Spend tracking and analysis tools are often poorly suited for day-to-day lab budget management. Many labs use separate systems for approving requests and reviewing spending totals, which leads to data re-entry and significant delays between the placement of a request and its impact on spending totals. In addition, ERP or e-procurement systems aggregate product spending to the person who entered the order into that system, not the individual bench scientist who requires and uses the product.

Using the iLab system, managers can analyze real-time spending, compare weekly and monthly budgets, and produce spending reports by grant, group or person. iLab helps managers to identify spending patterns down to end researchers before they become a problem.