Lab Asset Management Partners: The Benefits of a Comprehensive Lab Asset Management Plan

Maintenance models based on asset management have grown in the laboratory and research sector. Asset management providers use actuarial financial and statistical models to determine and mitigate the risk for a lab’s assets and instrumentation. This information and data alone can make high-level decision-making easier, and more dependable. However, this is only one reason that a laboratory asset management partner can be beneficial for your overall operation. The most important thing is to establish a comprehensive lab asset management plan.

What is a Comprehensive Lab Asset Management Plan?

A comprehensive lab asset management plan should address the requirements of laboratory throughout its life cycle, from properly outfitting the lab, to maintenance, relocation and asset divestment requirements of the assets.

Outfitting of the laboratory, and the procurement of assets that are suitable to the scientific mission that are reliable, cost effective and effectively maintained by either the manufacturer or a qualified service provider is critical, whether for a startup or well-established laboratory.

Based on the operational profile of the laboratory, a comprehensive service plan, specific to the needs of the laboratory will indicate how the assets should be properly maintained, and downtime minimized. The service plan should include a combination of varying levels of service, specific to those needs. Levels of service can include full contract maintenance services (production and mission critical instruments) as well as time and material and warranty approach.

Expanding a lab’s existing space or relocating to new facilities is a requirement of a laboratory with well-established business and science plans that have outgrown the limitations of its existing footprint and seeks to accommodate its increased sample volume and research capabilities. A comprehensive, harmonized service plan if already instituted can greatly minimize the disruption to lab operations, as maintenance activities and protocols already in place that are centrally coordinated can more easily integrate into a relocation plan.

A qualified laboratory asset management company can also provide multiple options and management of the process in repurposing, reselling or disposing of redundant assets including a hybrid approach of managing the reselling/remarketing and auctioning of instrumentation. They can also arrange or directly provide the remarketing, sale, installation and post-sale support services that can greatly increase the value of redundant assets and relieve the burden of responsibility from lab operations.

Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Overbrook is a professional laboratory services firm that provides a diverse range of lifecycle services including maintenance services, lab relocations, asset management and new and reconditioned instrumentation.