Analyzer purchasing checklist
Prepare a comparable assessment of capacity, total costs, support and implementation before selecting an analyzer.
Original preparation checklistExplore resource →AssayIQ resource center
Clear guidance. Better preparation. More useful evidence.
A starting point for laboratory directors, quality teams and operations leaders. Find official guidance, learning resources and practical tools for the next decision.
Start with the question you need to answer.
Search by topic or browse the collection below. External materials open on their publisher’s website so you can check the current version and access terms.
14 resources
Cost-review preparation checklist
Organize volumes, invoices, repeat work and operating constraints for a useful financial review.
Original preparation checklistExplore resource →Staffing assessment worksheet
Download a blank worksheet for workload, staffed hours, quality work and coverage constraints.
CSV worksheet and instructionsExplore resource →CLIA guidance and brochures
Find official materials on performance verification, competency, laboratory director responsibilities and quality control.
Public guidanceOpen official resource ↗Proficiency testing requirements
Review program requirements and PT handling and referral restrictions before planning your laboratory workflow.
Public guidanceOpen official resource ↗Accreditation education and support
Find education and links to accreditation resources. Some templates and checklist support require participant access.
Public page; some member resourcesOpen official resource ↗Laboratory education
Explore laboratory education and accreditation learning resources. Check individual course access and fees.
External course providerOpen official resource ↗OneLab training and video resources
Explore webinars, video job aids and laboratory training through the OneLab initiative.
Training; registration may applyOpen official resource ↗Quality management learning sessions
Explore quality improvement, laboratory operations and risk-management learning sessions at their original source.
Videos and learning sessionsOpen official resource ↗Linearity, comparison and EMI demo
Try separate or combined study workflows with synthetic data and view reports with attached worksheets.
Watermarked pilot; export disabledExplore resource →Extended measurement interval explained
Understand dilution correction, target evidence and what a director needs before changing a reporting interval.
Practical briefingExplore resource →A useful productivity baseline
Consider test mix, quality work, coverage and operational constraints when reviewing laboratory productivity.
Leadership briefingExplore resource →Find avoidable laboratory waste
Review where repeat work, handoffs and unused evidence may create preventable cost.
Operational briefingExplore resource →See example deliverables
Explore illustrative work and its purpose before discussing the scope of a laboratory engagement.
Examples, not guaranteesExplore resource →AssayIQ practical guides
Bring the right information to the first conversation.
These original preparation guides help organize a project. They are not accreditor checklists or a substitute for a laboratory’s approved procedures.
Analyzer purchasing checklist
- Define the test menu, specimen types, peak demand, turnaround expectations, space and utility constraints.
- Compare reagent, QC, calibration, consumables, service, connectivity, training and verification costs across the same contract period.
- Record uptime commitments, backup arrangements, service response, minimum purchases, escalation terms and exit costs.
- Ask for evidence of usable throughput under your expected workload. Agree on acceptance testing and decision owners before purchase.
Cost-review preparation checklist
- Choose the period, departments and tests included. Collect deidentified volumes and reportable-result counts with definitions.
- Gather invoices, referral fees, reagent usage and expiration records, repeat rates, QC and calibration consumption, labor and service costs.
- Identify fixed and variable costs, rebates, shared overhead and one-time implementation costs. Flag missing data and prevent double counting.
- Record quality, turnaround and staffing constraints. Separate potential cash savings, avoided future costs and capacity released.
Staffing assessment worksheet
- Use the downloadable CSV below to record workload and staffed hours for a consistent interval such as one hour or one shift. Do not enter patient or employee identifiers.
- Record accession volume and reportable results separately; document test mix, batches, QC, calibration, maintenance, training and interruptions.
- Keep non-testing activities visible. Do not add activity hours to staffed hours: they describe how those same hours were used. Note concurrent activities or estimates.
- Compare normal and peak periods, turnaround performance, skill coverage and overtime before proposing a schedule. This worksheet does not calculate a staffing standard or justify a staffing reduction on its own.
Prepare a study for technical review
- Define the assay, instrument, specimen type, units and decision the study must support.
- Collect the current IFU, approved protocol, material assignments, QC evidence and original run records.
- Keep linearity, patient-sample comparison and dilution datasets distinct; document exclusions and repeat runs.
- State local acceptance criteria before interpreting results. Identify who will review, approve and implement the decision.
Turn a quality finding into an action plan
- Describe the finding using observable evidence, its scope and the affected process.
- Identify any immediate containment needed with the laboratory’s authorized leadership.
- Examine contributing process, equipment, training and workload factors before assigning a cause.
- Assign an owner and due date for each action, then specify the evidence and follow-up measure needed to demonstrate effectiveness.
Build a cost review leaders can act on
- Define the department, time period, test mix and usable data sources.
- Separate labor, reagent, QC, calibration, repeat, send-out and downtime costs; avoid counting the same cost twice.
- Distinguish capacity released from cash savings. State assumptions and preserve quality and turnaround measures.
- Compare baseline and pilot results, record implementation costs, and report the net effect with accountable owners.
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