FINALS 3 - CURRENT TRENDS IN LABORATORY MANAGEMENT

Introduction to new Operational Strategies

5 Core Operational Strategies

1.   Corporate Strategy

•  is the direction an organization takes with the objective of achieving business success in the long term. Recent approaches have focused on the need for companies to adapt to and anticipate changes in the business environment, i.e. a flexible strategy.

• Corporate strategies involve seeing a company as a system of interconnected parts.

2.    Customer-driven Strategy

• are market segmentation, targeting, differentiation, and positioning. It also lists and discusses the major bases for segmenting consumer and business markets
• To meet the needs and desires of a target market.

3.    Developing Core Competencies

• The concept of CORE COMPETENCE was introduce to management literature in 1990 by C. K. Prahalad and Gary Hamel. They defined it as "an area of specialized expertise that is the result of harmonizing complex streams of technology and work activity
• Core competencies are the strengths and resources within a company.By identifying core competencies, a company can develop processes such as customer satisfaction, product development and building professional relationships with stakeholders.

4.    Competitive Priorities

• Creating competitive advantage requires a determination of the factors that may put a firm in a better position in relation to its competitors in the marketplace. Four strategic capabilities which can be considered as competitive priorities are identified by low cost, quality, quick delivery and flexibility

• To create competitive priorities, an organization evaluates operational costs, the quality of a product or service, the time it takes to develop and deliver a good or service and the flexibility of a good or service with regard to variety, volume and customization.
• Should include being able to provide a quality product or service at a fair cost that consistently meets the needs of a customer.

5.    Product and Service Development

• New product and service development is a crucial process for a business' success. The process begins with generating an idea and defining a concept, and finishes with the product's introduction to the market.

• Companies should consider packaging it with immediately observable and psychological benefits and support services.

FINALS 2 - PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING

Marketing

- The strategic process of attracting and maintaining a customer base.

- is defined as "the total of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or 

   seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing, and selling."

Four P’s of Marketing

Product

— -Performing tests and giving results.

— -The sophistication, expertise, and technological ability to perform a

      large number of tests or carry out complex procedures.

    -Marketing Variables: Factors such as price, packaging, product and

     convenience that can be manipulated to attract customers.

—- Product Differentiation: Factors such as convenience, turn-around

     time and price that make a product or service attractive to a customer.

Price

— - Has become a major competitive factor

— - Laboratories that have been able to control expenses and offer

      attractive prices to discretionary buyers now enjoy a distinct

     advantage in this crucial service component.

Place

—-  Affects service distribution and entails three decisions:

—-  Physical access

— - Time access

— - Information and Promotional access

— - Factor in designing how convenient the lab service is to its clients.

Promotion

— - Products and services are constantly promoted through commercials

      and advertisements in newspapers, on car windshields, TVs, radios, in

     our mailboxes, and even on computer networks.

—- Promotional tools divided into four groups:

— - Advertising – any type of non-personal presentations such as displays

      and ads in newspapers and journals, as well as brochures and flyers.

—- Sales promotion – short-term discounts, product incentives, etc.

— - Personal selling – selling through personal service representatives.

— - Publicity – non-commercial informational presentations issued

      through the news media and other public forums such as social clubs

      and educational institutions.

FINALS 1 - SAFETY MANAGEMENT

Laboratory Safety Program is an "Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals which requires that facilities engaged in laboratory use of hazardous chemicals develop and implement a written "Chemical Hygiene Plan". The plan must set forth procedures, equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), work practices, and policies. These must be implemented and used to protect employees and students from the potential health hazards presented by use of hazardous chemicals used in laboratories.

Initial training and annual refresher training thereafter is required for all employees who work in chemical utilizing laboratories. Laboratory safety training will vary from year to year depending upon necessity of emphasis as the need arise. This can be the following:

a.       Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) Requirements

b.      Orphaned Chemicals

c.       Chemical Spills/Spill Clean Up

d.      Hazardous Waste (Shipment and Disposal)

e.       Bloodborne Pathogens

f.       Reactives and Corrosives

g.      Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

h.      Compliance with Regulatory Agencies

i.        Environmental Concerns and Impact

j.        Eyewashes and Deluge Showers

k.      Fume Hoods

l.        Housekeeping

m.    Facilities Maintenance

The following are minimum laboratory essential criteria:

1. Emergency Phone Numbers

Must be clearly and visibly posted adjacent to lab phones. Emergency phone numbers and emergency procedures must also be posted.

b.      Appropriate Warning Signs Posted

                                            i.            Warning signs must be posted outside of the laboratory for use by firefighters in emergency conditions and the names and telephone numbers of responsible laboratory personnel.

                                          ii.            Laboratories that utilize radioactive materials must also be posted with radiation warnings.

