Market Differentiation and Unmatched Customer Service: Two Major Reasons Why You Should Consider LigoLab for Your LIS System Upgrade

The benefits associated with new technology are incredible, especially when it comes to streamlining and optimizing clinical labs and pathology groups. Words like increased efficiency, enhanced productivity, and cost savings are often part of the appeal that draws even the most change-resistant lab managers away from their current technologies.

Unfortunately, the excitement of a new laboratory information system (LIS) can quickly turn to disappointment if the lab chooses the wrong LIS company.

It is not to say that lab leaders shouldn't upgrade their medical laboratory information system software; quite the contrary. Given the current environment, upgrading to a robust LIS medical solution capable of meeting a lab's current and future requirements is essential.

"Modern laboratory information systems streamline and automate several tasks, creating a leaner, more competitive, and efficient operation while providing complete visibility into all business processes," said LigoLab CEO Suren Avunjian.

White Paper: Comparing LigoLab Informatics Platform with Legacy Laboratory Information System Software

What to Look for When Evaluating Laboratory Information System Vendors

When evaluating LIS vendors, lab decision-makers need to consider more than just marketing hype. They need to examine the entire clinical and pathology management software package to understand what the best LIS software can do to differentiate in the market. Key questions to ask include:

• What capabilities does the LIS system offer, and how does it compare in terms of overall functionality?
• Is it adaptable and scalable?
• What is the LIS model for pricing?
• What level of customer service does the LIS company provide?
• Is the LIS software vendor willing and able to invest in the organization's long-term success, or is it just selling an LIS lab solution with a high upfront cost and no long-term plan?

"The need to differentiate is a major reason why lab managers choose laboratory information system software like ours," said Avunjian. "The best LIS systems create differentiation by providing labs with unique advantages in their marketplaces, enabling them to support and retain existing clients while attracting new sources of revenue."

Discover More: Best LIS Software - Maximize Growth With Cutting Edge Pathology Lab Management Software

Why Modern LIS Systems Are Disrupting the Lab Market with Unmatched Support and Scalability

A Future-Ready LIS Software Platform With Top-Tier Support

Across the country, labs use similar equipment and employ the same board-certified medical directors. In this environment, modern LIS systems, such as LigoLab’s all-in-one Medical LIS & Lab Billing  Informatics Platform, have become key market disruptors, enabling some labs to excel in terms of features, functionality, and scalability.

LigoLab offers a future-ready informatics platform alongside unlimited, unmatched customer service from best-in-class personnel. This level of LIS system support begins on day one of implementation and continues well beyond go-live.

"When you upgrade to a modern lab information system, you gain that all-important partnership with your LIS system provider and all the help, from implementation and training to tech support and community membership, that they have to offer," said Avunjian. "For us as enterprise laboratory information system vendors, we view every interaction with a lab partner as an investment back into our company."

In two decades of doing business, not a single customer has migrated from LigoLab's comprehensive platform to an alternative medical LIS solution.

Industry Insights: The Rise and Fall of CoPath LIS - A Legacy Casualty of the Modern Lab Information System Era

A Lab-First Philosophy for Laboratory Information System Implementation

Collaborative, Not Cookie-Cutter

"We treat every lab information system implementation as if we're building the system for ourselves," said Petros Martirosian, LigoLab's Implementation Director. "That means we bring our expertise and best practices to the table, but we never force a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, we collaborate closely with our lab partners and adjust our process to meet their unique operational needs."

Since 2006, LigoLab has continually refined its LIS lab implementation process for its adaptable all-in-one laboratory platform. On average, LigoLab completes full LIS system implementations in just two months. Most LIS software vendors in the industry take years to implement similar systems.

Discover More: LigoLab’s Approach to LIS System Implementation and Support

LigoLab's Four-Phase LIS System Implementation Process

Step 1: Discovery

The implementation journey begins with an in-depth analysis. LigoLab maps out every detail of the lab's current operations, including workflows, instruments, integrated laboratory software systems, and tools, to gain a full understanding of existing practices. The implementation team identifies opportunities for optimization and collaborates with key stakeholders, including the organization’s interface team, laboratory billing team, and third-party developers.

Step 2: Configuration

Once the lab's operational framework is fully understood, LigoLab begins configuring the LIS system. It includes setting up master files and building out workflows tailored to the customer's needs. User training also begins at this stage, enabling staff to validate the setup and ensure it aligns with real-world processes.

Step 3: Testing & Validation

With configuration complete, the new laboratory information system enters a testing phase that lasts at least two weeks. During this period, the lab processes all case types simultaneously in both the legacy LIS software and the LigoLab platform. This parallel testing identifies discrepancies and ensures a smooth transition with minimal risk of disruption.

