Lab Manager

/modules/lab-manager

Page purpose (designer & content owners — read first)

This page positions Lab Manager as Primoro’s end‑to‑end workflow for managing dental laboratory work — giving practices certainty, visibility, and control over lab cases that directly affect patient appointments and clinical flow.

It is not:

• a simple checklist
• a spreadsheet replacement
• a passive status board

It must communicate:

• Lab Manager is an optional add‑on module in the Operations Suite
• It tracks lab cases from scan to fit — with appointment awareness
• It replaces chasing, inbox searching, and whiteboards with structured tracking and accountability
• Lab delays are surfaced early, before they disrupt patients and diaries

Tone: operational, calm, dependable. Fewer surprises, smoother days.

Hero

Lab Manager — lab work without the guesswork

Track every lab case from scan — without chasing, guessing, or last‑minute surprises.

Lab Manager gives practices complete visibility of lab work in progress, so appointments stay on track and teams stay aligned.

CTAs → Request a demo (/request-a-demo) → Explore the Operations Suite

What Lab Manager does

Lab Manager provides a single, reliable source of truth for all laboratory work.

It connects:

• patients
• treatments
• appointments
• laboratories
• due dates and delivery commitments

Every lab case is tracked through clear stages, with visibility shared across the clinical, nursing, diary, and management teams.

Who it’s for

• dental nurses
• reception and diary teams
• clinicians and specialists
• practice managers
• group and multi‑site operators

Each role sees what they need, without noise or duplication.

What it solves

• lab cases going missing or unowned
• appointments booked without certainty the work will arrive
• last‑minute cancellations due to lab delays
• chasing labs via emails, calls, and memory
• inconsistent lab tracking across sites

Lab Manager removes uncertainty from one of the most disruption‑prone workflows in a dental practice.

Core capabilities

1) End‑to‑end lab case tracking

Every lab case is tracked through defined stages:

• created
• sent to lab
• in progress
• due back
• received
• fitted / completed

Each case is linked to:

• a patient
• a treatment
• a required appointment
• an expected return date

2) Appointment‑aware visibility

Lab cases are directly linked to appointments:

• teams can see which appointments depend on lab delivery
• risks are flagged early if timelines drift
• rebooking decisions are informed, not reactive

This dramatically reduces avoidable short‑notice cancellations.

3) Central lab directory (Primoro‑managed)

Primoro maintains a central directory of UK laboratories:

• labs are onboarded once
• practices assign the labs they use
• consistent details and workflows
• faster setup — especially for groups

This supports standardisation without removing local choice.

4) Supplier contact records & financial linkage

When a laboratory is onboarded:

• it is automatically created as a supplier contact record within Primoro
• core supplier details are stored once and reused across the platform
• all lab‑related communications and records are attached to the same supplier record

Where Financial Insights is enabled, Lab Manager also supports:

• one‑click lab bill reconciliation against completed lab cases
• automatic matching of lab bills to the correct supplier record
• optional automatic posting into associate statements, removing manual calculations

This creates a single, auditable thread from lab work → bill → reconciliation → associate statement, without duplicate entry or disconnected systems.

4) Lab portal access (optional)

Where labs are enabled, they can securely:

• accept work
• update status
• adjust delivery dates
• upload files and warranties
• request clarification
• mark work as completed

All updates feed directly into the practice’s lab view in real time.

For labs who prefer email, workflows continue without loss of visibility.

5) SLA‑based chasing & escalation

Lab Manager continuously monitors progress against due dates and SLAs:

• prompts labs for updates as deadlines approach
• automatically flags overdue work
• escalates internally when intervention is needed

This removes reliance on manual chasing and memory.

6) Nurse, surgery & session views

• Nurses see lab cases relevant to their surgery or session
• Preparation and tray planning are supported
• Works alongside Surgery & Decon Day View

Lab readiness becomes part of daily clinical flow.

7) Communication, tasks & audit trail

Lab Manager integrates with:

• Task Manager — follow‑ups, chasing, escalation
• Communication Hub — alerts, queries, handovers

All actions are timestamped and attributable, creating a clear audit trail.

Group & multi‑site value

For groups and DSOs, Lab Manager provides:

• shared lab directory
• consistent lab SLAs across sites
• central oversight of overdue or high‑risk cases
• reduced cancellation and rebooking rates

Operational consistency without micromanagement.

How it fits within Primoro

Lab Manager works closely with:

• Appointment Manager — appointment planning and rescheduling
• Task Manager — chasing and escalation
• Communication Hub — lab and internal messaging
• Surgery & Decon Day View — session readiness
• Financial Insights — lab turnaround and operational impact

Together, these modules close the loop between clinical work, labs, and diary reality.

Governance & trust

Lab Manager is built for operational clarity:

• role‑based access to lab information
• clear ownership of cases
• full history of updates and decisions
• no reliance on personal inboxes

Nothing hidden. Nothing forgotten.

Visual guidance (for designers)

Design should emphasise clarity and risk awareness:

• lab case list with status, lab, due date, appointment link
• clear “at risk” indicators tied to appointment dates
• SLA countdown or escalation cues
• lab portal screens showing appointment context
• group overview highlighting lab risk by site

Avoid clutter — this is an execution workflow.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lab Manager the same as a lab prescription form?

No. Lab Manager tracks the entire lifecycle of lab work — from request through delivery and fit — not just the initial instruction.

Do labs have to use the portal?

No. Labs can interact via the portal or via email‑based workflows. The practice experience remains fully tracked either way.

Do we have to use digital scanners to use Lab Manager?

No. Lab Manager is designed for modern scan‑first workflows, but it also supports traditional impressions and mixed lab inputs where needed. Practices can adopt it gradually without changing how every case is captured on day one.

Can nurses log lab work chairside during appointments?

Yes. Lab Manager supports chairside use, helping teams log cases at the point of care so nothing is missed or added later from memory.

Does this support digital lab and aligner workflows?

Yes. Lab Manager is designed around modern digital lab workflows, including scanned cases and specialist lab work, while keeping all outsourced work visible in one place.

Will this reduce cancellations?

Yes. By linking lab cases to appointment dates and flagging risk early, teams can act before patients are affected.

Can this work across multiple sites?

Yes. Lab Manager supports shared labs, consistent tracking, and central visibility across multiple locations.

Does Lab Manager help assess lab performance over time?

Yes. Lab Manager provides operational visibility into turnaround times, overdue work, and delivery reliability, helping practices and groups spot patterns and improve lab relationships over time.

Final CTA

Stop guessing where lab work is. Start running on certainty.

→ Request a demo (/request-a-demo) → Explore the Operations Suite