Science With Purpose

Insights and Trends, Customized to Your Interests

Sailing Through Transformative Times: Contract Testing Labs and the Adoption of LC/MS/MS Technology

March 14, 2024

Click Here to View All Blogs About Air

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic resonated across industries, economies, and individual lives. And that triggered a shift in how businesses – including laboratories – operated.

Contract testing laboratories faced their share of challenges, including supply chain shortages, logistics issues, and safety concerns for their staff. Even in the pandemic’s aftermath, testing labs continue to deal with these and other challenges, driving the sector toward a change in operating models.

A comprehensive 2022 McKinsey study showed labs needing to become stronger and better equipped to meet the growing market requirements for efficiency and high productivity¹. In addition, the study found that labs will have to embrace high-throughput processes and automation, which reduce sample preparation time and analysis costs, while embracing digitalization to empower agile decision making. Validated methods and analytical solutions are also deemed instrumental in streamlining intricate ISO 17025 accreditation.

In the article “Driving Lab Efficiency and Performance Acceleration with LC/MS/MS,” emerging trends that hold significant potential for contract testing laboratories accredited under ISO 17025 are investigated. Here are a few examples:

Leveraging a Culture of Quality with Streamlined Lab Accreditation

The acquisition of ISO 17025 accreditation extends benefits to both labs and their clients, introducing a standardized avenue for competency and performance, enhancing overall efficiency. But ISO 17025 accreditation is a process that demands considerable time and financial investments.

In the pursuit of accreditation, laboratories can leverage innovative analytical systems designed to support implementation of validated methods. For example, the PerkinElmer QS-Works™ Workflow empowers labs with ready-to-implement validated methods for food analysis. These verified methods seamlessly align with the validation requisites of the accreditation process, streamlining the crucial validation phase.

For seamless lab automation, the PerkinElmer SimplicityLab™ lab execution system (LES) and Simplicity 3Q™ Software provide robust tools for instrument and workflow management. These solutions align with CFR 21 Part 11 compliance, a key requirement in the accreditation process. The resulting enhanced operational quality expedites the accreditation journey and simplifies audit procedures during and after accreditation.

Choosing LC/MS/MS Solutions to Drive Efficiency and Productivity

Incorporating triple quadrupole LC/MS/MS technology into your lab can greatly enhance analytical capabilities and accelerate lab operations. LC/MS/MS systems offer an array of benefits to lab managers. For example, the PerkinElmer QSight^® LC/MS/MS System features a unique Dual Source configuration, enabling easy probe switching between ESI and APCI modes. This facilitates comprehensive analysis in a single run, which is especially important when dealing with complex sample matrices.

Regular cleaning and caring for lab equipment extends its lifetime and prevents it from adversely affecting analysis results. PerkinElmer QSight StayClean™ Technology helps labs minimizing the negative effects of system contamination, reducing the need for frequent cleaning, and optimizing maintenance and analytical continuity.

Digitalization of Lab Functions and Asset Management

In shaping the trajectory of testing laboratories, digitalization emerges as key for enhancing productivity and streamlining lab management. McKinsey’s research highlights the potential for cost reduction – ranging from 25% to 45% percent – for chemical QC labs embracing the digitally enabled horizon². Laboratories that invest resources in digital capabilities have opportunities to elevate workflow efficiency and optimize asset performance.

Connectivity with intelligent assets opens avenues for labs to integrate operational and service data. This synergy generates insights and cost-saving opportunities, integrating remote monitoring, diagnostics, and service of high-throughput lab equipment. On an individual instrument level, embedded sensors offer visibility into asset utilization and conditions, forming the basis for a lab monitoring process that safeguards vital lab assets, from instruments to unique samples.

The PerkinElmer Asset Genius™ solution presents a comprehensive approach to real-time monitoring of parameters like temperature and humidity. The data analytics component furnishes critical insights into equipment utilization. As digitalization reshapes the future of testing labs, its potential to streamline operations and optimize asset management opens up new possibilities for lab efficiency.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to contract testing laboratories. To thrive in the post-pandemic era, labs must embrace automation, efficient LC/MS/MS solutions, and digitalization to drive efficiency and productivity.