Actualité

4 February 2025

Laboratory equipment: how to simplify inventory and maintenance?

Manage your laboratory equipment stress-free with digitalization.

inventory, laboratory, maintenance, quality

Laboratories rely on a vast range of cutting-edge equipment, from micropipettes to sequencers and microscopes worth hundreds of thousands of euros.

Ensuring equipment quality is essential to:

Guarantee the reliability of analysis and experimentation results.
Preserve the longevity of costly instruments and maximize return on investment.
Comply with standards and certifications such as:
- Many laboratories adopted ISO 9001 to structure their quality management approach.
- ISO 17025 for calibration and testing laboratories.

Many laboratories still use manual methods like Excel® spreadsheets or paper records to track their equipment (inventory, preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance, etc.). While familiar, these tools make management tedious, increase the risk of human error, and complicate regulatory compliance—especially for laboratories committed to a quality approach.

This article explores the challenges laboratories face in equipment tracking and how digitalized equipment management provides an effective solution.

Challenges faced by laboratories

Lack of visibility on equipment status and history

The accumulation of equipment, often spread across multiple sites or departments, makes centralized management and tracking difficult. Without a single, reliable database, quickly accessing key information—such as the date of the last maintenance or the current status—becomes a challenge.

High equipment costs: the need for rigorous maintenance

Inadequate maintenance not only increases the risk of breakdowns and inaccurate results but can also jeopardize the insurance coverage of certain devices.

Manual equipment management: a time-consuming burden

Tracking and maintaining equipment are often handled by technicians for whom this is not a primary responsibility. This diverts them from their core tasks and adds to their workload.

A barrier to regulatory compliance

Traceability and data integrity related to equipment are crucial for obtaining quality certifications. With manual management methods, collecting proof of compliance becomes cumbersome, increasing the risk of non-compliance.

In response to these challenges, digitalized equipment management emerges as an essential solution for enhancing efficiency, improving quality, and optimizing laboratory resources.

How digitalization simplifies laboratory equipment management

Workflow automation

Automated workflows are at the core of Business Process Management (BPM) tools, such as equipment management software. They help structure and automate every stage of an equipment’s lifecycle—from acquisition to decommissioning—ensuring rigorous tracking and better coordination of maintenance activities.

With these workflows, laboratories can:

Define specific processes for each type of equipment, integrating maintenance actions, responsible teams, and deadlines.
Set up automated reminders and notifications, such as email alerts or in-app messages, to inform teams about upcoming tasks (preventive maintenance, calibration, part replacements, etc.).
Monitor operations in real-time with dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs), providing live tracking and personalized reports for faster, data-driven decision-making.

Features tailored to laboratory needs

Equipment management software provides centralized and precise tracking by assigning detailed information to each device, making management more efficient.

Identification & responsibility (equipment inventory) assigns a unique ID, records manufacturer details, tracks location, and designates a responsible person.
Preventive maintenance plan creates maintenance schedules to ensure proactive upkeep.
Corrective maintenance tracking – monitors repairs and unexpected failures.
Certification management – tracks accreditations and calibrations to ensure compliance with industry standards.
Documentation access – provides instant access to user manuals and procedures.
Personnel qualification tracking – monitors user certifications and authorizations.
Checklists implementation – simplifies equipment validation and maintenance operations with structured checklists.

Centralized data for improved collaboration

A digital platform consolidates all equipment-related information in one place, enhancing coordination between quality managers, technicians, and auditors. Centralized management eliminates information silos and boosts responsiveness in case of issues, ensuring seamless collaboration across teams.

Traceability, data Integrity, and security

Electronic signatures and audit trails enhance data traceability and integrity. Every action performed on equipment is logged with a detailed audit trail, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and simplifying audits.

Cloud-based SaaS solutions provide advanced protection against data loss or tampering through secure data storage, safeguarding critical information.

Benefits of digitalized laboratory equipment management

By automating equipment management, digitalization delivers tangible benefits that enhance laboratory performance while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Increased operational efficiency: focus on your core mission

Quality managers, HSE officers, and technicians no longer waste time searching for information in Excel® files or paper records. A centralized platform provides instant access to the full equipment history (status, maintenance, calibrations, etc.), allowing teams to focus on scientific work rather than time-consuming administrative tasks.

Financial savings: lower costs & extended equipment lifespan

Laboratory equipment represents a major investment. Planned preventive maintenance through a digital system can prevent costly breakdowns and downtime. Additionally, proper tracking extends equipment lifespan, optimizing expenses and reducing the need for replacements.

Easier certifications & audits

Digitalized equipment management is essential for regulated laboratories or those aiming for Quality Certification. A digital solution ensures complete traceability, with instant access to compliance documents, intervention reports, and maintenance history. All data is centralized and readily available during audits, simplifying the process and reducing stress during regulatory inspections.

How GxpManager helps you improve equipment management

GxpManager specializes in creating quality, safety, and compliance applications for regulated sectors such as Life Sciences (Pharma, Biotech, Medical Devices, Research Laboratories, Production Laboratories…).

Minimum 40% time savings compared to manual methods

Our applications for laboratories

Go further in improving Quality and Safety in the laboratory with GxpManager applications.

Quality Management System
EHS Management
Audit Management
Validation and inventories management

USE CASE

Inventory management for R&D computerized systems

The custom-built application by GxpManager simplifies the inventory management process for computerized systems, suppliers, and equipment.

Conclusion

Laboratory equipment maintenance is essential to ensure results’ reliability, extend equipment lifespan, reduce costs, and comply with regulatory requirements. However, manual management using Excel® files or paper documents leads to a lack of visibility, time loss, and an increased risk of errors or oversights.

With equipment management software like the GxpManager platform, you can automate equipment tracking, centralize data, and streamline maintenance processes.

Don’t let equipment management be a burden. With a modern digital solution, simplify inventory and maintenance while enhancing performance. Focus on what truly matters: innovation and scientific quality.