Be Effectively Reactive

Brett Saremba

Brett Saremba

— 2 min read
Be Effectively Reactive
Building the plane as the passengers board

Most LIMS projects don’t start in calm waters.

They start when the lab is growing fast, drowning in spreadsheets, or scrambling to keep up with compliance. The business doesn’t call for a LIMS because everything is smooth. They call for one when the cracks are starting to show.

That means you’re not implementing in a vacuum. You’re building a system for a business that’s already in motion. Changing, evolving, sometimes even mid-crisis. It’s like building a plane while the passengers are boarding, and deciding whether you’ll take off or land based on what’s needed in the moment.

We love to talk about being “proactive” in projects. It sounds noble. But the truth is: LIMS implementations are fundamentally reactive. Success doesn’t come from pretending otherwise. It comes from being effectively reactive.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Anchor to Current Pain Points, Not Hypotheticals

When the business is changing fast, hypothetical future requirements are shaky ground. Anchor your backlog to the pains they’re feeling right now.

  • If samples are getting lost, solve traceability first.
  • If reporting is eating hours, get a quick reporting pipeline stood up.
  • Park the “someday nice-to-haves” until the fires are under control.

2. Expect Change and Build for It

Don’t design like requirements are static. They won’t be.

  • Keep workflows modular so one change doesn’t ripple everywhere.
  • Document assumptions clearly so they can be challenged later.
  • Use sprint reviews as checkpoints to validate the evolving business reality.

3. Timebox Requirements, Don’t Perfect Them

Labs often want to nail every requirement upfront. That’s a trap.

  • Timebox discovery: capture “good enough” requirements and move on.
  • Get hands on with a Minimum Viable LIMS quickly. Real use surfaces hidden needs faster than workshops ever will.

4. Turn Surprises Into Deliverables

Something will always blindside you: a new instrument, a new assay, a new regulation. Treat surprises as inputs, not setbacks.

  • Have a triage process ready: Is this urgent? Can it be phased?
  • Communicate impact clearly to stakeholders: “this means X timeline shift” or “this can be folded into sprint Y.”

5. Over-Index on Communication

Reactivity without communication looks like chaos. Reactivity with communication looks like agility.

  • Publish weekly notes: “Here’s what changed, here’s why, here’s how we adapted.”
  • Make change visible in the backlog and status reporting. Don’t bury it in side conversations.
  • Frame reactivity as value: “We were able to pivot quickly when the assay changed.”

You can’t remove the reactive nature of a LIMS implementation. The business is moving too fast, and so is science. Instead of fighting it, embrace it. Build processes and habits that make reactivity a strength, not a liability.

That’s how you deliver a system that not only survives the turbulence, but helps the lab fly higher.

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