SmartLabs is the leading provider of flexible laboratory infrastructure and resourcing solutions in the world’s most advanced biopharma hubs. The company offers research organizations of all sizes and stages turnkey programs that combine reconfigurable lab infrastructure, lab operation services, and scientific expertise to support drug development workflows from early discovery to commercial manufacturing.
Delivering the sophisticated infrastructure and operational support to accelerate scientific breakthroughs is no easy feat. Managing it across hundreds of lab spaces on both coasts for partner companies with a range of focus areas and approaches becomes all the more complicated. SmartLabs must simultaneously address myriad layers of jurisdictions, regulation and organizational culture.
Keeping everyone in compliance poses a challenge, according to Jasmine Nguyen, an EHS and Lab Operations Manager at the SmartLabs 40 Guest Street research center in Boston, Massachusetts.
And regulations, inspections and training are only part of the story.
Natalie Kosmandakis, an EHS and lab operations colleague of Jasmine expands on the challenge. “We work with a bunch of companies, and everyone has different workflows,” said Natalie. “We have to coordinate not only with different personalities but everything from upstream and downstream lab planning, layouts and compliance”.
With SciShield, SmartLabs has instituted a web-based platform to efficiently manage chemical inventory, safety data sheets (SDS), inspections, equipment, biological registration and medical surveillance. Sherydan Quinn, an EHS and Lab Operations Manager on the SmartLabs team, recalls the difficulties faced prior to adopting SciShield.
“Before SciShield, we had a different chemical inventory system and a different inspection system,” said Sherydan. “They were not linked. We had a bunch of systems that didn’t integrate or talk to each other.” Those communication difficulties were one of the primary reasons SmartLabs moved to SciShield, according to Sherydan. “Everything’s linked and talks to each other now.”
SmartLabs implemented SciShield in December 2019, starting with ChemTracker and modules for SDS, Inspections and Equipment Management. In 2021 they added Biosafety Management, followed by Medical Surveillance in 2022.
Now the SciShield platform functions as a unified management system, bringing transformational improvement to EHS and lab operations, from ease of use to efficiency and operational insight.
“I really like the user friendliness,” said Natalie. “We onboard every single person who is entering lab spaces since it also has our safety training.” The system makes the whole process simple. “We give them access as needed,” said Natalie. “If they’re working as a lab manager, they’ll have a broader view than researchers that just need to see SDS and chemical inventory.”
Beyond simplicity and usability, the advantages of the SciShield platform have been clear.
Previously Natalie used a manual, back-end process to pull data for reporting. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that ChemTracker can deliver the same customized, detailed data – but much quicker.
“I have cut my time in half by using ChemTracker for pulling up reports and conducting inspections,” said Natalie. “It’s so beneficial. Especially with flammable and corrosive materials. Being able to section off hazard classes – those are big ones that would take a lot of time if we didn’t have this.”
Julianna Skelton, who works as a senior EHS Lab Operations Manager at the SmartLabs 6 Tide Street research center in Boston, has had a similar
experience. “One of the things that we have to do weekly is a BFD (Boston Fire Department) requirement to track maximum allowable quantities (MAQs) for chemicals,” said Julianna. ChemTracker is able to segregate the necessary data, simplifying the process. “Just being able to pull that from SciShield makes a big difference,” said Julianna.
With the time saved to EHS, Lab Ops, and scientists everyone can focus on keeping the science up and speed to clinic.
| INVENTORY SEARCH | It used to take 15 minutes for the EHS team to find and view the chemical inventory for a given lab or group. Now they can do it in 1-2 minutes. | 87% Time Saved |
| INVENTORY RECONCILIATION | Reconciling the inventory for an entire research center would have been an all-day affair. With SciShield, they can accomplish it in as little as 20 minutes. | 99% Time Saved |
| INVENTORY REPORTING | Previously, generating a chemical inventory report would have taken half an hour. Now they can do it in a minute. | 97% Time Saved |
The ability to access specific data with SciShield has not only given SmartLabs a better understanding of the hazards across their nationwide network of research centers. It’s also provided the means to facilitate a stronger safety culture.
Their previous process was ineffective and couldn’t deliver the granular breakdown by researcher or R&D suites. Now the EHS department has better visibility and awareness – and can easily take necessary actions. Julianna points to the example of Safety training. The team uses SciShield to send automated reminders, but occasionally researchers will still fall behind on training.
“In case someone falls into a delinquency, we can just send off those particular emails as needed,” she says. Whether it’s for inspections or training, the team has instant access to the backlog records of correspondence. “That is just so convenient.” Improved information management has also led to more targeted safety actions in other facets. Consider the task of posting signage in the company’s 729 lab spaces. “Now we can break it down by suite,” said Natalie. “For instance, ‘This suite only has non-hazardous material and only needs the necessary spill kit that pertains to these chemicals.’”
Beyond supporting a foundation for successful lab safety compliance, the SciShield platform has been a boost to workplace culture.
“It’s helped my happiness for sure,” said Natalie. “It cuts down time and energy spent on tasks.I’ve loved working with it,” adds Julianna. “It’s intuitive and easy to understand. I definitely appreciate that.” Meanwhile, the team is looking to the future, and advancing their ability to deliver flexible, customized labs that enable partner organizations to focus on research.
“One of the biggest areas we’re currently working on is improving our incident reporting system,” said Julianna. “We’re looking into adding the SciShield module for Incident Management, and improving the process of how data is collected in that process and the follow- through of getting back to members.”
As a company with so many different facilities and specialized user groups, SmartLabs intents on unifying lab management and safety processes as much as possible. Having all their data easily available is essential. “We’re standardizing a lot of practices across all sites,” Julianna added. “SciShield has been really helpful in this process.”
SmartLabs was founded in 2015 based on the belief that modern science requires a new, adaptable resourcing infrastructure as the standard to future-proof the industry and accelerate the pace of scientific breakthroughs for everyone, everywhere. The company offers the first integrated platform combining flexible lab infrastructure, operations, digital solutions, and scientific expertise. Its Managed Research Centers allow clients to access private, enterprise-grade R&D infrastructure and manufacturing solutions “as-a-service” without upfront capital investments, providing holistic end-to-end life science solutions for various modalities across all stages of the drug development cycle. With headquarters in Boston, SmartLabs serves diverse biotech, biopharma and life sciences organizations with a unique model designed to help enable the future of the industry.
To learn more about SmartLabs, visit www.smartlabs.com
