When Should a Lab Asset Manager Be Brought on to a Project?

Once a laboratory expansion or relocation project is complete, laboratories are often overwhelmed in their new surroundings and struggle with the challenge of managing their assets, as many labs do not have the engineering skills, availability, or expertise to properly maintain the laboratory’s assets. 

This approach usually results in critically overlooked maintenance activities, inconsistent coordination and monitoring of routine maintenance, qualification schedules and a lack of focus on the scientific mission of the laboratory. 

The good thing is that many laboratories very quickly recognize this. As a trusted advisor who has guided them through one of the most disruptive events in the lifecycle of their business, a lab asset manager being able to recommend a solution is a welcomed conversation. 

Why Is a Lab Asset Manager Important to Me, as Well as My Clients?

Whether ongoing projects in the relationship with the client involve additional expansions or relocation plans, there are many benefits in having a qualified and experienced lab asset manager on board.

A well-executed approach to managed maintenance of laboratory assets ideally positions the business for each phase of the life cycle of the laboratory. By recommending a capable asset manager, proper decisions can be made regarding how a laboratory’s instrumentation will be managed throughout their life cycle. This can determine the success of the business and whether needed drugs, products, innovation, and cures get to market.

Proper laboratory instrumentation maintenance directly impacts the success of the laboratory and the preparedness of the business for expansion and growth. Without a sound and capable lab asset manager as part of the team, lab design and construction projects can encounter challenges, including delays due to inaccurate or incomplete understanding of the assets' service and technical requirements, resulting in unexpected cost overruns, work interruptions, and much more. The likelihood these issues will arise with an experienced lab asset manager is greatly reduced.