Contract lab services are necessary for almost all drug and food production plants no matter how large the parent company is. This is because specialized testing can only be carried out by trained professionals who have expertise in niche areas.
Whether you are choosing a new contract lab or wondering how to get the most from the contract labs you are already connected to, this article is for you. These are multiple ways in which you can improve the efficiency and returns that you are getting from each contract lab.
Why are you getting this particular testing done? Is it a routine procedure for quality checks? Or, are you testing a product that has been pulled from the market based on customer complaints?
This information needs to be communicated to the contract lab for them to achieve the correct results. Many production and manufacturing plants avoid informing the contract labs about these because they want the inferences to be unbiased and objective.
While there is some merit to that argument, working in an informational vacuum also makes it impossible for contract lab researchers to approach the problem from the correct perspective.
Do you need a detailed quantitative report or do you want a simple “Yes/No” answer? Do you need the standard testing method to be followed or do you want to tweak it to suit your specific requirements? You must communicate these factors clearly and concisely when discussing the project with the provider of contract lab services. This will help you get the most accurate and useful results.
In all probability, you are not an expert in the scientific testing process that you hired the contract lab for. This is the reason a lot of manufacturing plants completely fail to understand the report that has been sent by the contract lab. They only check the bottom line and chuck the rest of the report away.
However, these reports by most contract lab services are nuanced. Just because the bottom-line aligns with your requirements, doesn’t mean there aren’t ambiguities and complications in the body of the report. Such nuances need to be discussed openly with the researchers at the contract lab who conducted the testing.
Only then will you be able to comprehend the entirety of the report, and put it to good use for your business. After all, since you are paying for the report anyway, why not make the most of it and get your money’s worth?
Acquiring, packaging, and shipping the correct samples is one of the main obstacles when it comes to engaging contract lab services, and getting the best out of them. To avoid mistakes, you need to find out from the contract lab itself how it wishes for the samples to be delivered to them. Most contract labs issue specific instructions that help you acquire a sterile sample. Then, you need to package it with a separate information slip that contains every bit of information that the contract lab has deemed necessary.
If the sample has to be kept at an optimal temperature, this must be mentioned on the packaging itself. Some contract labs even send over their packaging materials along with the correct packaging format to maintain the integrity of the sample.
Remember, if your sample doesn’t reach them in perfect condition, the contract lab services will be unable to supply you with the correct result.
You might have a variety of products getting tested at multiple contract labs services at the same time. This is why you need to maintain a clear line of communication between the manufacturing plant and the contract labs.
Appoint any one person to keep in contact with a particular contract lab. This will help with accountability if there are any issues later on in the process. Also, ask for a specific point of contact in each of the contract labs so that you don’t have to flounder about for information during a crisis.
Stay organized. Maintain spreadsheets with dates to keep track of the timely reports being submitted by the contract labs.
Does the turnover time and the price point suit you? Can the contract lab follow a testing method that is slightly different from the norm, to accommodate the specific requirements of your business?
These are the questions that you need to find answers to before you can decide whether or not you want to stick to a certain contract lab. Do not be swayed by the reputation of the lab alone. Though a good reputation is a plus, not every reputed lab will be a perfect fit for your business.
After all, the sole purpose of a contract lab is to make sure that they can offer you the niche testing services that aren’t available at your company’s lab.
???????
Though criteria like accreditation of the testing facility and the educational qualifications of the researchers are important, at the end of the day what you will care about is whether your working relationship is healthy and viable in the long run.
And for that, communication is the key. Unless you convey your demands and requirements clearly, you cannot get the most out of a contract lab. Also, never be afraid to state your specific demands since these are exactly what contract labs cater to.
