Customer Stories
SCI Coatings

SCI Coatings Went From 2,000 Excel Files to a Fully Automated QC Lab in Under 10 Weeks

An industrial coatings and epoxy flooring QC lab adopted 1LIMS and replaced 100% manual processes in under 10 weeks.
~10 weeks
From kickoff to go-live
2,000
Excel files replaced
9/10
Onboarding rating
THE CHALLENGE

A four-person lab managing complex operations with nothing but Excel and paper

SCI Coatings produces coating products across five categories: Polyaspartic, Acrylic, Polysyloxane, Epoxy, and Polyurethane. Their QC lab processes samples from both production and suppliers, testing up to ten parameters per product.
‍
All of it was tracked across 2,000 separate Excel spreadsheets with no version control or shared access. Samples could arrive mislabeled or without expiry dates, and some were lost before testing could begin. Every Certificate of Analysis, Safety Data Sheet, and Technical Data Sheet (120 documents in total) was built by hand. The lab functioned, but couldn't scale.
‍
SCI Coatings evaluated several LIMS providers before making their decision. 1LIMS came out on top.
THE CLIENT
Chemical coatings manufacturer
HEADQUARTERS
Canada
PARTNERSHIP
December 2025 – Ongoing
"
[Before 1LIMS adoption] everything was done manually. There were no metrics on how efficient the lab was because the data was spread out on papers.
Sorour Davoudi,
R&D Formulation Specialist at SCI Coatings
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THE PROCESS

How SCI Coatings digitalized their QC lab in ten weeks

In under 10 weeks, SCI Coatings went from 2,000 disconnected spreadsheets to a digitized lab with every sample tracked and the first CoAs already flowing to customers.

Here's how it happened. ↓
STEP 1

The 1LIMS team evaluated existing processes and categorized data

Before any configuration began, 1LIMS ran a LabCheck workshop with SCI Coatings' lab and quality team. The goal was to evaluate the existing processes: how QC orders arrived, where samples came from, how results got recorded, how Certificates were built, and how they were sent.

It gave us a full picture of how the quality control lab was operating:
400
Work-in-process
product types
Up to 10
Parameters
per product
120
Documents produced
manually per product
What came out was a gap analysis between their current process and how 1LIMS would help run it. Every piece of master data that needed migrating was categorized: contacts, material types, articles, test units, and test plans.
STEP 2

Together with SCI Coatings, we compressed 2,000 spreadsheets into one import file

After we mapped the processes, we helped SCI Coatings pull their master data together. Contacts (internal and external), product groups, articles to be tested, test methods, and test plans were extracted from 2,000 individual Excel files and consolidated into 1LIMS's structured import templates.

By the time the master data was imported, SCI Coatings had a single, accurate record of their lab's core information.
STEP 3

We set up 1LIMS for SCI Coatings’ workflows

With master data in place, we configured the production instance to match the data flow of how SCI Coatings works. User roles and permissions were set up for each person, including technician, reviewer, and admin. QR label profiles were defined for each sample type.

We configured two CoA templates: one at the analysis level and one at the order level, both matching SCI Coatings' output requirements exactly.
STEP 4

SCI Coatings tested 1LIMS against real products and data

Then, we activated the 4-Eye-Principle approval workflow for analysis validation. This is 1LIMS's built-in requirement that every result passes a second independent review before release, so no result goes out without a second sign-off.
A UAT instance ran first. SCI Coatings tested against real products and data before anything went into production. All issues surfaced and were resolved before go-live.
STEP 5

We trained the SCI Coatings team to run the platform independently

1LIMS ran 3 training sessions for the SCI Coatings team, and it was enough for them to become fully independent in the daily processes.

We started by walking the team through the full 1LIMS workflow, from order creation to CoA generation. Then we covered setup, configuration, and the specifics of SCI Coatings' own data. Finally, we conducted an open Q&A with the team.

By go-live, every team member was running the system independently.
"
I would give the onboarding a nine out of ten. 1LIMS is easy to use, and the adaptation is very fast.
Vince Delle Donne,
Cin7 SME at SCI Coatings
STEP 6

SCI Coatings went live, with all data already showing in 1LIMS

The production instance went live on March 2, 2026. From kickoff on December 18, 2025, it took just ten weeks.

Within the first week, the dashboard was showing live order statuses.
"
We are super happy to see the dashboard working with live statuses; it works very well.
Sorour Davoudi,
R&D Formulation Specialist at SCI Coatings
WHAT’S NEXT
The integration between 1LIMS and SCI Coatings' production management system (Cin7) is the next milestone. Once live, it will eliminate the manual email loop between production and the lab, so QC orders will flow directly into 1LIMS without a manual entry step and batch approvals in 1LIMS will change the batch status in Cin7, which allows the shipping department to ship the product.

SCI Coatings' internal team manages the Cin7 side; 1LIMS prepares the API and builds the bidirectional integration.

Results achieved so far

2,000 Excel files replaced by one platform
All quality and product data, including samples, test results, CoAs, and master data, now lives in one place, significantly speeding up daily operations.
Live in under 10 weeks
‍
SCI Coatings went from kickoff to go-live in under ten weeks, with no internal IT team required. Before go-live, the entire team was independent in running the system.
120 documents generated automatically
Safety and technical data sheets that were manually produced are now replaced by standardized CoA templates generated directly from test results.
Every sample tracked from receipt to result
QR code labels on every sample, chain-of-custody logged throughout. The mislabeling and sample loss that happened under the paper-based system are fully eliminated.
"
1LIMS is simple and efficient. There's no complexity. You know what you're buying, and this is what you're getting. I 100% recommend 1LIMS.
Vince Delle Donne,
Cin7 SME at SCI Coatings
Want to have similar results?
1LIMS could help you achieve the same in your lab.
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