Clarkston Expert Answers Q&A on Implementing Automation in the Lab
May 22, 2025 | Clarkston Consulting’s Tina Yauger, principal consultant and lab automation expert, was interviewed by Lab Manager on a series of lab automation industry questions. Read the Q&A on implementing automation in the lab here.
Insights for Implementing Automation in the Lab
Automation is a boon for many labs, but implementing it can be a significant challenge. Following her insightful presentation at the recent Lab Manager Automation Digital Summit (now available on demand), Tina Yauger, principal consultant at Clarkston Consulting, sat down with Lab Manager to share more insights on how lab leaders can implement automation in their labs.
- What are the essential factors of a cost analysis when calculating the ROI of an automated process?
- What do you find to be the largest hurdle in gaining buy-in for automation from leadership? And lab staff? How do you address each?
- Automation demands process standardization. How should a lab manager approach standardizing processes?
- You have mentioned in the past that automation in R&D labs may inhibit innovation. How can R&D labs continue encouraging innovation without foregoing the benefits of automation?
- With the advent of automation and AI, some workers are concerned about how these technologies will impact their job security. They cite the idea that even if an automated system cannot fully replace humans, it will displace enough workers that there will still be a net job loss. How would you recommend a lab manager address these concerns?
- Bill Gates once said, “The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.” Do you agree with this take?
- How do you envision AI changing the landscape of lab automation?