INTRODUCTION
Ordering of laboratory equipment, inventory is critical and essential. Efficient and cost-effective
laboratory operations need the uninterrupted availability and supplies of the equipment.
Management of laboratory equipment/inventory is one of the essential elements of a quality
management system. Proper management of the equipment in the laboratory is necessary to
ensure accurate, reliable, and timely testing. The benefits of a good equipment management
program are many: thus, it includes, helps to maintain a high level of laboratory performance;
reduces variation in test, results, and improves the technologist’s confidence in the accuracy of
testing results; lowers repair costs, as fewer repairs will be needed for a well-maintained
instrument; lengthens instrument life; reduces interruption of services due to breakdowns and
failures; increases safety for workers; produces greater customer satisfaction.
Ordering of Laboratory Equipment/Inventory
It is very important to set expectations and build and maintain relationships with providers of
laboratory equipment materials and services. Laboratories that purchase directly should look
very carefully at vendors’ and manufacturers’ qualifications, examining such things as
specifications and methods of transport.
Successful ordering of laboratory equipment, inventory requires the following as illustrated in
the chart below;
• vendor/manufacturer qualifications;
• purchase agreements;
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• receiving, inspecting, testing, storing, and handling of materials; all purchased material should
be inspected and appropriately tested to ensure that specifications are met. Policies should be
established for storing and handling materials as they are delivered to the laboratory.
• tracking materials to individual patients; the management system must allow for tracking
materials to individual patients; that is, the laboratory should be able to identify specific test
materials used for performing tests on any given day, so that if there is a problem with a patient
result, the laboratory will know what reagents were used.
• assessing and maintaining inventory;
• controlling expiration periods;
When setting up procedures for purchasing laboratory equipment, there are a number of
considerations:
• understand any local or national government requirements that need to be accommodated in the
contracts;
• negotiate for the best price without undermining quality;
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• Carefully review all contracts to make sure the laboratory’s requirements are being met;
(Contracts should clearly address payment mechanisms and provisions to assure reliable
availability and delivery of reagents and supplies. Ask if there are penalties for ending a
contract.)
• determine how payments will be made, and how the vendor will assure reliable availability and
delivery of supplies and reagents.
Care and Maintenance of Laboratory Equipment, inventory
In taking care and maintenance of laboratory equipment there is the needs to take general
cleaning, calibration, repairs, and refurbishment of the equipment.
General Cleaning
Lab cleanliness is one of the easiest; most affordable and most obvious ways to keep your lab in
great shape but it’s surprisingly more overlooked than you may think.
It’s advisable to:
Carry out a daily wipe down of all equipment exteriors
Carry out a weekly deep clean of all equipment
Carry out a regular deep clean of microscopes using a 70:30 mixture of ether and alcohol
– this ensures that they are sufficiently clean to yield most accurate results
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Consult the manual or lab manager on any specific processes for cleaning demanding
equipment. Haematology machines, for example, typically require a 6 monthly check by
an engineer, a weekly analyser surface clean and an HC control check monthly.
Consider outsourcing cleaning of challenging items to a qualified professional; third
party equipment maintenance and cleaning can be a cost-effective alternative.
Following these simple cleaning procedures will keep equipment in peak condition so that your
lab runs without a hitch. Exposed surfaces should be wiped down on a daily basis, while it’s also
a good idea to schedule in a deep clean once a week.
Calibration
Failure to regularly calibrate equipment can lead to a lack of accuracy with your data, an
oversight which could end up bringing entire experiments to a halt. Additionally, proper
calibration can also improve lab safety wherever hazardous chemicals are used. As a result, it’s
imperative that the process is conducted on a consistent basis. There are various services
available to ensure your equipment is regularly calibrated and done so to the right standard.
It’s advisable to:
Carry out an inventory of your equipment and decide which is most suitable for each item
– from basic preventative maintenance to more advanced accuracy verification.
Regularly calibrate equipment for ongoing preventative maintenance that will keep your
lab in optimal condition.
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Repairs
From time to time, lab items will wear out and stop working. But, rather than immediately
disposing of faulty equipment, take the time to see if parts could be replaced or items can be
repaired instead.
You may be surprised by how likely it is that equipment can be updated and maintained instead
of merely disposed of.
Particularly with larger items, repairing and replacing parts can be an effective way to increase
lifespan and keep down costs. Due to the nature of the items, some parts will wear quicker than
others but, when adequately managed, these can be replaced in time to prevent problems or
burnout. Consider centrifuges, filtration systems and microscope lenses: each of these can be
simply replaced without the need to dispose of the entire machine.
Refurbishment
For faulty equipment, repairing can be invaluable but if your items still work (just not as
smoothly as before) refurbishment could hold the key. If you’re looking to refurbish older items
of equipment, then consider carrying out the following process:
1. Take the entire piece of equipment apart
2. Fully clean each component
3. Polish components where necessary
4. Re-lubricate any moving parts
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5. If parts are showing signs of wear and tear, consider replacing them at this preventative
stage
6. Put the equipment back together
Conclusion
A well-managed laboratory will have a system for inventory maintenance and purchasing. The
system will require planning and monitoring to ensure that appropriate quantities of supplies and
reagents are always available, and also to prevent wastage.
In implementing an inventory management system, the laboratory must assign responsibility for
the program, analyze the needs of the laboratory, and establish the minimum stock needed for an
appropriate time period. Appropriate logs and forms will be needed, as well as a procedure for
receiving, inspecting, and storing supplies. The laboratory will need to maintain an inventory
system for all reagents and supplies used in the laboratory; this system must include all areas
where reagents and supplies are stored.
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