In an increasingly digital world, businesses are recognizing the need to streamline operations and harness the power of technology. The airline industry has made significant strides in this regard, moving away from traditional paper-based systems to digital platforms. What would a similar push look like for Environmental Labs? This transformation is not just about going paperless, it's about achieving greater time efficiency, enhancing accuracy, and realizing substantial cost savings.
Analog to Digital: The Airline Ticketing Revolution
Airlines have long recognized the inherent inefficiencies of paper-based ticketing systems. High printing costs, manual distribution, potential loss, and errors, all contribute to increased overheads and decreased customer satisfaction. To address these issues, airlines are increasingly encouraging passengers to adopt digital boarding passes.
Take Alaska Airlines, for instance. They are remodeling their check-in lobbies at 115 airports, phasing out self-service kiosks that print boarding passes, and installing iPad-based stations designed solely for printing luggage tags. At present, about 90% of the airline's passengers at these airports use digital boarding passes, signifying a successful transition.
Some airlines have even introduced fees for printing boarding passes to incentivize the adoption of digital tickets. Breeze Airways charges $3 per printed boarding pass, while Allegiant Air charges $5, except for current or retired military members. The likes of Spirit and Frontier Airlines are even higher, with costs rising up to $25.
The result of this digital shift? Airlines are saving money and time, enhancing operational efficiency, and minimizing environmental impact.
Environmental Laboratories: A Time to Go Digital
Environmental laboratories, typically reliant on paper-based chain-of-custody procedures, are beginning to see the advantages of digitization. SampleServe's digital chain-of-custody platform is spearheading this shift, promising a host of benefits for laboratories.
One question that laboratories should ask is: how long does it take to process paper chain-of-custody forms? This process can be arduous and time-consuming, as it involves manual documentation, susceptible to human error. Additionally, the time spent transferring data from paper forms to digital platforms can be quite significant. In contrast, a digital chain-of-custody process eliminates these time-intensive tasks, leading to enhanced efficiency and accuracy.
SampleServe's platform improves communication between project managers and laboratories, facilitating efficient project management. The platform's workload forecasting feature allows better planning and resource management, translating into cost savings. By utilizing QR coded custody seals and bottle labels, SampleServe enables a smooth, paperless sample receiving process.
Additionally, the platform's compatibility with any lab's LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) ensures a smooth transition from paper-based systems to digital ones, making it an ideal choice for environmental labs aiming to modernize their operations.
Considering these benefits, environmental laboratories could potentially follow the airlines' lead and introduce a fee for clients who prefer to use paper-based chain-of-custody procedures. This could serve as an effective strategy to encourage the transition to digital processes, thus leading to enhanced efficiency and cost savings.
Embrace the Digital Transformation
As evidenced by the transformations in the airline industry and environmental laboratories, transitioning from paper-based to digital operations is crucial for achieving greater operational efficiency and cost savings.
The biggest difference between airlines and environmental labs however is transitioning to a digital workflow costs next to nothing, as SampleServe’s platform is free for all labs. the long-term benefits, including time savings, enhanced accuracy, and reduced costs, are significant. It's time for all industries to pose these critical questions and embrace the digital revolution. Platforms like SampleServe are leading the way, showcasing the bright future of digital operations. It is evident that digital is not just the future, it is the now.
