Our Science · How we work

How we work: Scientist-Driven Development

Our software runs in production for clients including UW Veterinary Care, Maine DOT, and NIEHS. Your first step is a thirty-minute conversation with an expert.

We deliver a laboratory system in four phases, Understand, Build, Adopt, and Sustain, and we run each one as an experiment. The Understand phase is an on-site analysis of your workflow at a fixed scope and a fixed price. Build ships one proven step at a time, with training and testing documentation alongside. Adopt is go-live with a support plan, and Sustain keeps improving what went live.

A way of building software scientists recognize.

Talk with an expert The four phases →

THEN · ESTIMATES ARE HARD TO SEE A woman in an Army uniform sits on a stool at a long black bench, pipetting by mouth into a rack of test tubes; more tube racks and a small clock stand on the bench and a shelf of labeled reagent jars hangs above.
Digitally rendered from the archive photograph: Same long bench, same shelf of jars; a mechanical pipette, a plate reader and a monitor replace the 1944 mouth pipette and tube racks. NOW · ESTIMATES SHOWN IN THE OPENNOW · DIGITALLY RENDERED
Fig. 1 A serology bench, 1944. Every tube is labeled, and every result is written where anyone at the bench can read it. We keep estimates the same way, where you can read them too.
THEN · 1944 · Wikimedia Commons · NOW · digitally rendered THEN · 1944 · Wikimedia Commons, from the U.S. National Archives (NARA 531360), U.S. Army Signal Corps · public domain NOW · digitally rendered from the archive photograph above (Gemini 3 Pro Image, 2026-09-15): the room geometry, the camera and the people's positions are the photograph; everything else is generated. Not a photograph.

01The method

The scientific method, run as a delivery loop

We deliver in phases, starting with a fixed-scope on-site Understand phase, then one proven step at a time, so you see a working result before you commit further.

We call the method Scientist-Driven Development. It runs the scientific method as an agile delivery loop. A story is a hypothesis, a build is the experiment, adoption is the analysis, and Sustain is the conclusion, which starts the next loop.

Scientist-Driven Development, the chain from observed problem to hypothesis, design, implementation, validation, adoption, and sustainment One line carries seven points in order, 01 observed problem, 02 hypothesis, 03 design, 04 implementation, 05 validation, 06 adoption, and 07 sustainment. Beside them, in italic, the scientific method says where the work happens. A story is a hypothesis, a build is the experiment, adoption is the analysis, and Sustain is the conclusion. From sustainment the line curves back beneath the chain to the next observed problem, with the words preserving the chain and which starts the next loop, and the spark brandmark. Moving dots travel the whole path. They are left out when reduced motion is preferred. 01 observed problem 02 hypothesis 03 design 04 implementation 05 validation 06 adoption 07 sustainment where the work happens a story is a hypothesis a build is the experiment adoption is the analysis Sustain is the conclusion PRESERVING THE CHAIN which starts the next loop observed problem hypothesis design implementation validation adoption sustainment Scientist-Driven Development, the chain from observed problem to hypothesis, design, implementation, validation, adoption, and sustainment One line carries seven points in order, 01 observed problem, 02 hypothesis, 03 design, 04 implementation, 05 validation, 06 adoption, and 07 sustainment. Beside them, in italic, the scientific method says where the work happens. A story is a hypothesis, a build is the experiment, adoption is the analysis, and Sustain is the conclusion. From sustainment the line curves back beneath the chain to the next observed problem, with the words preserving the chain and which starts the next loop, and the spark brandmark. Moving dots travel the whole path. They are left out when reduced motion is preferred. 01 observed problem 02 hypothesis 03 design 04 implementation 05 validation 06 adoption 07 sustainment where the work happens a story is a hypothesis a build is the experiment adoption is the analysis Sustain is the conclusion PRESERVING THE CHAIN which starts the next loop
Fig. 2 The chain Scientist-Driven Development keeps whole, from the observed problem to sustainment, with the scientific method in italic beside it. From sustainment the line curves back to the next observed problem, which starts the next loop.

In your laboratory, that means three steps, in order.

  • We write a hypothesis about how the work runs with the people who run it.
  • We measure where the work happens, at the bench, in user testing, and after go-live.
  • You see a working result before anything more is committed.

We run the company the same way. We form a hypothesis, test it small, and keep what proved.

02The four phases

What each phase produces

We run each phase as an experiment.

