October 02, 2012, John Mitchell
When evaluating an independent testing laboratory partner, should the lab’s business model make a difference?
Most testing labs are forced to make significant investments in expensive test equipment from leading off-the-shelf providers. This creates higher overhead expenses, and requires these labs to focus on full utilization of their test frames. A utilization focus typically means ensuring that test machines are 100% booked for weeks or months in advance.
In contrast, Accutek is fortunate to have in-house equipment as well as the skill set and knowledge necessary to design and fabricate most of the test frames we use. As a result, our investment in test machines is fractional compared to our competitors.
This unique model allows Accutek to provide significant additional value to our testing clients, including:
• More test machines compared to other independent labs of similar size
• Less need for machines to be 100% utilized – resulting in greater availability and significantly shorter lead times for test projects
• Competitive fees for most test projects, resulting from our lower cost structure
• Greater investment in high quality, innovative engineering resources
• Enhanced ability to customize machines for non-standard tests
• Ability to assist customers with implementation of low cost test equipment for “in-house” testing use
Each Accutek test machine is validated and traceable to NIST standards as required by the ISO 17025 accreditation (A2LA) and Nadcap. We also participate in a variety of round robin and inter-laboratory verification testing programs.
It may not be the first criterion that comes to mind when selecting a testing partner, but we believe that your laboratory’s business model can make a big difference. Accutek is proud to be a customer focused company and our business model of availability, lower cost and shorter lead times reflects that strategy.
