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From the Bench to the Backend: How LigoLab Turns Previous Lab Experience Into Chief Informatics Officer-Level Insight for Its Customers
April 10, 2025
At LigoLab, building advanced laboratory information systems (LIS software) has never been just about the technology - it has and continues to be about engineering and supporting modern pathology lab software solutions backed by key personnel who’ve lived the life and fully understand the frenetic pace of medical lab environments.
Many LigoLab team members bring direct clinical and anatomic pathology lab experience to their roles. Whether they worked as accessioners, techs, or IT and LIS admins, their hands-on familiarity with lab operations has become a major differentiator customers appreciate and value because that’s not the norm among other leading laboratory information system companies that are all about the LIS software but lack understanding, empathy, and support for lab professionals.
This unique insight into working in a lab enables the LigoLab team to deliver what amounts to Chief Informatics Officer-level guidance and strategic value to its laboratory customers. It allows the LIS company to move beyond the traditional vendor role and operate more like a strategic partner who understands the clinical, operational, and business realities that labs face.
With this valuable experience embedded across multiple departments, LigoLab helps its customers navigate complexity and make smarter decisions that positively impact their operations and business success.
Learn More: The Best Laboratory Information System Companies and the Advantages They Offer to Their Laboratory Clients
A Deep Understanding of the Lab Environment
Support Department Team Lead Drew Taphorn is in his fourth year with LigoLab after serving as an LIS system administrator at Reditus Labs. That role gave him a clear understanding of what matters most in the lab and how data drives patient care and operational efficiency.
“One of the biggest advantages of coming from the lab is understanding its important role and how operations impact patient care,” he said. “That perspective gives purpose to what we’re doing. Every request we handle matters because it directly affects patient outcomes.”
This depth of understanding isn’t something you can learn from a manual. It’s earned through experience. Taphorn’s lab background allows him to guide newer engineers, helping them bridge the gap between technical knowledge and clinical context - a hallmark of CIO-level thinking.
Frank Lee, now an LIS System Implementation Project Manager with nine years of service with Ligolab, started his career as an accessioner and courier before rotating through cytology, histology, and IT roles at Central Medical Laboratory and Western Pacific Medical Laboratory. He has worked across nearly every department of a pathology lab - from slide prep to instrument interfacing - and his nine years of lab experience allows him to communicate clearly with clients and provide realistic, data-informed implementation strategies with insight and empathy.
Learn More: Stability and Performance: The Two Most Important Aspects of a Modern Laboratory Operation
Translating Experience into Strategy and Support
Katie Bowman, an Application Support Engineer in her first year with LigoLab, began her 13-year lab career as an accessioner and molecular tech. Having worked with LigoLab as an end-user at Summit Pathology and UniPath (now Ariana Sciences), she brings an invaluable dual perspective that informs technical solutions and strategic decisions.
“There’s almost a language barrier between lab professionals and laboratory information system software teams,” she said. “Having experienced both worlds helps me interpret what labs are saying and translate it into LigoLab solutions.”
Allison Still, now in her fourth year as LigoLab’s LIS System Product Manager and a former UniPath/Ariana Sciences employee with molecular lab and IT experience, echoed that idea, reflecting on how her seven years of prior lab experience helps connect customer concerns with the development team’s language.
“Now that I get the developers’ perspective, I can help both sides communicate better. When I was in the lab, I’d email support or developers and think, ‘Why don’t they understand my issue?’ Now I can help translate that,” she said.
Aaron Harris, who recently joined LigoLab as an Application Support Engineer, comes from the IT side of the lab world. At Avero Diagnostics (formerly Northwest Pathology) in Washington state, he worked directly with hospital systems for four years, learning workflows from the ground up. That experience gives him a unique perspective on support workflows and system optimization, enabling him to troubleshoot effectively and anticipate - with precision - what clients need.
“Understanding workflows helps tie seemingly unrelated events together when supporting clients,” he said. “It helps create a more complete vision of their goals.”
This ability to bridge communication gaps and immediately interpret lab needs into actionable lab information system outcomes is a primary example of what sets LigoLab apart from other LIS vendors.
White Paper: Summit Pathology - Achieving Laboratory Profitability Amidst Operational Pressures
Training with Empathy and Clarity
Training plays a critical role in LIS system adoption and data governance, and Lee underscored the importance of designing it to reflect the mindset and workflows of lab professionals.
“You can’t just say ‘Go do something.’ You need to visualize how a tech at the bench thinks and communicates. That’s how training becomes truly effective,” he said.
A sentiment fully endorsed by Bowman.
“When I walk a client through something and they say, ‘This is great, thank you so much,’ it’s a personal win. It feels good to educate and empower them,” she said.
By designing training materials that mirror real lab workflows and communication styles, LigoLab ensures that clients adopt the comprehensive and flexible platform and optimally use it to interpret their data, a key responsibility of any Chief Informatics Officer.
Cultivating Growth, Confidence, and Leadership
Taphorn has grown into a leadership role at LigoLab by mentoring new engineers and guiding internal training. He regularly meets with his team members one-on-one to build technical and clinical fluency, bridging the gap between IT and lab language so the engineers can better support customers.
His experience with compliance also adds unique value to the LigoLab team.
“I’ve gone through CAP audits and worked directly with compliance directors. Now, I help ensure our clients’ workflows stay aligned with the highest standards in lab accreditation,” he said.
Lee added that his LIS system software implementation work is often made easier by his ability to anticipate what lab staff need without requiring lengthy explanations.
“I can visualize their bench while they’re explaining things. That saves time, builds trust, and avoids confusion,” he said.
White Paper: Vendor to Partner - How Aligning with Your LIS System Provider Can Transform Your Lab
Empowering Clients Through Shared Experience
Bowman noted that LigoLab’s support model differs from what she experienced with other LIS software vendors.
“This platform promotes customer learning. We empower labs to understand how to build rules, validate changes, and explore features safely in a training environment. It’s not just support - it’s education,” she said.
Still, who previously worked with another lab information system provider while at Unipath, noticed a stark difference in approach.
“When our lab acquired another lab that used a legacy LIS system, that legacy vendor never asked what we thought or tried to help us,” she said.”Their support was okay, but there was no advisory board or feedback loop like we have at LigoLab.”
Harris agreed, noting that the ultimate reward is finding solutions for customers that help them succeed.
“It’s satisfying to parse through a complex issue and arrive at a solution that meets the lab’s unique needs. It helps everyone grow,” he said.
Industry Insights: Empowering Laboratories - The Benefits of Full Agency Over LIS System Configuration
Your Lab's Unofficial Chief Informatics Officer
LigoLab’s commitment to hiring individuals with direct lab experience is more than a nice-to-have. It’s a core part of the pathology lab software company’s identity - and its ability to serve as a strategic partner.
These team members don’t just respond to tickets - they anticipate challenges, interpret complex workflows, and communicate with empathy. They guide customers with confidence. Their real-world experience in challenging lab settings gives them credibility, strategic insight, and purpose.
“We’re not just LIS software experts,” said Lee. “We’re former lab professionals. And that makes a difference.”
For labs seeking more than the typical customer-vendor relationship, LigoLab delivers on that promise daily.
Learn More: Navigating the Future of Pathology: The LigoLab Advantage
Explore the Future of Laboratory Informatics Today
Now’s the time to discover how the LigoLab Informatics Platform empowers laboratories with seamless integration, advanced automation, and scalable solutions designed by lab professionals for lab professionals.
Your lab deserves more than just LIS laboratory information system software - it deserves a partner.
