The systematic recording and management of experimental data in academic life science research remains an open problem. EPFL engaged in a program of ELN/LIMS deployment 6 years ago, encountering a host of fundamental questions at the institutional level and in each single laboratory. Here, based on our experience we aim to share with research institute managers, PIs, and any scientists involved in an ELN/LIMS deployment, helpful tips and tools to surround yourself with the right people and the right software at the right time. In this article we describe the resources used, the challenges, key success factors, and the results obtained at each phase of our project. Finally, we discuss the current and next challenges and how our experience leads us to support the creation of a new position in the research groups: the laboratory data manager.