01

Understand

the hypothesis

  • how your laboratory actually works
  • a needs summary
  • user stories
  • plans you can hold us to

fixed scope · fixed price

02

Build

the experiment

  • one proven step at a time
  • training and testing documentation

a few months to more than a year

STORIES CONFIRMED

ACCEPTED IN UAT

03

Adopt

the analysis

  • a support plan
  • system documentation
  • a maintenance plan

your staff know how to run the system

THE NEXT STEP BEGINS

IN PRODUCTION · ONGOING

04

Sustain

the conclusion

  • an annual operation analysis
  • feedback and adaptation

a scientist who knows your lab

Inside Sustain →

SCIENTIST-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT

the loop continues, step after step

  1. 01

    Understand

    the hypothesis

    • how your laboratory actually works
    • a needs summary
    • user stories
    • plans you can hold us to

    fixed scope · fixed price

  2. STORIES CONFIRMED

  3. 02

    Build

    the experiment

    • one proven step at a time
    • training and testing documentation

    a few months to more than a year

  4. ACCEPTED IN UAT

  5. 03

    Adopt

    the analysis

    • a support plan
    • system documentation
    • a maintenance plan

    your staff know how to run the system

  6. IN PRODUCTION · ONGOING

  7. 04

    Sustain

    the conclusion

    • an annual operation analysis
    • feedback and adaptation

    a scientist who knows your lab

    Inside Sustain →

THE NEXT STEP BEGINS

SCIENTIST-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT

the loop continues, step after step

Fig. 3
01

Understand

the hypothesis

We analyze on site how your laboratory actually works. Then we deliver a needs summary, user stories, and plans you can hold us to. Understand has a fixed scope and a fixed price.

02

Build

the experiment

We build one proven step at a time against a delivery plan, and we deliver training and testing documentation alongside the software. Build can run from a few months to more than a year, depending on the pieces you choose.

03

Adopt

the analysis

Your laboratory goes live with a support plan, system documentation, and a maintenance plan, and your staff know how to run the system.

04

Sustain

the conclusion

Sustain starts at contract execution and continues year by year. It brings an annual operation analysis, feedback, and adaptation, with a scientist who knows your lab keeping the system improving after go-live.

03How estimates are made

Story points, in the open

Every story carries an estimate you can see. A story point measures how big a story is compared with others the team has already estimated, taking in its effort, its complexity, and what is still unknown. We plan against a probabilistic baseline instead of a best case, and we show you the confidence level we planned to.

When a piece of work runs long, you see it in the same numbers we do. The figures behind the baseline are shown in the conversation, from your own plan.

04Contracting

Two ways to contract a project

Understand is scoped and priced on its own. You decide whether to build with the needs summary, the stories, and the plans in hand.

Two ways to contract a project, with one Understand phase and then a fork to fixed scope or time and materials A line enters after a first conversation and reaches 01 Understand, marked fixed scope, fixed price. The path leaves Understand, passes a marker reading after Understand, and forks into two ends at the same stage, both numbered 02. The upper end is Fixed scope, one proven step at a time, scoped after Understand. The lower end is Time and materials, a published hourly rate, billed hourly or bought in prepaid blocks of hours. A fine side branch off the stem is marked training, fixed-fee per course. A line beneath the figure says Sustain is bought separately from project work. Moving dots travel both paths. They are left out when reduced motion is preferred. 01 Understand 02 Fixed scope One proven step at a time, scoped after Understand. 02 Time and materials A published hourly rate, billed hourly or bought in prepaid blocks of hours. fixed scope, fixed price AFTER UNDERSTAND AFTER A FIRST CONVERSATION TRAINING · FIXED-FEE PER COURSE SUSTAIN IS BOUGHT SEPARATELY FROM PROJECT WORK Understand Fixed scope Time and materials Two ways to contract a project, with one Understand phase and then a fork to fixed scope or time and materials A line enters after a first conversation and reaches 01 Understand, marked fixed scope, fixed price. The path leaves Understand, passes a marker reading after Understand, and forks into two ends at the same stage, both numbered 02. The upper end is Fixed scope, one proven step at a time, scoped after Understand. The lower end is Time and materials, a published hourly rate, billed hourly or bought in prepaid blocks of hours. A fine side branch off the stem is marked training, fixed-fee per course. A line beneath the figure says Sustain is bought separately from project work. Moving dots travel both paths. They are left out when reduced motion is preferred. 01 Understand 02 Fixed scope One proven step at a time, scoped afterUnderstand. 02 Time and materials A published hourly rate, billed hourly orbought in prepaid blocks of hours. fixed scope, fixed price AFTER UNDERSTAND AFTER A FIRSTCONVERSATION TRAINING · FIXED-FEE PERCOURSE SUSTAIN IS BOUGHT SEPARATELYFROM PROJECT WORK
Fig. 4 Understand is scoped and priced on its own. After it, the path forks into two ways to contract the build. One is fixed scope, one proven step at a time. The other is time and materials at a published hourly rate, billed hourly or bought in prepaid blocks of hours.

