ALA Laboratory Automation Survey 2008:Section 3

From LabAutopedia

A LabAutopedia invited article

ALA 2008 Laboratory Automation Survey
Authored by: Steven D. Hamilton, Santias Consulting

The ALA recently conducted a survey of laboratory automation system providers and industrial users, as a detailed followup to the 2006 Survey on the State of Industrial Laboratory Automation. In many cases, similar questions were posed to compare the focus and priorities of automation users vs. providers. The responses will be presented in the following series of articles. A detailed article with editorial commentary from both the vendor and user community will be published in JALA later in 2009.

The cost for 2008 Laboratory Automation Industry Research was graciously underwritten by Agilent Technologies, Caliper Life Sciences, PerkinElmer, Symyx Technologies, and Thermo Fisher Scientific

SECTION 3: ORGANIZATIONS AND LABORATORY AUTOMATION
See also Section 1: Use & Needs , Section_2: Trends or Section 4: Demographics

3.1 User Question: Does your organization employ full-time internal staff serving as dedicated laboratory automation resources?
No		12%
Yes - In a central group that serves many functional areas		50%
Yes - Not a central group but via staff in functional area(s)		38%
If Yes - Via Central Group, does this group serve:
Both automation development and ongoing support needs		90%
Only ongoing support needs		10%
Only automation development needs		0%
If Yes - NOT via Central Group, do these resources serve:
Both automation development and ongoing support needs		94%
Only ongoing support needs		0%
Only automation development needs		6%
If No:
My organization has never employed full-time automation staff		40%
My organization at one time employed full-time automation staff		20%
I anticipate my organization will employ full-time automation resources in the future		20%
In my organization, laboratory scientists act as part-time automation experts		80%

3.2 Provider Question: What internal (FTE) resourcing model for facilitating laboratory automation do you see most often within your customer base?
No dedicated internal resources		26%
Internal resources in a central group that serves many functional areas		33%
Internal resources in various functional areas, not centralized		41%
Do you see your customers internal resourcing for laboratory automation:
Increasing		42%
Decreasing		25%
Constant		33%
In the future, do you anticipate your customers' organizations will be relying on laboratory automation and technology:
More		94%
Less		0%
The same		6%

3.3 User Question: In the future, my organization will be relying on laboratory automation and technology:
More		88%
Less		0%
The same		12%
What are the drivers for the trend reported in the question above:
Increasing workload		90%
Decreasing workload		0%
Increasing staff		12%
Decreasing staff		45%
Increasing budget		7%
Decreasing budget		38%
Increasing outsourcing		14%
Decreasing outsourcing		5%
More complex science		50%
Less complex science		0%
Need to streamline operations		74%
Need to add new capabilities		71%