When purchasing and inventory workflows are fragmented, scientists may spend significant time managing logistics rather than conducting research.