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Related Experiment Videos

Workflow analysis in determining instrumentation needs.

P T Hirsch1

  • 1Path Lab, Inc., Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Clinics in Laboratory Medicine
|December 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary

Laboratory managers should carefully analyze workflow before purchasing new analyzers. Choosing oversized or high-speed instruments can lead to increased costs, complexity, and decreased flexibility, while process optimization may offer better solutions.

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Area of Science:

  • Laboratory Management
  • Clinical Diagnostics
  • Process Optimization

Background:

  • Laboratory managers often err by selecting oversized or excessively high-speed analyzers.
  • This leads to increased purchase prices, operational complexity, and maintenance demands.
  • Oversized analyzers can reduce flexibility for STAT testing and complicate standby mode transitions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To emphasize the importance of workflow analysis in instrument selection.
  • To highlight the potential pitfalls of purchasing inappropriate laboratory analyzers.
  • To explore alternative solutions beyond capital acquisition for laboratory efficiency.

Main Methods:

  • Review of workflow parameters and traditional evaluation techniques for instrument decision-making.
  • Analysis of laboratory workflow and production issues.
  • Audit of work processing to identify organizational and testing improvements.

Main Results:

  • Purchasing analyzers larger than required incurs higher costs and operational burdens.
  • Larger, faster instruments demand more skilled operators and maintenance.
  • Workflow audits can reveal process improvements that negate the need for new equipment.

Conclusions:

  • Careful utilization of workflow parameters and evaluation techniques is crucial for informed instrument decisions.
  • Optimizing laboratory workflow can be more impactful than acquiring new instrumentation.
  • Understanding how new instruments integrate into the laboratory environment enhances their effectiveness.

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