Laboratories are under constant pressure to process more samples and deliver results faster, all while maintaining accuracy.  

Despite growing demands, many laboratory teams continue to rely on manual sample handling processes such as labeling, capping, uncapping, and aliquoting. While these tasks may seem manageable on the surface, their impact often extends beyond labor hours alone. As sample volumes increase, repetitive manual sample preparation activities can become relentless for staff, contributing to reduced productivity, increased likelihood of errors, and ergonomic challenges.  

Learn more about three ways manual sample handling can create long-term impacts on both laboratory efficiency and budget.     

1. Manual Processes Consume Valuable Time and Resources   

Every minute spent manually labeling tubes, uncapping and recapping, or aliquoting samples is time that laboratory professionals are not spending on higher-value activities.   

Individually, these tasks may only take seconds, but across hundreds or thousands of samples each week, those seconds quickly become hours of labor. As research grows, manual processes often require one of two outcomes: Existing staff take on additional workload or additional personnel must be hired to keep pace with increasing sample volumes. Neither option is ideal in an industry already facing workforce challenges and increasing demand for testing and research.    

The impact of these labor-intensive processes becomes even more apparent in high-volume laboratories. For example, a leading hospital and research center processing tens of thousands of samples weekly recently implemented an automated aliquoting and tube labeling system to reduce manual workload and support reproducibility. By automating repetitive sample preparation tasks, the lab staff gained hours to focus on higher-value, discovery-driven work. The laboratory was also able to maintain high accuracy using the automated aliquoting system, achieving less than 3.2% inaccuracy and a less than % coefficient of variation.    

That laboratory scenario highlights how manual sample handling can become major operational demands: 

2. Repetitive Manual Tasks Increase Physical Strain and Fatigue 

The costs of manual sample handling are not limited to workflow efficiency. Manual tube labeling, sample aliquoting, capping, and uncapping require laboratory technicians to perform the same motions hundreds to thousands of times during a shift. Over time, these repetitive motions contribute to physical strain, fatigue, and repetitive strain injuries (RSIs).  

Fatigue affects concentration, efficiency, and overall productivity. In turn, laboratories may experience reduced consistency across samples related to staffing and workload management. When repetitive tasks lead to strain or injury, laboratories can face a slew of unexpected costs: 

These expenses can quickly exceed the tens of thousands of dollars associated with compensation claims or medical treatment. Sample preparation automation significantly reduces injuries and ergonomic-related challenges by shifting repetitive tasks from staff to precision technology.  

3. Human Errors Create Laboratory Efficiency Challenges 

Manual sample handling introduces opportunities for mistakes at nearly every step of the process. Even highly trained laboratory professionals are susceptible to mistakes, especially when performing the same tasks hundreds or thousands of times per day. Output and consistency naturally decline as they become dependent on endurance.  

As laboratories grow, workflows become increasingly vulnerable to bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Mislabeled tubes, sample mix-ups, and varying sample volumes can trigger additional work that consumes valuable time and resources. Even small errors may require investigation, verification, repeat processing, or retesting.  

Laboratories can consequentially face unexpected costs related to: 

Laboratory automation systems are often evaluated based on labor savings alone. However, the most significant benefits frequently come from improvements in workflow consistency, throughput, traceability, and scalability. 

Reduce Hidden Costs of Manual Sample Handling with Laboratory Automation 

By automating repetitive sample preparation processes such as tube labeling, capping and uncapping, and aliquoting, laboratories can:   

As laboratories continue to face increasing workloads and pressure to do more with existing resources, reducing reliance on manual sample handling can play an important role in improving both operational performance and long-term cost efficiency.