Office of Risk Management
and Compliance

Procurement and Inventory Management of Hazardous Materials

Laboratory Materials Management System

Use LMPRS to purchase hazardous materials and LMMS to maintain an accurate, real-time inventory of chemical, radioactive and biological materials across NUS laboratories.

Required for regulated materialsAll regulated hazardous materials must be inventorised in LMMS. Hazardous-material purchases must be made through LMPRS unless an exemption applies.
↗Open LMMSManage laboratory inventories ↗Open LMPRSPurchase laboratory materials ?Find a user guideChemical, radioactive and biological modules

Two connected systems

From purchase request to live inventory

LMPRS and LMMS connect procurement with inventory management so laboratories can track holdings and meet regulatory requirements.

Introduced in 2016, the Laboratory Materials Management System (LMMS) was rolled out campus-wide by October 2021. It gives authorised personnel a real-time view of materials held by laboratories and mobile access to inventory records during emergency response.

The Laboratory Materials Purchase Requisition System (LMPRS) was introduced in 2019. Approved purchases made through LMPRS are directly inventorised into the Principal Investigator’s LMMS account.

LMMS coverage

One inventory, three material groups

Select the module that matches the material you hold. Module-specific guides and FAQs are available below.

C

Chemical materials

Track regulated chemical stocks, storage locations and quantities using barcode-enabled inventory workflows.

R

Radioactive materials

Manage licensed radioactive materials, holders, inventory transactions and reports.

B

Biological materials

Manage biological products, containers, storage, boxes, inventory movements and reports.

Connected workflow

How procurement becomes inventory

The systems reduce duplicate data entry and keep inventory records aligned with approved purchases.

Overview of the chemical procurement and inventory management process in LMMS and LMPRS
Diagram: Overview of chemical procurement and inventory management process in LMMS and LMPRS

Identify the material

Confirm whether the item is regulated and whether an LMPRS exemption applies.

Submit through LMPRS

Raise the purchase request in the relevant chemical, radioactive or biological module.

Receive into LMMS

Approved purchases are directly inventorised into the Principal Investigator’s account.

Maintain the record

Keep quantities, locations, transfers, dispensing and disposal information current.

Accountability: The requestor and approver must evaluate exempted purchases and ensure that the material is not regulated and does not contain regulated components.

Directive 1902 ↗Procurement Circular CPO/2022/002 ↗

Help and instructions

User guides and frequently asked questions

Choose the module you work with. Each document opens in a new page or PDF viewer.

LMMS user guideChemical moduleInventory and day-to-day chemical material workflows.Open guide → LMMS user guideRadioactive materials moduleLicences, products, inventory transactions and reporting.Open guide → LMMS user guideBiological materials moduleProducts, inventory, storage, biological boxes and reports.Open guide →
FAQChemical inventory moduleAccess, inventory functions, barcode scanners and labels.Read FAQ → FAQBiological inventory moduleCommon questions on inventorising biological materials.Read FAQ → FAQRadioactive materials inventory moduleCommon questions about LMMS access and radioactive-material inventory workflows.Read FAQ → LMPRS user guide · Central Procurement OfficeLaboratory Materials Purchase Requisition SystemInstructions for submitting and managing laboratory-material purchase requisitions.Open guide →

LMPRS exceptions

Items exempted from mandatory LMPRS purchase

These items may still be purchased through LMPRS. The requestor and approver remain responsible for checking regulatory status and components.

View the exempted-item list

This list applies to use of LMPRS for purchase; it does not remove other safety, procurement or inventory responsibilities.

S/NProduct groupExamples
1Molecular biology, genetic modification and general life-science itemsOligonucleotides, primers, restriction enzymes; antibodies; culture media and buffer solutions; assay kits; dyes
2Materials for filter and chromatographic purificationSilica gel, zeolite and molecular sieves
3Liquid nitrogen—
4Dry ice—
5Over-the-counter products not controlled by regulatorsLubricants; paints; hand sanitisers and surface disinfectants; over-the-counter medication and health supplements
Assistant Professor Chen Wenqian

What users say

“LMMS at NUS is the dream system to manage laboratory materials, allowing a PI to have instant access to important information such as the quantity of a specific chemical in a specific location, which can be critical in a safety-relevant situation.”
Dr Chen Wenqian · Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science

Support

Get help from the right system owner

Contact your respective Safety and Health Coordinator or Business Partner for LMMS, and your respective Business Partner for CPO.

LMPRS · Central Procurement Office

For LMPRS and procurement-procedure enquiries, contact your respective CPO Business Partner.