Step 4: Go-Live

After successful validation, the lab transitions to live operations on the new laboratory information system software. LigoLab's implementation team remains fully engaged during the first two weeks post-launch, working closely with the customer to resolve any issues and fine-tune the LIS system for peak performance.

Discover More: Keys to Keeping Your LIS System Implementation on Track

LigoLab Never Leaves Its Lab Information System Customers Out in the Cold

Seamless Handoff From Implementation to Support

"At the point where the implementation team drops off, the support team takes over," said Martirosian. "To our lab partners, the transition is seamless. They inherit a dedicated team with intimate knowledge of their LIS system environment that can quickly resolve any reported issues."

A Three-Tiered Support Structure

LigoLab's support team operates within a three-tiered structure, with each tier focused on solving a specific range of complexities. This arrangement enables the team to triage and escalate responses efficiently based on the issue at hand.

Level 1: The lab contacts LigoLab to report an issue, triggering a service request to a level one engineer. If the team cannot resolve the ticket at this level, they escalate it to the next level.

Level 2: Experienced engineers receive the escalated request, along with additional input from Level 1. They have access to LigoLab's Developer On Call (DOC) and work directly on a solution. If they cannot resolve the issue, they escalate it to the DOC for further assistance.

Level 3: If the DOC or level two engineers cannot resolve the issue, they escalate it to LigoLab's elite LIS software developers for resolution.

At every stage, LigoLab evaluates engineering performance through a structured approach that includes categorized service requests and internal service-level agreements (SLAs). As issues escalate, SLAs are adjusted to reflect urgency, and completed requests may be randomly selected for quality assurance review. This promotes best practice sharing across the entire team.

LigoLab's support team is available 24/7 at no additional cost. In most cases, customers receive a diagnosis, resolution, or clear timeline within 24 hours.

Discover More: Questions All Pathology Labs Should Ask When Evaluating LIS Software and Support

What About Laboratory Information System Software Updates?

An Informatics Platform That Continuously Evolves

Another important aspect of LigoLab's customer-first philosophy is its approach to laboratory information system software upgrades and updates. LigoLab's medical LIS solution is actively improving and expanding to meet the growing needs of its clinical laboratory and pathology practice customers.

"We are a dynamic team, and all our customers benefit from this agility. The platform is continuously evolving," said Emanuel Basag-Taroata, the Head of Service and a key contributor to LigoLab's Customer Success team. "We regularly ask for customer feedback because if we can develop features that help them differentiate and become even more productive, it's good for the entire LigoLab ecosystem of labs."

Industry Insights: Laboratory Information Systems and Their Key Role in Lab Data Analytics

How Often Is LigoLab's LIS Software Updated?

LigoLab provides quarterly LIS lab updates, and customers can add new features and functionality to their testing, training, and production environments at any time. Labs can opt in or out of updates; any version not updated within two years will reach end of life and expire.

Lab managers can reference the latest updates directly in the application by clicking on the “Version Features” button. The LigoLab application lists all new features and explanations in chronological order.

Discover More: A Closer Look at LigoLab’s Commitment to Innovation

How Long Does a Laboratory Information System Upgrade Take? 

"During the great majority of the laboratory information system software updates, there is no downtime," said Basag-Taroata. "The only real downtime is when the lab's updated training environment gets turned into a production environment. The downtime differs for each customer depending on server performance and database size, but in general, the bigger the version jump, the more time it will take."

The team resolves most bugs within hours and typically completes the full upgrade within a single day. Also noteworthy, LigoLab follows a strict policy of upgrading only one customer at a time to minimize risk and maximize support during the transition.

Industry Insights: Is Software Testing a Lost Art?

How the Laboratory Information System Software Upgrade Process Works 

Step 1: The Lab Decides to Upgrade

Lab personnel click the top menu within the application to view the latest LIS software version. When something new catches their attention, they initiate the upgrade by contacting the support team.

Step 2: Preparing for the LIS Software Upgrade

LigoLab configures a training environment to mirror the production environment for the latest version of the laboratory information system software.

Step 3: Coordinated Communication

The support team and the lab customer collaborate to ensure that every active project is replicated from the training environment to the production environment.

Step 4: The Team Creates a Backup Environment

Once configurations are synchronized, the support team creates a backup environment to prevent any issues from occurring during the update.

Step 5: The LIS System is Validated

The team replicates the lab’s production environment within LigoLab’s training environment, executes the upgrade, and thoroughly validates the system to confirm that all requested updates have been successfully implemented.

Step 6: Regression Testing

All issues are identified and fixed. LigoLab also uses its proprietary solution, Hydra, to stress-test the new version against the lab's server by recreating all orders from the previous 10 days and releasing them simultaneously to surface any errors.

