5 Key Considerations When Upgrading Your Lab Equipment

With 13 billion laboratory tests conducted on an annual basis combined with two-thirds of all medical decisions made by doctors supported by lab testing, it is clear as to why the equipment in your lab must always work at optimal efficiency.

Unfortunately, optimal efficiency isn’t something typically associated with older, obsolete equipment.  Choosing to upgrade your lab equipment is not an easy decision but there are multiple benefits to doing so.

Benefits of Upgrading your Lab Equipment

1. Efficiency Improvements via Automation

Obsolete and/or older equipment are unlikely to be able to support you with the required precision and throughout needed.  Having an improved automation solution(s) will allow for greater speed, enhanced accuracy, consistency and reproducibility.   

2. Lower Costs

Think of a car that you need to keep taking to the garage to get fixed. When you consider the time involved to keep going to the garage, the time taken to actually fix the car and the subsequent costs involved, it might make sense to let go and buy a new car. The same applies to your lab equipment.  Consider also the opportunity cost every time your equipment is out of use and getting fixed.  Each time that happens, it means your lab can’t fulfill what it is supposed to be doing. 

3. Enhanced Safety

Newer automation machines don’t tire, and they don’t make mistakes.  On the other hand, older equipment is not as reliable and can malfunction.  There is no reason to expose your staff to any potential dangers as a result. 

Lab Equipment Upgrade Tips

Now that we’ve covered the benefits of upgrading your lab equipment, next, we’ll share our quick tips to help you with the decision-making process.  There are 5 key considerations to take into account.

1. Begin with the end in mind  

Just like with every good decision, if you start off by thinking about where you want to be long-term and picture what your lab will look like, the greater the chances that you will make the right equipment changes.  Investing in equipment that won’t support your long-term needs is not worth it and will only lead to increased costs and more unnecessary change down the road.

2. Consider lab equipment upgrades and your floor plan  

Understand where lab equipment will go, what space it will take up, and your overall flow throughout the lab 

Space in a lab, like most places today, is at a premium and that’s true if it’s on the ground or a benchtop unit.  Installing new equipment is an opportunity to assess your current lay out and whether there is a clear logic associated.  You want to avoid having to re-jig your configuration constantly.  

3.  Know what consumables you need for your lab equipment

There are two further key points of consideration – how compatible the consumables are with your new equipment and their availability.  It’s never great to invest in equipment only to have it sit idle because you don’t have the necessary and correct consumables to go with it or indeed because the consumables are not available.

4. Be clear on the level of product support you will receive 

This is a fairly obvious choice but critical.  Knowing what support you will get before installation and after sales support is important.  Is your supplier accessible?  If so, how quick is their service?  Are they dealing with any potential issues that same day or are you only hearing back days later?  Are they able and willing to provide you with technical support?  Can they support you on the application front if need be?  These questions can help you decide between suppliers.

5. Have a plan for the equipment you are replacing

Much careful thought goes into the purchase of new equipment. But very little, (if any), is given to existing equipment and how to dispose of it responsibly.

Did you know you could potentially recoup part of your investment and avoid sending it to a landfill?

Look for suppliers who can give your old lab equipment a second life. The planet and your wallet will thank you. 

Get In Touch

To talk through your options of how to benefit from newer automated solutions as well as how to responsibly dispose of your older, obsolete equipment, Contact – MESLO Americas or email us at USinfo@meslo.com