LABORATORY AUTOMATION - QUO-VADIS

The future of laboratory automation is debated. The current status of laboratory automation is analysed and suggestions are made for the fut ure. Laboratory automation should be organised globally within compani es; have its own strategy which defines individual projects with their own cost codes. Organisationally, laboratory automation should have i ts own staff with a dedicated performance appraisal scheme. An individ ual automation project should be resourced professionally by both the line function and the automation specialists. To measure the success a nd to monitor and control the project, the performance metrics of the finished system should be defined before work on the project commences .