Step 7: The Lab Begins Testing

The support team returns the updated training environment to the customer for comprehensive end-to-end testing, promptly resolving any issues identified during this phase before promoting the version to production.

Step 8: LigoLab Schedules the Go-Live

After the team resolves all issues and the customer approves deployment, both parties agree on a timeframe, and the team triggers the upgrade.

On-Demand Webinar: Has Our Laboratory Outgrown Its Laboratory Information System? 

How Does LigoLab Decide When and What to Update?

"When we design LIS system upgrades, we look ahead to where technology trends are taking the industry and anticipate what our lab partners' future needs will be," said LigoLab COO Gor Kalantaryan. "We also design new features based on customer requests, which get included into one code base slated to be part of our normal update to the rest of our laboratory partners."

When a lab requests a new LIS system feature, there are two options. If the request aligns with LigoLab’s development roadmap, it is included at no additional cost. If the feature is urgent and requires immediate development, LigoLab issues a not-to-exceed quote and fast-tracks the work.

"In both scenarios, all customers ultimately benefit," said Kalantaryan. "The new feature becomes part of the latest version of our laboratory information system software. Our customers form a community, and as a forward-thinking LIS company, we're committed to helping all of them eliminate growth barriers, enhance efficiency, and increase profitability."

Industry Insights: Building vs. Buying Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) - Dispelling Some Common Myths

Best-in-Class Personnel With a Specialty in Advanced LIS Software Development

LigoLab partners with its LIS system customers and takes full responsibility for their lab informatics. LigoLab’s all-in-one medical LIS & lab billing platform fuels business growth and digitally transforms laboratories into information-driven, future-ready operations through:

• A comprehensive, infinitely configurable, enterprise-grade laboratory information system software application
• Powerful, fully integrated modules providing end-to-end support for all lab workflow, including anatomic pathology, clinical laboratory, molecular diagnostics, laboratory revenue cycle management, and direct-to-consumer lab testing
• Aligned pricing tiers, unlimited support, no hidden fees, and no limits on seats or modules

Get Insight: LigoLab Informatics Platform - Uniquely Designed to Deliver Maximum Value

Ready to See LigoLab in Action?

Learn more about the market's most flexible and comprehensive laboratory information system and schedule your LIS software demo today.

Don’t Wait: Speak with a LigoLab Product Specialist!

Frequently Asked Questions About LigoLab's Approach to LIS System Upgrades, Implementations, and Support

How long does a LigoLab LIS system implementation typically take?

On average, LigoLab completes full LIS system implementations in approximately two months. This timeline is significantly faster than the industry norm, where most LIS software vendors take years to implement similar systems. The exact timeline depends on the lab's size, complexity, and the level of customization required.

What are the four phases of LigoLab's implementation process?

LigoLab's implementation follows four phases: Discovery, where the team maps out the lab's existing workflows and systems; Configuration, where the team builds the LIS lab framework to match the customer's needs; Testing and Validation, where both the legacy and new LIS systems run in parallel for a minimum of two weeks; and Go-Live, where the customer transitions to the new LIS system with LigoLab's team fully engaged for the first two weeks post-launch.

What happens to support after the implementation team hands it off?

The transition is seamless. LigoLab's dedicated support team, already familiar with the lab's specific setup, takes over immediately. They operate 24/7 at no additional cost and typically provide a diagnosis, resolution, or timeline within 24 hours of any reported issue.

How does LigoLab's three-tiered support arrangement work?

Level one handles initial issue intake and resolution. If unresolved, the ticket escalates to level two, where experienced engineers and a Developer On Call work on the solution. If the issue remains unresolved, it is escalated to level three: LigoLab's elite LIS software developers. Each escalation triggers an adjusted SLA to reflect urgency.

How often does LigoLab update its LIS software platform?

LigoLab provides quarterly platform updates, and customers can add new features to their environments at any time. Labs can opt in or out of updates, but if a customer does not update its version for over two years, it will reach end of life.

Is there an extra cost to request a new feature or customization?

Not always. If a requested feature aligns with LigoLab's development roadmap, it is added at no additional cost and rolled out to all customers with the next update. If the feature requires expedited development, LigoLab provides a do-not-exceed quote before proceeding.

How does LigoLab handle LIS system upgrades without disrupting lab operations?

LigoLab performs LIS software upgrades with minimal disruption by leveraging parallel environments, comprehensive regression testing, and its proprietary Hydra stress-testing tool to detect and resolve issues. Most upgrades are completed within a single day, and each is handled one customer at a time to ensure dedicated support throughout the process.

‍

‍