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Key Advantages of Using a Lab Relocation Specialist

It can be tempting, if you need move your laboratory, to try to do as much of the work as possible in-house. However, this approach is highly inadvisable for a variety of reasons. Here third-party lab relocation specialists Arena instrumentation, who are now part of the Ellab group, outline some of the key advantages of putting your lab relocation in the hands of independent experts.

A Question of Knowledge

Before you try to plan your own move, it’s worth asking a series of questions.

  • Do you, or any members of your staff, really possess all the knowledge necessary to commission and recommission every single item in the laboratory? (Remember this can include PCs with results, as well as other scientific equipment.)
  • Do you know all the regulations which come into play when you start your move, such as Good Manufacturing Practice which will apply particularly to commercial laboratories, or the MHRA which helps to regulate the production of medicines in this country?
  • Are you up to speed with all the Installation and Operational Qualification requirements?
  • Are you able to organise the journey itself, do all the packing and keep the instruments and samples at the correct temperature?

It’s highly unlikely that the answer to all of these questions will be ‘yes’.

The Time Factor

If you do opt for the DIY approach then you will be taking at least one member of staff away from their core job. This will automatically lengthen the time of the disruption – remember they need to learn about all the relevant legislation outlined above, as well as plan and supervise the move itself.

For commercial laboratories, this has the potential to affect essential income streams, such as any medicines which are produced by the lab. While your lab is out of action, there are usually salaries to pay – and this applies to non-commercial labs as well.

A Single Point of Contact – and a Standardised Approach

You also benefit from having someone who will find it easier to see the overall picture. If OEMs are involved in the process, they may be focussed on the instruments they know about, rather than the entire lab. This can create a problem, especially if you use several different brands of equipment; the individual OEMs can have competing priorities which can complicate the whole process (and mean a lot more people coming in and out of the lab, potentially interrupting the workflow).

However, as independent outsiders, lab relocation specialists will provide a single point of contact and be able to ensure that equipment and instruments are moved in a logical, efficient order. This approach will save even more time (and money) if you are a nationwide or international concern with labs in multiple different locations; a standardised service means that your facilities are more likely to be moved on time and within budget.

The Additional Services

While they may specialise in moves, independent lab relocation companies can help you in other ways. For instance, they can ensure that all your equipment is functioning properly, even if you aren’t on the move.

All instruments – whether they are temperature, process or pressure-based – need to be calibrated to check they are still functioning correctly, in line with nationally-agreed standards and the manufacturers’ own specifications. Lab relocation experts should have a sufficiently wide skill set to perform this function for you as well.

Lab Relocation from Arena Instrumentation

Arena Instrumentation have many years of experience in helping healthcare providers, commercial organisations, and educational and research establishments to move from one location to another. Our overall expertise means we can reduce the number of parties – including OEMs – involved, saving you both time and money.

We can pack and unpack items – sometimes in custom-built crates – and can decommission and recommission individual instruments to ensure they are operational again as quickly as possible. Our temperature mapping services mean we can keep all samples (as well as instruments) at the correct temperatures while they are en-route. We can also calibrate a wide variety of equipment, either on-site or in our UKAS-accredited laboratory – for a more complete list, click on this link.

At Arena, we also work alongside OEMs if they need any engineering or administrative support during a lab move. If you would like to know more about our lab relocation services, follow this link or call us on 0151 355 1314.