“These are components that we cannot analyze with traditional methods, so having this new category of instrumentation will be really enabling our customers to better characterize,” Bechade said. “There is no one solution to all of this. We are trying really to develop fit for purpose solution for the category of drugs that our customers are working with.”
As biopharmaceutical companies advance into the realms of personalized medicine and increasingly complex molecules, vendors are stepping up with more sensitive and sophisticated technologies to meet evolving demands. Biopharma companies often process thousands of samples, with teams of analysts who may have varying levels of expertise in chemistry. As a result, there is a growing need for smarter, more automated systems that minimize human intervention and ensure consistent, reliable performance.
“The need in early development is not the same as in QC,” Bechade added, noting that Waters offers a range of technologies designed to communicate across every stage of the biopharma development process.
Aligning Hardware and Software for Functional Efficiency
Another key theme for Waters—and for many analytical vendors at ASMS this year—was the push toward more advanced software systems designed to complement mass spectrometry platforms and other laboratory technologies.
Smarter tools can generate large volumes of data more quickly, and many vendors—including Waters—have been rolling out updated software solutions alongside their instruments. The company provides the waters_connect quantitative analysis software, which supports more efficient data review and helps speed up the processing of large sample batches in mass spectrometry workflows.
As these technologies evolve, there is growing demand—particularly from pharmaceutical companies—for integrated systems that can communicate across all stages of development. In addition to improving efficiency, such tools must also incorporate robust compliance features to meet regulatory reporting requirements.
Laboratory information management tools in 2025 have evolved significantly from the cumbersome systems of decades past. This shift is driven in large part by more tech-savvy customers who expect tools that are intuitive, responsive, and integrated into their workflows.
Customers are increasingly prioritizing ease of use, especially in today’s digital landscape. As users grow accustomed to the simplicity and functionality of consumer technology, they bring those same expectations to professional and scientific environments. According to Nathaniel Martin, principal product owner at Waters, this demand is shaping the development of laboratory software, pushing vendors to design systems that are not only powerful but also user-friendly and accessible.
“Increasingly, we're seeing a software that's more familiar to people who browse the internet. A lot of our customers are asking for that sort of usability,” Martin said. By minimizing the time and effort required to navigate complex software systems, researchers can focus more of their energy on analysis, experimentation, and discovery.
“If we can get people reviewing the data more quickly, they can go off and do other cool science,” Martin said.