                                        iii.            Researchers working with or storing biosafety level 2 or higher organisms should also label the laboratory with the universal biohazard warnings.

c.       Food or Drink Rules

                                            i.            No food or drink is allowed in any laboratory.

                                          ii.            Application of cosmetics in a laboratory is prohibited.

                                        iii.            Smoking is prohibited in laboratories and in all buildings that house laboratories.

                                        iv.            Ice in the ice machines in science/research facilities is not safe for human consumption and is placarded as such.

d.      Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

MSDS must be on hand or on order for all chemicals within the lab. They should be maintained in a single binder or location, and be available to all employees within the lab, and for individuals reviewing lab safety procedures.

e.       Ventilation of Laboratories

                                            i.            Laboratories must be areas of controlled occupational exposure regarding indoor air quality.

                                          ii.            Fume hoods or bio safety cabinets are to be utilized as controlled areas for applicable experimentation.

                                        iii.            Laboratories must be maintained under negative air conditions.

f.        Fire Extinguishers

                                            i.            Fire extinguishers must be charged and inspected.

g.      Paths Of Egress

                                            i.            It is imperative that all laboratories have unobstructed means of egress.

h.      Electrical/Gas Safety Issues

                                            i.            Electrical

1.      Electrical cords must be of good condition. Repair with electricians’ tape is not acceptable.

2.      Cheater plugs are not authorized.

3.      Access to electrical sources must be kept clear of obstructions.

4.      There must be no visible overloading of electrical circuits.

5.      All electrical equipment must be appropriately

                                          ii.            Gas

1.      Bunsen burners and burner tubing must be routinely inspected and free of defects.

2.      Access to gas shut offs must be kept free of obstructions.

i.        Compressed Gas Cylinders

Compressed Gas Cylinders must be appropriately secured. All compressed gas cylinders inclusive of lecture bottles, EMPTY CYLINDERS, and cylinders in transit, must be secured. Cylinders are appropriately secured by a number of means including clamps and straps, chains, straps, stands, racks, and any acceptable means that eliminates the possibility of tipping over of a tank.

j.        Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

                                            i.            The individual responsible for the laboratory is also responsible for insuring that adequate PPE is on hand and in good condition for use by lab workers. 

                                          ii.            PPE will include at minimum, but not be limited to:

1. Gloves appropriate for type of research conducted
2. Lab coats/aprons (as required)
3. Safety glasses/goggles and face shields as required
4. Long sleeved clothing and long trousers/slacks to cover as much skin as possible is encouraged.
5. Short pants/short skirts are prohibited.
6. Open toed shoes/sandals are prohibited. Solid rubber soled shoes are encouraged.

l.        Machine Guarding

Machines and equipment with rotating gears, belts, and or functions that may allow entrapment of fingers, hair, clothing, etc. must be guarded.

m.    Proper Labeling of Chemicals

All chemicals in laboratories must be labeled with hazard information inclusive of chemical nomenclature, physical and health hazard information and manufacturer.

n.      Segregation of Chemicals

Stored chemicals must be separated and stored based upon compatibility and reactivity. (i.e. separate acids from bases, flammables from oxidizers, and reactives from air or water).

o.      Refrigerator Storage

i.  Do not store flammables in refrigerators.

ii.  Explosion proof and flammable refrigerators and/or freezers are to be utilized only for the intended purpose stated by the manufacturer.

p.      Physical Storage of Chemicals

i.   Do not store chemicals on shelves above eye level.

ii.  Do not store chemicals in fume hoods as bulk storage in hoods impedes airflow.

iii.  Store flammables in flammable storage cabinets.

iv.  Do not store chemicals or chemical waste on floors unless they are in secondary containment.

v.  Avoid storing chemicals in direct exposure to sunlight, excessive heat, or excessive cold.

q.      Chemical Waste

i.   Ensure that all chemical waste containers are kept closed, appropriately marked and labeled to include start date of collection.

ii.  Outdated, expired, and/or unknown chemicals must be disposed of as waste through coordination with the Chemical Coordinator, EH&S.

iii.  Chemicals that may no longer be used, or of questionable purity, or that are past expiration date should be removed from the labs.

r.       Biological Waste

Common methods for appropriate disposal include disinfecting, autoclaving, and for liquid disposal in the sanitary sewer. Be sure that the container is properly labeled, and decontaminated before disposal. Note the method of disposal for each liquid and solid waste. Observe that biohazard waste is stored in secondary containment.

s.       Sharps Disposal

Contaminated sharps include needles, syringes, scalpels, exposed dental wires, broken glass if contaminated with human blood, and other potentially infectious material(s). These items must be collected in a sharps container of other puncture resistant container that is color coded or labeled with the universal biohazard symbol.