Table Professional Services, the same price records as Pricing → Project services.

Effective 1 October 2026. Time and materials is billed per hour, per statement of work. Every other line is one-time.

ServiceTermsPrice
Laboratory Informatics Scientist, time and materialsper hourper statement of work, approved in writing$260
Prepaid block, 50 hoursper prepaid block of 50 Laboratory Informatics Scientist hoursdrawn down hourly against approved Professional Services; expires twelve months after purchase unless the Order states otherwise; no rollover beyond expiry$12,350
End User Trainingper training engagementtwo days for up to ten users$10,400
Administrator Trainingper training engagementfive days for up to five administrators, builders or designers$16,640

Larger prepaid blocks, on the same terms as the 50-hour block:

  • per prepaid block of 100 Laboratory Informatics Scientist hours: $23,400
  • per prepaid block of 250 Laboratory Informatics Scientist hours: $55,250
  • per prepaid block of 500 Laboratory Informatics Scientist hours: $104,000

License plus hosting is our software-as-a-service price. Time and materials and fixed scope are two ways to contract the same project work. Sustain is bought separately, as its own part of the price.

How SynapticSci is priced →

05After go-live

Sustain keeps improving what went live

We understand, build, and adopt one proven step at a time, and then Sustain keeps improving what went live.

Inside Sustain, three questions decide who does what.

  • Is it broken? We fix it. That is Coverage, included with your license.
  • Is it working, but could be better? We improve it. That is your Service Level.
  • Is it something new, with a date and a definition? That is a project. We scope, price, and commit it separately, and the loop above runs again.
Restore, Improve, and Commit, three stops on one line with the question beside each A request arrives at the top and travels down one line past three stops. At Restore the question is whether it is broken. We fix it, and that is Coverage, included with your license and bounded by severity. Break-Fix does not draw Included Hours. At Improve the question is whether it works but could be better. We improve it, and that is your Service Level, what its Included Hours are for, bounded by your Included Hours each month and worked in your priority order. At Commit the question is whether it is something new, with a date and a definition. That is a project, scoped, priced, and committed separately, and bounded by the statement of work you signed. A REQUEST ARRIVES01 · RESTOREIs it broken?We fix it. That is Coverage, and it isincluded with your license.BOUNDED BY SEVERITY; BREAK-FIX NEVERDRAWS INCLUDED HOURS02 · IMPROVEIs it working, but could bebetter?We improve it. That is your Service Level,what its Included Hours are for.BOUNDED BY YOUR INCLUDED HOURS EACHMONTH, WORKED IN YOUR PRIORITY ORDER03 · COMMITIs it something new, with a dateand a definition?That is a project. We scope it, price it andcommit to it separately.BOUNDED BY THE STATEMENT OF WORK YOUSIGNED Restore, Improve, and Commit, three stops on one line with the question beside each A request arrives at the top and travels down one line past three stops. At Restore the question is whether it is broken. We fix it, and that is Coverage, included with your license and bounded by severity. Break-Fix does not draw Included Hours. At Improve the question is whether it works but could be better. We improve it, and that is your Service Level, what its Included Hours are for, bounded by your Included Hours each month and worked in your priority order. At Commit the question is whether it is something new, with a date and a definition. That is a project, scoped, priced, and committed separately, and bounded by the statement of work you signed. A REQUEST ARRIVES 01 · RESTORE Is it broken? We fix it. That is Coverage, and it isincluded with your license. BOUNDED BY SEVERITY;BREAK-FIX NEVER DRAWSINCLUDED HOURS 02 · IMPROVE Is it working, but could bebetter? We improve it. That is your ServiceLevel, what its Included Hours are for. BOUNDED BY YOUR INCLUDEDHOURS EACH MONTH, WORKED INYOUR PRIORITY ORDER 03 · COMMIT Is it something new, with adate and a definition? That is a project. We scope it, price itand commit to it separately. BOUNDED BY THE STATEMENT OFWORK YOU SIGNED
Fig. 5 Restore, Improve, Commit. Three questions decide who does what, and each answer is bought a different way. Inside Sustain →

06Before the first meeting

Map a laboratory workflow

Print the questions we ask in the first hour of the Understand phase, answer what you can, and bring them to the first conversation. We start from your answers.

See the questions → or talk with an expert first →

Talk with an expert