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Laboratory Outsourcing FAQs



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 site, such as a chemical plant, refinery, consumer product, corporate research & technical center, food processor or other business.

In many cases the existing laboratory, staff and instrumentation are transferred to Intertek Caleb Brett 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. Laboratory outsourcing is sometimes referred to as lab sourcing or laboratory upsourcing.
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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, and yet these assets and manpower are usually under-utilized.

Excess capacity, under-used expensive instrumentation and minimum-shift requirements create excess costs for an in-house lab. These costs and under-utilization are eliminated, reduced or rationalized if the operation is outsourced to an laboratory testing service provider like Intertek Caleb Brett. Other benefits from a lab outsourcing approach 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 Caleb Brett operates independent laboratories that can accept work from a wide range of customers. This means our utilization rate is higher than a captive in-house laboratory, driving our efficiency up and our cost per test down. Capital investment in expensive and sophisticated instrumentation by Intertek Caleb Brett also 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?
Industries taking a leading role in taking 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, the Swiss Government and others are operated and managed by Intertek Caleb Brett. 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 Caleb Brett 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. Intertek Caleb Brett is a global company with operations serving over 116 nations. 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 Caleb Brett 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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