1 · Current-State Workflow Model (excerpt — first 3 of the sample’s 10 steps)
The designated workflow modelled end to end — every step, LIMS touchpoint, integration, handoff, and the shadow systems people actually route through.
| # | Workflow step | LIMS touchpoint | Handoff (role → role) | Shadow system | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Specimen accessioning | Accessioning module (barcode scan) | Courier → accessioning tech | None — LIMS used as intended | Accessioning staff interview |
| 2 | Insurance / consent pre-check | None (outside LIMS) | Accessioning tech → billing coordinator | Shared “intake tracker” spreadsheet maintained manually by two coordinators; undocumented, single point of failure. In place since go-live. | Accessioning + billing interview |
| 3 | Nucleic-acid extraction — batch build | Sample-batching module (licensed, unconfigured) | Accessioning tech → extraction tech | “Extraction batch” spreadsheet used to plan plate layout because the batching module was never configured; batch genealogy not captured in LIMS. | Extraction bench interview |
3 · Gap-to-Licensed-Capability Map (excerpt — 3 of the sample’s 6 entries)
Each gap mapped to the capability that would close it — distinguishing the features the lab already licenses but does not use from the few that genuinely need something new.
| Gap | Gap / risk | Licensed feature that closes it | Owned or net-new? | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GAP-01 | Manual result-review reconciliation and sign-out outside the LIMS (traceability gap + continuity risk). | Result-review / electronic sign-off module | Owned-but-unused | License schedule lists the review module; config export shows it was never configured. |
| GAP-02 | Hand transcription and re-keying of liquid-handler results. | Instrument / middleware integration connector | Owned-but-unused | License schedule includes the instrument connector; interface inventory shows it inactive. |
| GAP-03 | Spreadsheet-based extraction batch planning; batch genealogy not in the LIMS. | Sample-batching / plate-layout module | Owned-but-unused | Module appears in the license schedule; config export shows it disabled. |
The full package — five deliverables, plus the workbook behind them
What a complete L1 engagement delivers. The two sections excerpted above are shown in part; the rest is walked through on the discovery call.
- Current-State Workflow Model — the designated workflow end to end, shadow systems included · excerpted above
- Constraint, Traceability & Risk Analysis — the rate-limiting steps, chain-of-custody and data-lineage gaps, and operational/compliance risks, with evidence and confidence
- Gap-to-Licensed-Capability Map — each gap mapped to the feature you already pay for that would close it · excerpted above
- Remediation Plan — prioritized and sequenced, quick wins to structural, each item with a suggested owner and dependencies
- Value-at-Stake & Effort Estimate — what the gaps cost today, and the level of effort to remediate each, for a leadership conversation
Plus the engagement workbook — every finding traces to an interview, document, or config export captured there (“no source, no finding”), and the workbook is machine-checked for internal consistency before anything is delivered. L1 also includes complimentary BenchForge onboarding so you can extend the model to the rest of your menu.