Choosing a Laboratory Equipment Supplier: Calibration, Service and Reagents

Lab equipment has to give the same result on Monday as it did last month. That depends on calibration, service and a steady supply of reagents as much as on the machine.

Calibration you can show an assessor

If your lab is NABL accredited, or plans to be, you will need calibration records traceable to national standards. Ask whether the supplier provides calibration certificates and whether their calibration partner is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025. Medical labs themselves are assessed against ISO 15189.

Installation and qualification

For analysers and other critical instruments, ask whether the supplier will do installation qualification (IQ) and operational qualification (OQ) and hand over the records. It saves time later during audits.

Open or closed reagent system

A closed system only runs the maker's own reagents, which can simplify validation but ties you to one price list. An open system lets you choose reagents from other suppliers. Ask for the reagent cost per test, not just the price of the analyser.

Service and uptime

Ask where the nearest engineer is based, the response time in writing, and whether a standby unit is offered during long repairs. For high-volume labs, an hour of downtime can mean delayed reports for many patients.

Consumables and storage

Check shelf life and storage temperature for reagents and controls, and how often the supplier delivers to your city. Short-dated stock arriving close to expiry is a common complaint.

Get quotes on the same specification

Write down throughput, test menu, sample type and space limits, and send the same specification to several suppliers. A buyer requirement on HealthKares reaches matching verified suppliers, and you can compare their quotes side by side.