The big day has arrived! Your new lab is complete, and everything has been delivered to the site. It’s been a long complex process, a lot of effort and rather disruptive. You can’t wait to finally get back to working on your research.
But wait! Before you can do that, there are boxes to unpack, supplies to purchase and equipment to set up: freezers, refrigerators, incubators, biosafety cabinets, etc., etc. Maybe you are lucky enough to have a full-time lab operations manager to do most of what is required. But there is still a lot to do to get everything up and running. And what happens if your company is young and/or you don’t have a dedicated lab manager?
Do you really want your scientists to spend time doing the set-up? Do they even know what is required to get the equipment hooked up? Wouldn’t you rather they focus on their research? Bottom line: Don’t Stop the Science!
Contracting an implementation team means less downtime for your scientists and your research, and will save you money in the long run. Setting you up in an organized lab that is functional, efficient, compliant and safe, is setting you up for future success. You want to ensure that you have what you need to get the results you want.
Here at Venture Forward Lab Partners, our goal is to realize your vision and make a lab that helps you do your best work. And we want you, and the people who work in the lab every day, to love it!
Each lab situation is different, and I like to begin with a holistic, unbiased approach. I talk to the scientists about how they do their work, about their preferences, and I listen to their ideas about what might be missing or could be better – that way I get a better feel for the bigger picture about how each lab works.
Then I assess the equipment and consumables and figure out what you need but don’t have (or may run out of). I then catalog everything; creating a consumables list and schedule and updating (or creating) the equipment matrix. And I make sure to label everything.
Usually, the implementation team comes smoothly between the project management team and the lab operations team. We do things like set up the bio bins, and bios safety cabinets, connect co2 lines, set up water baths, vacuum connections, waste traps, certifications, refrigerators and freezers, incubator set up (water, HEPA filters, and sterilization runs) and more. We assemble shelving and store consumables and perform all the myriad tasks it takes to prep the space so your team can show up and get to work.
This eliminates the chaotic handoff that can result when you don’t have an implementation team. We cut down on downtime as we can usually accomplish everything in a week or less. It’s the perfect way to start a new space. A little extra time and attention to detail upfront can help you fine-tune those areas that can so quickly get out of control.