Procurement Pains in the Lab: Why It’s Time to Rethink the Way You Buy

Published: 8 Dec 2025
25 minutes read
Procurement Pains in the Lab: Why It’s Time to Rethink the Way You Buy article thumbnail image
Procurement Pains in the Lab: Why It’s Time to Rethink the Way You Buy

Procurement isn’t the reason most scientists get into science. But somewhere along the journey whether you’re scaling a biotech or running a fast-growing R&D lab it becomes part of the job.

And when it’s not done right, it can quietly drain time, money, and momentum from your organization.

In our recent webinar, Procurement Pains in the Lab and How to Solve Them, three seasoned experts — Chris Roarty, Ali Crowley, and Jon Green unpack the real-world challenges labs face and share practical, scalable solutions that can transform how you operate.

Jon Green, COO of ImmuOne, paints a familiar picture:

“Procurement was just bookmarks in browsers. No tracking. No audit trail. No visibility on spend. It was all a bit of a mess.”

Sound familiar? Many labs rely on ad-hoc systems that work — until they don’t. The result?

Scientists spending hours sourcing reagents instead of doing science
Missed milestones due to delayed or duplicated orders
Compliance risks from undocumented deliveries or hazardous materials
No financial control, no negotiation, no scalability

Ali Crowley, Head of Strategic Projects at Amici, makes a powerful comparison: “Procurement should be treated like HR or HSE when setting up a lab. It’s one of your biggest areas of spend after salaries — and it’s often overlooked.”

Outsourcing procurement to professionals or implementing a dedicated solution early ensures expertise, compliance, and scalability without burdening scientists or leadership with tasks outside their core focus. This approach prevents the chaos that slows scale-up and positions your organization for sustainable growth.

“It was the easiest enterprise system I’ve ever implemented. Intuitive, jargon-free, and supported every step of the way.”

What this means for:

Lab Managers

This means fewer bottlenecks and more predictable workflows.

Founders

It means protecting investor milestones and accelerating time-to-market.

CFOs

It means financial control, audit-ready compliance, and negotiated savings that compound as you grow.

Procurement isn’t a back-office task it’s a strategic lever. Treat it that way, and you’ll unlock time, money, and peace of mind.

Ready to Rethink Procurement?

If procurement is slowing your lab down, it’s time to take a smarter approach. Whether you’re a team of 5 or 500, the challenges are often the same — and the solutions are closer than you think.

Watch the webinar to hear the full conversation, explore real-world case studies, and discover how Amici can help you streamline your processes, save money, and give your scientists time back to focus on what matters most.