November 25, 2025
About LabKey
Adding equipment, software tools and members to the team are exciting parts of lab growth, but excitement can wane as lab members realize that the lab inventory system did not keep pace. In many cases, labs are using low-tech options such as Excel spreadsheets or disparate paper-based systems to manage their lab inventory. These approaches confound as each lab manager creates their own unique way of managing inventory, resulting in redundant purchases and an excess of lab materials. Or worse — running out of vital inventory, leading to a significant disruption in lab operations.
Lab inventory management systems address these challenges by helping labs transition from a diverse array of paper clipboards and spreadsheets to a centralized and ordered system. All of this makes it easier to locate and track a wide variety of lab inventory, such as specimens, clinical samples, cultures and culture media, collection kits, protective gear, and chemicals and buffers.
Contents: What Are They? | Key Features | Choosing the Right System
What Is a Lab Inventory System?
Lab inventory systems are software tools used to track and manage materials and supplies within a laboratory, ensuring organization and accessibility of resources. These systems are built to improve lab efficiency, allow accurate stock control, forecast future usage, prevent waste, and maintain regulatory requirements and accountability.
Key Benefits of a Lab Inventory System
- Reduce redundant orders and waste
- Prevent stockouts that delay experiments
- Improve accountability and compliance
- Give every team member the same real-time view of inventory
How Do They Help?
Lab inventory systems address common issues that labs encounter. For labs using Excel templates for their inventory management, these systems can address problems like manual data entry errors, accidental cell or file deletions, minimal permissions control, lack of concurrent entry, and little to no integration with other data sources. For those still working in pen and paper notebooks or other low-tech solutions, system adopters have a lot to gain. A few key motivators are the ability to centralize storage information, allow digital access from any lab space or office, automate entries, and speed up inventory tracking and data entry.
Key Features and Capabilities
Some lab inventory systems are more flexible than others, with the more robust systems offering a wide range of control over permissions. Many systems allow fields to be customized to specific lab requirements, and integrate easily with assay data, sample management, and electronic lab notebooks. If some of these options seem extraneous, there are still essentials to any lab inventory system that you should look for as you consider adopting a new software choice.
Essential Features of a Lab Inventory System
- Creating unique IDs for reagents (both by barcode and human-readable naming)
- Tracking and management of storage information for convenient findability
- Reports on remaining amounts of supplies for quick ordering
- Expiration date notifications
- Alerts that notify you when items are running low
- Integration with workflow tools to standardize processes
How to Choose the Right Lab Inventory System for Your Lab
Choosing a lab inventory system starts with being honest about how your lab works today and where you want to be in a few years. Before you compare vendors, get clear on your must-haves so you can quickly rule options in or out.
When you evaluate systems, look at:
- Lab size and type – whether you’re an academic lab, biotech, clinical lab, or core facility, make sure the system fits your complexity and headcount.
- Number of locations – confirm it can handle your actual storage layout, from a single freezer room to multiple buildings and sites.
- Regulatory needs – check for audit trails, role-based permissions, and chain-of-custody support if you work under GLP, CLIA, CAP, or similar frameworks.
- Integrations – make sure it can connect or exchange data with tools like your LIMS, ELN, assay platforms, or other core systems.
- Ease of use – look for a clear interface and simple workflows so new staff can learn it quickly and your team will actually keep it up to date.
- Scalability – choose a system that can grow with you if sample volume, locations, or project types increase over time.
A short checklist like this helps you compare options side by side and choose a lab inventory system that will work for your team long term, not just during a trial.
Lab Inventory with LabKey LIMS and Sample Manager
If you’re looking for a lab inventory system that can grow with your team, it’s worth thinking beyond standalone inventory tools. A modern LIMS ties inventory to samples, assays, and study data so you can track not only what you have, but how it’s being used and what results it supports.
LabKey Sample Manager gives labs an approachable starting point: inventory, sample tracking, freezer management, and basic workflows in one place. As your needs expand, you can build on the same platform with LabKey LIMS—adding more complex workflows, integrations, and reporting without switching systems.
