Laboratories throughout industry will find it easier to keep all instruments in prime working order and to avoid expensive down-time, thanks to a new software module for managing calibration and maintenance routines.

This is a standalone package or a module for the MATRIX LIMS package, developed by Autoscribe. The same module also provides for keeping a full inventory of all equipment, including warranty details and lists of consumables, along with calibration limits and other performance criteria.

The system will assist any laboratory to keep instrumentation in good order and available for use, by alerting managers of when and how equipment needs to be calibrated. Spurious and unreliable results are avoided because equipment is automatically assigned an unavailable status when the calibration or maintenance period is overdue.

Costs and equipment down-time can also be tracked, potentially valuable information when considering or negotiating future equipment purchases.