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A Closer Look at LigoLab’s Commitment to Innovation
December 19, 2024
“It is essential that modern-day medical labs modernize by adopting innovative technologies and best processes to improve productivity, relationships with their customers, streamline operations, and maximize value.”
What is innovation?
For some laboratory information system companies, the term “innovation” has been used so frequently that it has become a buzzword, a trendy expression, a marketing phrase with little substance.
That’s unfortunate because true innovation is what the medical community, especially clinical labs and pathology groups, needs right now. This is required to navigate a constant web of serious external threats such as record-setting volumes, ongoing reimbursement cuts, complex payer requirements, increased competition, rising supply costs, and an alarming shortage of quality support personnel.
Learn More: Four Game-Changing Business Strategies to Improve Laboratory Processes
LigoLab’s Customer-Centric Past and How It Relates to Today’s LIS System Innovation
In 2006, the co-founders of LigoLab Information System fully understood what was lacking in the LIS lab space and addressed it by establishing a LIS company based on innovation and extreme partnership.
This focus on innovation wasn’t by accident but based on real-world experience after two of the three founders spent the seven previous years working for a successful lab operation that grew to be the largest privately held lab in California. Their lab was eventually sold to a large national lab, but not before many lessons on how to scale a laboratory and unleash its potential were learned (click the link below to get the full story behind the birth of LigoLab as a company).
Learn More: How a Shared Vision Became the Definitive LIS System Choice for Modern Laboratories
From the start, LigoLab has always focused on the customer, and that’s for good reason. The company launched as a pathology lab software start-up backed by customer funding instead of the typical investor funding route.
Editor’s Note: You can learn more about LigoLab’s decision to use customer funding and what it meant for the growth of the LIS company in a recent article written by CEO Suren Avunjian, linked here: Unconventional Growth Strategies for Software Startups
This customer funding strategy meant direct financial support from customers through pre-orders, subscriptions, and memberships in those early days. LigoLab CEO Suren Avunjian and his fellow co-founders leveraged their reputations and prior relationships with medical laboratories to secure advance payments for their LIS software solutions.
Going this route meant LigoLab would be an outlier compared to other LIS system vendors owned by private equity groups that answer to shareholders only interested dividends.
Risky, yes, but almost two decades later, LigoLab is a lab information system company that continues to be laser-focused on the customer and enjoys the freedom to innovate for the benefit of customers without any investor pressure.
“At LigoLab, we continue to invest more than 50 percent of company revenue into research and development because that’s what it takes to remain a true innovator and partner,” stated Avunjian. “With this commitment, we can release three-to-four new features daily. We’re committed to this because we understand the lab environment is constantly changing and we want our customers to have everything they need to win today and tomorrow. We take great pride in delivering on our promise of differentiation by providing these labs unique advantages in their marketplaces.”
According to Avunjian, this differentiation enables LigoLab customers to easily and effectively support and retain their existing clients and attract and expand new revenue sources.
“Unlike rigid and outdated legacy LIS systems, modern LIS systems have become key market disruptors, enabling forward-thinking labs to rise above others in functionality, automation, tracking, and scalability,” he said.
Learn More: Can Your Laboratory Information System Support the Latest LIS System Technology?
Free Customer Updates Supported by Three LIS Software Environments
You know the phrase “Nothing comes free in life.”
Unfortunately, that statement is often true, but not when referring to LigoLab’s laboratory information system software updates it provides for customers.
“From Day One we’ve always offered customers free LIS software upgrades with unlimited seats and modules. We don’t believe in hidden fees and strictly transactional relationships with our customers, “ said Avunjian. “This is a significant advantage for medical labs looking to grow and scale their operations efficiently,” he said.
So with multiple LIS system features released daily, how do these features go from the developers to the labs that need them?
“To reference our latest LIS lab software updates all a director or LIS system manager has to do is click the version release features button embedded within the application,” added Emanuel Basag-Taroata, LigoLab’s Support Manager. “From there they can see what’s new and available instantly. All the latest features and their explanations are listed chronologically in this area.”
Basag-Taroata further explained that LigoLab offers quarterly LIS software updates, but none are forced onto the customer. Partners can opt in or out of the quarterly updates with the understanding that an upgrade is mandatory after two years because versions over two years old aren’t supported and expire.
It’s also important to note that all laboratory information system software updates are performed at night and on a day the customer chooses to ensure no disruption to the customer’s live environment.
Customers appreciate LigoLab’s policy of not charging for LIS software modifications deemed necessary to meet compliance terms with federal and state government regulators, and the support team’s ability to use the innovative LIS system software to devise creative solutions for challenging issues.
“The LigoLab team clearly demonstrates through their support and actions that they are interested in keeping up with the latest technology and developments in healthcare. We’re a pathology practice that wants to stand out among the rest, and LigoLab supports that mission.
Kristen Conley, Chief Information Officer, Eastern Connecticut Pathology Consultants
The Three LIS Software Environments and How They Are Used
To accommodate an informatics platform constantly evolving with new features and functionality, LigoLab offers each of its customers three dedicated LIS software environments: Testing, Training, and Production.
First, all new features are developed, validated, and automatically rolled out to all customers via the Testing environment.
Next, the Training environment is there for the customers to train, test, and validate specifically controlled version updates on their schedule.
Only after thorough testing and validation, are version updates pushed from the Training to the Production environment.
Editor’s Note: For more information about LigoLab’s three LIS software environments along with much more detail about LigoLab’s approach to implementation, support, and training, we invite you to visit the “Our Process” portion of this website.
Setting a New Standard for LIS System Excellence
Since its founding in 2006, LigoLab has consistently set a new standard for LIS system software development by emphasizing strong customer partnerships and constant innovation. Known for its all-in-one laboratory information system and lab billing software, the LigoLab LIS & RCM Laboratory Informatics Platform, the dynamic pathology software company continues to focus on rapidly developing features that once in the hands of its customers, have the power to streamline clinical lab workflow and help transform them into modern and profitable lab operations.
Key to this approach is the integration of rapid development with three dedicated software environments and stringent testing protocols, ensuring both speed and thoroughness.
“Innovation involves transforming traditional laboratory practices to enhance efficiency, comply with complex regulations, reduce costs, and ultimately deliver better patient outcomes,” concluded Avunjian. “True innovation goes beyond adopting the latest tools; it’s about reimagining laboratory operations to meet current demands and anticipate future needs.”
For Avunjian and all of LigoLab, this commitment to genuine innovation sets the business apart. By focusing on real-world solutions to industry challenges, LigoLab embodies substantive and impactful innovation - not just a buzzword.
Learn More: LigoLab’s LIS System Software Testing and Quality Control Plan
