Superior productivity- in the laboratory and beyond

Analytical chemistry enjoyed a revolution in instrumental techniques during the 1960s and 1970s. This, in turn, stimulated new developments of simple laboratory automation led by improved analytical instruments, auto-samplers and chromatographic integratcs. During the 1980s, new generations of powerful laboratory automation emerged; primarily laboratory information systems and laboratory robotics for sample automation. In most applications, today's analytical techniques are capable of producing the required quality data. The next step is to maintain, and even raise, these standards while increasing analytical capacity. Trace analysis continues to demand greater sensitivity to measure ever-lower trace levels. Meeting this requires continuing technology improvements in sample preparation, separations techniques and analytical measurements. Superior productivity requires earning the greatest economic value from resources; people, time and capital. Improving productivity is valuable today, but will become critical to survival in the future and business will continue to demand more and more from their laboratory investment. Not only must today's laboratories improve internal productivity, they must stimulate productivity throughout their company by contributing quality, timely information for critical business decisions. In manufacturing, for example, errors in quality data might lead to shipping unacceptable products or rejecting acceptable products. Either condition initiates an ever more costly set of potential consequences, including: (a) Demotivating dedicated staff. (b) Sorting good from bad. (c) Rework. (d) Scrap. (e) Late customer deliveries. C/) Customer complaints.