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| Home > About Us > Outsourcing > Frequently Asked Questions |
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Laboratory Outsourcing FAQs |
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What is laboratory outsourcing?
Lab outsourcing usually involves an independent company assuming quality
control testing or other analytical services associated with an in-house
laboratory located at or near an industrial sites, such as manufacturing plants, chemical
plants, refineries, corporate research centers, food processors, mining and other business.
In many cases the existing laboratory, staff and instrumentation are
transferred to Intertek and continue to provide the same
services as before outsourcing. In other situations the location is
moved. In all cases the services are provided at a lower total-cost
to the customer.
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What are the benefits of outsourcing laboratory
services?
Laboratory outsourcing saves total cost, investment
and manpower. In-house laboratory functions are characterized by relatively
high fixed costs, high capital investment and associated benefits and
salaries, with assets and manpower are usually under-utilized.
Excess capacity, under-utilized and expensive instrumentation and minimum-shift
requirements create excess costs for an in-house lab. Rising lab costs and under-utilization rates are eliminated, reduced or rationalized
if the operation is outsourced to an laboratory testing service provider like
Intertek. Additional benefits from lab outsourcing include greater laboratory productivity and improved service and performance.
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Why can Intertek provide a lower total cost for testing services?
In most cases, Intertek operates independent
laboratories that can accept work from a wide range of customers. This
means the lab utilization rate is much higher thanfor a captive in-house laboratory,
driving testing efficiency up and the cost-per-test down. Capital investment
in modern analytical instrumentation by Intertek
translates into a lower per-test cost. We can use the same instrument
for multiple clients, increasing efficiency.
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What Industries are outsourcing laboratory services?
Industriestaking advantage of laboratory outsourcing testing services include chemical, consumer
product, petroleum refining, exploration & production, catalyst
and pharmaceutical sectors.
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What Companies and Institutions are outsourcing laboratory services?
Major laboratory
outsourcing projects for Rolls-Royce, Unilever, Citgo Oil, Dow Chemical, BP, Procter
& Gamble, ExxonMobil, BASF, TotalFinaElf, Royal Dutch Shell, Irving
Oil, Governments and others are operated and managed by Intertek. These projects are located throughout the world.
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What kinds of testing are being outsourced?
Testing outsourced includes product quality control,
technical support, trouble-shooting, research development, process,
on-line analyzer, and measurement science services. Industry and company-specific
testing methodologies are used. Intertek can design an optimal
laboratory outsource solution to fit our client’s technical and
analytical requirements.
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Where are Industries outsourcing laboratories?
Companies are outsourcing labs on a global basis. Our experience demonstrates that Laboratory Outsourcing is a serious
option being adopted or considered in virtually every major industrial
region of the world. Europe, The Americas, and Asia Pacific all have
companies that have awarded projects or want to begin outsourcing laboratory
functions.
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Is Laboratory Outsourcing right for my company?
Determining if your in-house laboratory is a good candidate
for lab outsourcing requires careful evaluation. Intertek
includes an international team of seasoned laboratory professionals
with years of expertise in both lab outsourcing and in running analytical
testing laboratories. They work with our clients to determine if laboratory
outsourcing is viable option. The same team then manages the process
for a successful outsourcing project.
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How do I get started?
Contact us by email
or call Erik Holladay, Global Marketing Director, at (USA) 713.407.3500
to begin. Ask for Global Laboratory Outsourcing Services. All enquiries
are handled confidentially.
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