What to do before you start your search for new space
July 2, 2024
Needs Assessment
It’s not just a step, but a crucial process in your journey to find the perfect lab space. It’s the foundation of your search, helping you identify and define the specific requirements and functionalities your laboratory needs to support your research or business activities effectively. It’s the key to space planning, ensuring your site, utility, and space requirements are met.
Without conducting a needs assessment, you’re taking a significant risk. You could end up leasing too much or too little space, lacking the necessary mechanical systems, or encountering a host of other issues.
Your needs assessment should be comprehensive, covering every aspect of your lab’s requirements. At Venture Forward Partners, we guide our clients through a detailed checklist, ensuring they consider not just immediate needs, but also those for the near and long-term future. This thorough approach provides reassurance and confidence in the decision-making process.
The needs assessment details every piece of equipment, the MEP requirements for each piece, the number of staff, backup power needs, requirements for vacuum and gas manifolds and any storage or space requirements such as a loading dock, a freight elevator, or the need for specific floor loads. Along with your equipment matrix, you should also have an up-to-date chemical inventory.
Before you embark on the needs assessment, it’s essential to have a clear and detailed understanding of the science you want to perform. Equally important is a roadmap for the future. Consider the capabilities you want in-house and those you might outsource. What are your production goals? These factors are not just about the present, but also about future needs and building flexibility. Always anticipate future equipment purchases and staffing additions. If growth is on your agenda, planning ahead is a must.
Often, some changes during the process are unavoidable, but due diligence at the beginning can minimize their number and the impact. Important details included in the needs assessment mean that fewer changes will need to be made later in the process. The later in the process changes are made, the more they cost in both time and money.
Know your budget before you start, not only for upfront capital expenses but also as a contingency if revisions have to be made or there are delays. You must also factor in the costs of borrowing and operations.
Have realistic expectations of the project’s schedule including allowing time to search for the best space.
By knowing exactly what you have and what you need, you will be better able to judge your correct square footage needs and the proper building infrastructure to help your lab succeed.
Why it’s so important
Functionality: Conducting a needs assessment ensures that the lab space you acquire is tailored to your specific requirements. This includes considerations such as the type of research or work you’ll be conducting, the equipment and facilities you’ll need, safety regulations, and any specialized infrastructure necessary for your operations.
Cost Efficiency: By identifying your needs upfront, you can avoid unnecessary expenditures on features or amenities that you don’t require. This helps optimize your budget and ensures that you’re investing in the resources that directly contribute to your work.
Safety and Compliance: Laboratories have strict safety and regulatory requirements. A needs assessment helps ensure that the space you choose meets all necessary safety standards and compliance regulations, reducing the risk of accidents or legal issues down the line.
Space Utilization: Understanding your needs allows you to optimize the layout and utilization of the lab space. This can include considerations such as workflow efficiency, storage requirements, and future scalability. This enables you to choose the correct square footage needed for your lab.
Resource Allocation: By clearly identifying your needs, you can prioritize the allocation of resources such as funding, staffing, and equipment procurement to support your research or business objectives effectively.
A thorough needs assessment ensures that the lab space you choose aligns closely with your operational requirements, safety standards, and long-term goals, ultimately facilitating the success and productivity of your research or business activities.
What’s the Next Step?
Once your needs assessment is completed, you need to think about what type of lease situation will work best for you. Will you take on a sole lease or will you sublet space? Venture Forward Partners can help you create an effective needs assortment to start your space search the right way. We will then go into detail with you about what is currently in the market, explore each option and explain the pros and cons so you can be fully informed and able to make the best choice for your unique situation.
The sooner we start helping you, the better your outcome in finding the ideal lab space will be. Contact us to see how together we can achieve your goals.
Venture Forward Partners is a full-service Laboratory Planning, Project Management and Lab Services company for life science and biotech laboratories in Greater Boston. From site selection and lab relocations to setting up and maintaining your lab, we provide a broad range of services and solutions to support your lab operations. Our team possesses unparalleled energy and enthusiasm toward the work we do, and we have the expertise, training, hands-on lab experience and industry connections to ensure your lab’s success. Whatever your lab needs – we make it happen.