The Importance of Working Closely with Laboratory Equipment Manufacturers

Clinical laboratory scientists have long depended on the most advanced equipment and technologies to not only succeed in their respective fields, but to push the boundaries of their work as far as possible. The success of a medical laboratory is especially dependent on this equipment and technology, as there is a constant race among competitors to give their staff every advantage possible. A lab without the resources of its competitor is no doubt setting themselves up for failure. In light of this, numerous societies and associations have popularized conferences, workshops and educational sessions that give these organizations the opportunity to experience the cutting-edge of laboratory equipment and technology first hand.

One key benefit of these events are the networks that are created among vendors and attendees. Too often a lab will encounter unfortunate setbacks when their equipment fails or malfunctions and they are unable to get in touch with the personnel they need on the vendor's side of things. By attending these events, Clinical Laboratory Science builds professional relationships with real people. These are the people who are involved in every step of the production process, from design to factory acceptance testing. And these events are the best place to meet them. With such a wide selection of equipment and technology on display competition among these vendors can get fierce. Each of them has to put their best foot forward to get noticed so that attendees can rest assured knowing that they'll have a dedicated workforce behind the equipment they select.

There are a huge number of scientific fields represented at these events. Specialists in microscopic, bacteriological, hematological, chemical and immunologic diagnosis make up a large portion of the attendees, but by no means are they the only ones. Any technologists, scientists or researchers who are interested in bringing efficiency to their lab and streamlining their procedures will be in attendance. Vendors come prepared to meet with this diverse group and are often happy to discuss anything from factory acceptance testing to the reasons why they got involved in the industry in the first place. Beyond the networking, lectures and debates, this first-hand experience and personal connection are easily the best reasons to attend events like these. Staying competitive can be difficult for any clinical laboratory, no matter their size. Events like these will only continue to grow in popularity as word of the wealth of benefits they offer continue to spread throughout the scientific community.