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How to Turn Your Mid-Sized Medical Laboratory into a Thriving Large-Scale Operation
November 18, 2025
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It didn’t happen overnight, but thanks to your business acumen and a strong support team, your start-up anatomic pathology practice or reference laboratory has matured and blossomed into a successful business with a solid client base and an equally solid reputation.
Congratulations are in order. This was no small achievement, especially given the challenges facing laboratories today. Rising costs, staffing shortages, complex regulations, revenue pressure, and increased competition have made success harder than ever. Yet your lab navigated all of it. You’re here today because of sound planning, timely decisions, and strong execution.
The journey from start-up to established was challenging enough. If the goal now is to evolve from a mid-sized laboratory into a thriving large-scale operation, new obstacles and risks will emerge. With that in mind, here are several recommendations to help support your growth and expansion.
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Avoid Paralysis by Laboratory Analysis
As a start-up with a much smaller staff, management decisions were likely made after gathering input from your colleagues. The engagement of all stakeholders affected by a planned change (while the process is happening) is a common and accepted practice in change management doctrine.
But what if this collective engagement fails to reach a consensus and instead creates decision-making paralysis? What then?
An interesting article in the Harvard Business Review (Leading a Midsize Business Through Change) touched on this topic, with author Ron Ashkenas suggesting that “the real issue is not whether to get a large number of people involved or not, but how to get them involved.”
Ashkenas, a Partner Emeritus at Schaffer Consulting and co-author of the Harvard Business Review Leader’s Handbook, argues that it's human nature to view change through a “will this be good or bad for me and my team” lens, and because of this, decision-making and concluding change becomes more difficult as more people get involved.
He draws a clear line between sharing opinions and making decisions, and says this is where many mid-sized companies get stuck. In his view, strategic decisions should be made by a small group, typically the CEO and a few trusted executives. Once those decisions are set, a broader team can work together to communicate and implement them.
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Guiding Principles for Major Change
Ashkenas ends his article with two guiding principles for mid-sized companies that value engagement:
• Be clear about whether you're involving people for input or asking them to make a decision.
• Ensure there is a dedicated leader who stays closely involved throughout the process.
Applying the Ashkenas Principles to Clinical and Pathology Lab Management
Now, let’s pivot back to the topic at hand, and that’s how to turn your successful mid-sized medical laboratory into a large-scale operation that dominates the marketplace.
With nearly two decades of experience in this space, we at LigoLab have often worked with labs like yours, growing businesses on the verge of greatness, as long as they make the right decisions going forward.
Based on our experiences and best practices, we recommend the Ashkenas approach to decision-making. Effectively communicate the plan to all stakeholders at every stage and leave all mission-critical decisions up to a small and experienced leadership team.
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We’ve Been There Before
As founders of LigoLab, Edward Kharatian and I can relate to your current situation. Before founding our laboratory information system (LIS software) company in 2006, we worked together at Healthline Clinical Laboratories.
Edward was the CIO, and I ran the lab’s IT department. We leveraged the pathology lab software technology available on the market to grow the business, and it eventually became the largest privately held lab in California.
Technology was a huge enabler, but as we grew, we realized these piecemeal solutions resulted in multiple lab vendors. As a business, we went from being innovative and cutting-edge to being in constant maintenance mode.
The lessons learned at Healthline helped us launch our LIS company with a shared vision of the advantages inherent in an integrated and unified pathology lab management system.
Stop Building a Laboratory Information System Monster
Over our many years of service, we’ve learned to recognize a few common trends that need to be addressed now if your lab is to modernize, grow efficiently, and achieve its goals.
Is your lab using multiple disparate laboratory software systems (LIS systems, electronic health records, laboratory billing systems, etc.) to complete clinical laboratory workflows? If so, how many diagnostic lab software systems are you currently using? Do they integrate smoothly, or are they creating data silos? What happens when something goes wrong and multiple lab vendors point fingers instead of taking responsibility? Are you still logging QA/QC items on paper or spreadsheets?
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We see prospective laboratory partners who’ve outgrown their original laboratory information systems and created a lab information system monster by piecing together multiple systems and workarounds to do the job.
The reality is that interfaces between separate systems are expensive, difficult to maintain, and often lead to inconsistent data. That’s why a unified, all-in-one medical LIS solution like the LigoLab Informatics Platform is so valuable. It brings every department and role in unison, creating a single source of truth.
LigoLab is built to streamline workflows, promote efficiency, and support growth. Without a highly efficient LIS system platform, it becomes difficult for a laboratory to break through operational barriers or scale quickly and sustainably.
LigoLab’s laboratory information system software platform includes over a dozen embedded modules integral to a laboratory’s success, including an Integration Engine, Laboratory Outreach Solutions, Document Scanning, Sendout Management, Laboratory Customer Service Software, Business Intelligence, Rules and Automation, and more.
All these modules work in tandem to provide a holistic, all-in-one LIS lab solution tailored to meet the needs of multifaceted and modern anatomic pathology practices and clinical laboratories.
Discover More: Comparing LigoLab Informatics Platform with Legacy Laboratory Information System Software
The Difference Between LIS Vendors and Laboratory Informatics Partners
Lastly, here is a word of caution as you and your leadership team start researching the attributes of laboratory information systems and speaking with LIS software vendors.
Legacy laboratory information system companies often rely on big marketing budgets and flashy presentations. They typically require a large upfront capital investment for the LIS software license, and as your laboratory grows, they add hidden fees for additional seats and modules.
With this setup, the legacy LIS lab vendor is paid upfront and has little incentive to listen to your feedback or make improvements that support your lab’s growth.
The LigoLab approach is different. The cost of our LIS laboratory information system software license is directly aligned with your lab’s testing volume and long-term goals. Huge upfront capital is not required to use the LIS software, and LIS model pricing for the license is tiered to ensure a tailored fit and maximum value.
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This positions your lab for immediate success, and you won’t be penalized for growing. The LigoLab license includes the full medical LIS solution with no extra charges for adding modules or seats.
This partnership approach is also evident in research and development. We firmly believe in the power of innovation and in constantly enhancing our platform’s offerings, thus ensuring that our partner laboratories are equipped to handle current demands and future changes in an industry that continues to evolve.
At LigoLab, we understand these high-stakes decisions and provide both the playbook and partnership needed for long-term success.
Discover More: Why LigoLab’s LIS System Implementation Model Outpaces Legacy Lab Vendors
Ready to Build a Future-Ready Lab?
Make informed decisions with a partner who understands what’s at stake. Schedule a 15-minute discovery call with a LigoLab product specialist and see how our platform supports labs from implementation to go-live and beyond.
