Why Robust Lab Equipment Maintenance Processes Are Crucial for Life Sciences Companies

Today's laboratories face unprecedented management challenges. With competing priorities constantly demanding attention, lab managers at life sciences companies often struggle to maintain focus on critical tasks—particularly lab equipment maintenance, which forms the backbone of daily operations.

Laboratory equipment management provides benefits far beyond basic equipment care. It keeps budgets on track, maintains productivity, enhances compliance, and strengthens internal communications. Life sciences industry experts concur that effective equipment maintenance should be viewed as fundamental to operational excellence and regulatory compliance.

Want to see how effective asset management works in action? Watch our Asset Excellence demo video now to learn more.

Without a comprehensive laboratory equipment management system, unnecessary risks and inefficiencies can compromise scientific results and regulatory compliance. Fortunately, implementing robust laboratory asset maintenance measures creates a foundation that streamlines many operational challenges.

In this article, we'll explore what lab equipment maintenance entails, how it enhances operations for regulated manufacturers, and discuss how a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) optimizes maintenance processes in GxP environments.

What Is Lab Equipment Maintenance?

Lab equipment maintenance encompasses the regular care and upkeep essential for ensuring laboratory instruments function optimally. Unlike laboratory equipment management, which focuses on administrative aspects like procurement, inventory, and compliance tracking, maintenance zeroes in on the physical condition of the instruments.

For life sciences companies, laboratory asset maintenance involves several critical activities:

• Regular Equipment Cleaning: Activities such as routinely sterilizing laboratory equipment prevent contamination and ensure accuracy.
• Scheduled Calibrations: Maintains measurement precision and ensures compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), good manufacturing practice (GMP), and other regulatory standards and requirements.
• Calibration Checks: Intermittent testing between calibrations to verify equipment is functioning properly and calibration remains valid.
• Regular Parts Replacement: Prevents malfunctions and erroneous results that could compromise product quality.
• Software Updates: Staying current on software updates ensures equipment remains compatible with other systems and that it maintains validated status.

Types of Lab Equipment Maintenance

Maintaining laboratory equipment in regulated environments requires a strategic approach tailored to each instrument's specific needs and compliance requirements. Understanding different maintenance types helps life sciences companies implement effective strategies. The types of laboratory equipment maintenance required in life sciences environments include:

Preventive Maintenance

Focused on regular checks and servicing to prevent equipment failures, preventive maintenance of laboratory equipment extends the lifespan and reliability of lab instruments. This approach embodies the principle that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

An example of applying preventive maintenance of laboratory equipment in practice: regularly checking analytical balances at the start of each shift or before taking critical measurements that impact product quality.

Why is preventive maintenance of laboratory equipment so important in life science laboratories? Said one industry expert, "In addition to enormous cost savings, preventive maintenance transforms laboratory operations from chaotic and unpredictable to harmonious, organized, and consistent—essential qualities for regulatory compliance."

Reactive Maintenance

When equipment malfunctions, reactive maintenance is needed as an intervention to correct issues, aiming to minimize downtime and restore functionality.

This is the least efficient approach to laboratory asset maintenance and puts organizations at risk for extended downtime, compliance violations, budget overruns, and potential product quality issues.

See how MasterControl transforms reactive maintenance into proactive management. View our comprehensive Asset Excellence demo video today!

Predictive Maintenance

Leveraging data and technology to anticipate failures before they occur, predictive maintenance enables timely interventions, saving time and resources while maintaining operational continuity.

For example, innovative sensors can collect real-time data from instrumentation that would be unavailable otherwise, providing clear insights into equipment health and performance, such as lamp hour usage in a spectrophotometer or run-time hours of a centrifuge.

Predictive maintenance elevates preventive maintenance of laboratory equipment by using an asset's real-time performance metrics to drive maintenance decisions rather than relying solely on traditional time and usage metrics.

