Introduction
A top 10 global pharmaceutical company operates a vast research network with more than 10 R&D centers spread across six countries. With over 100,000 pieces of scientific equipment supporting research from discovery to development, the company faced increasing challenges in managing lab assets consistently and efficiently.
Each location had developed its own systems and processes, creating silos, data gaps, and operational inefficiencies. To support enterprise-wide collaboration and strategic decision-making, the company launched a global initiative to unify lab equipment lifecycle management.
The Challenge: Fragmented Lab Infrastructure Across Global R&D
Managing scientific equipment at scale is complex — especially across multiple international sites. Without a single source of truth, critical workflows such as scheduling, maintenance, and procurement became hard to coordinate.
Key challenges included:
- No standardization in how lab assets were tracked or managed
- Disconnected systems across R&D sites, limiting data visibility and usability
- Manual processes for equipment requests, installations, and retirement
- Inconsistent maintenance and cost tracking, affecting forecasting and resource planning
To overcome these limitations, the company needed a centralized platform that could scale globally while integrating with enterprise systems.
The Solution: Global Lab Standardization Powered by newLab®
To achieve consistent, transparent lab infrastructure management, the company adopted newLab® across all R&D centers. Deployed on the ServiceNow platform, the system offers end-to-end lifecycle management for scientific equipment, from procurement through disposal.
Key platform capabilities included:
Complete Lifecycle Digitization
- Digital workflows for equipment request, installation, use, and decommissioning
- Integrated tracking of financials and maintenance history
- Configurable lifecycle stages to support global SOPs
Enterprise-Wide Standardization
- A unified data model applied across all R&D facilities
- Integration with ServiceNow CMDB to align lab and IT infrastructure
- Centralized management for lab ops, procurement, and IT stakeholders
Real-Time Visibility and Decision Support
- Global dashboards showing equipment usage, availability, cost, and condition
- Role-based access for scientists, facility managers, and leadership
- Accurate data for planning, utilization analysis, and budget forecasting
Results: Greater Control and Time Savings Across Global Labs
The deployment of newLab® allowed the company to unify lab equipment data, eliminate silos, and improve operational agility across its global research footprint.
Key outcomes included:
- One platform managing 100,000+ scientific assets across 10 R&D sites
- Full visibility into lab equipment status, usage, and lifecycle costs
- Improved scientist efficiency with centralized access to asset scheduling and status
- 10 to 20 percent expected time savings for lab operations teams and end users
- Stronger collaboration between IT, procurement, and scientific teams
Looking to Unify Lab Asset Management at Scale?
Whether you manage hundreds or hundreds of thousands of lab assets, newLab® gives you the tools to standardize operations, improve asset utilization, and unlock data across every site — all within the ServiceNow ecosystem.
