How to Reduce Costs in Your Laboratory
Many labs across the nation operate on very tight, limited budgets. One of the biggest challenges these labs face is figuring out how to make their grants and funding stretch further without sacrificing the quality of their output. To do so, it’s important to find ways to reduce unnecessary costs wherever possible. To learn how to reduce costs in your laboratory, continue reading.
Purchase used rather than new equipment
Laboratory equipment doesn’t come cheap. Purchasing lab equipment is one of the leading costs that laboratories incur. To ensure that your lab has all of the equipment it needs without breaking your budget, consider purchasing used lab equipment rather than brand-new models.
Just because the equipment has been previously used doesn’t mean it is outdated or won’t last. Quality lab equipment often has a long service life and may only have minimal differences than older models. You can get quality equipment for a fraction of the cost by purchasing previously owned products.
Take care of your equipment
The cost of expensive equipment can put a large strain on the budgets of many laboratories. To ensure that equipment investments pay off and prevent repurchases, care for your lab’s apparatuses and machinery properly. Essential lab equipment maintenance includes regularly cleaning and calibrating as well as repairing and refurbishing the equipment when necessary.
By maintaining your equipment properly, you won’t just extend the lifespan of your expensive purchases, you’ll also help ensure greater accuracy in your experiments and reduce costly downtime caused by equipment malfunctions.
Increase your lab’s organization
One of the most effective ways to reduce costs in a laboratory is to increase its organization. Disorganized labs waste money in several different ways. For example, disorganization often can result in duplicate orders, lost materials, or costly experimental errors.
By keeping the lab more organized, the potential for such expensive accidents is reduced. Plus, lab staff will be able to accomplish their duties more efficiently, which yields further cost savings. Examples of ways to enhance lab organization include implementing a laboratory information management system to better keep track of supplies or switching from paper documents to centralized, digital documentation.