How Maintenance of Laboratory Equipment Elevates Operations

For life sciences companies, meticulous lab equipment maintenance is more than a best practice—it's a regulatory requirement and strategic imperative. Here's why prioritizing maintenance significantly boosts overall performance:

• Secure Data Integrity: Generating data with poorly maintained equipment puts data integrity at risk—a critical concern for companies that manufacture FDA-regulated products. Without regular monitoring through calibration, accuracy checks, and scheduled maintenance, companies risk having laboratory results invalidated during inspections, potentially leading to regulatory findings and damaged reputation.
• Reduce Unexpected Expenses: A robust laboratory equipment management regimen provides visibility into equipment health, dramatically reducing the likelihood of unforeseen failures. This proactive stance saves on emergency repair costs and guards against production delays, ensuring greater financial predictability and stability.
• Meet Regulatory Requirements Efficiently: Well-maintained equipment equals dependable operations that regulators and customers can rely on. This reliability translates into consistent production output, meeting quality standards consistently, and maintaining compliance with GMP regulations.

Properly maintained equipment is also compliant and calibrated equipment—crucial for substantiating data during regulatory inspections and audits.

• Lower Overall Maintenance Costs: Regular laboratory asset maintenance prevents small issues from escalating into major repairs, optimizing long-term financial outlays. This forward-thinking approach represents a strategic investment that yields substantial savings over time.
• Ensure Seamless Audits: With strong, easily retrievable maintenance records, life sciences companies can navigate through regulatory audits confidently, demonstrating compliance with FDA requirements and industry standards while reinforcing their commitment to operational integrity.

When data or results are questioned, detailed maintenance records provide verification and supporting evidence—hallmarks of robust lab equipment maintenance practices.

• Smooth End-of-Life Equipment Transition: A comprehensive laboratory equipment management program includes planning for equipment upgrades, ensuring efficient transitions with minimal disruption. This approach allows organizations to stay current with technology while maintaining productivity and properly budgeting for new equipment rather than making emergency purchases.
• Enhance Workplace Safety and Risk Mitigation: Effective maintenance ensures lab equipment operates safely, preventing accidents and protecting personnel. By rigorously maintaining equipment, life sciences companies demonstrate commitment to employee safety while creating a secure and productive work environment.

CMMS Software: Your Solution for Optimal Lab Equipment Maintenance

Take your laboratory asset maintenance program to new levels of operational efficiency with software designed for regulated environments.

A laboratory equipment management system streamlines and enhances asset maintenance by automating scheduling, tracking all maintenance activities, and providing real-time insights into equipment status—all critical functions for GxP compliance.

A CMMS software solution is integral to robust preventive maintenance of laboratory equipment, extending instrument lifespan and facilitating compliance with FDA regulations, ISO standards, and GMP requirements while reducing equipment downtime and eliminating paper records. For life sciences companies striving for operational excellence, a CMMS is an indispensable compliance tool.

With the right laboratory equipment management system, your manufacturing operation can easily manage:

• All lab equipment and maintenance schedules.
• Equipment work orders.
• Preventive maintenance scheduling.
• Asset inventory.
• Asset health and usage tracking.
• Asset audits and compliance requirements.

Working with a purpose-built laboratory equipment management system designed with FDA-regulated operations in mind enhances your ability to document, report, and communicate maintenance activities—crucial capabilities for developing equipment maintenance programs that simplify compliance and streamline operations.

Stop Reacting To Equipment Issues and Start Preventing Them With MasterControl Asset Management

Managing a laboratory with complex operations requires precision, visibility, and capabilities that go beyond basic scientific practices. Establishing a foundation that simplifies these tasks starts with MasterControl's Asset Management CMMS.

MasterControl's laboratory equipment management system was developed by industry professionals with decades of experience serving the life sciences industry. It's specifically designed for regulated laboratories to leverage the latest technology efficiencies while improving core laboratory functionality, compliance, and processes.

Ready to revolutionize your lab equipment maintenance? Watch our Asset Excellence demo video now and take the first step toward optimized operations.