Business
Figure 3: Openness to consider alternative purchasing scenarios Lab instruments in general Next-Generation Sequencing Bulk reagent dispensers 5% 7%
10% 8%
8% 14% 17% 20% 33% 38% 28% 30% 42% 29% 13%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% % Responding
Highly resistant © HTStec 2012 Reluctant Indifferent Moderately amenable Very enthusiastic 100%
reluctance of end-users to consider this option if it were offered.
In this article we review the feedback on lab instrument rental by a range of life scientists who make capex purchasing decisions. Full details are given in HTStec’s Lab Instruments Rental Trends 2012 report carried out in September 20121.
Current budgetary status
The majority (77%) of survey respondents were currently experiencing budgetary constraints on purchasing new lab instruments. Money available today to purchase lab instruments (capex budget) was a median of moderate reduction (<50% of pre- vious) relative to an average of the last three years (Figure 1).
What most impacts new instrument purchases?
Instrument cost was rated as what most impacts survey respondents’ ability to purchase new lab instruments today. This was followed by cost of instrument-related consumables; future service costs; the recession/current economic situation; and then grant awarding/research funding bodies. Rated least impact was company reorganisation/ lab restructuring and regulatory/GLP requirements (Figure 2).
Openness to consider alternative purchasing scenarios
Data on the openness of survey respondents to consider alternative purchasing scenarios (like rental or lease) is presented in Figure 3. Here we have compared the responses of participants com- menting on lab instruments in general (this survey) with two other recent instrument type-focused HTStec Trends surveys (Bulk Reagent Dispensers Trends 2012 and Next-Generation Sequencing
Drug Discovery World Spring 2013
Trends 2012) which asked the identical question. This shows that the level of interest (ie those very enthusiastic or moderately amenable) was highest for lab instruments in general and next-generation sequencing (NGS). This finding is consistent with the observation that interest in instrument rental was greatest for high-end (the most expensive) instruments, and most bulk reagent dispensers do not fall into this category. It also suggests that there is greater likelihood to want to consider renting when the instrument technology is rapidly evolving and new instruments with enhanced or new capabilities are being released with a high fre- quency (eg NGS).
Main motivators to consider lab instrument rental
Survey respondents ranked access to an instrument they could never afford to buy outright as their major motivation to consider lab instrument rental
Figure 4: Main motivators (drivers) to consider lab instrument rental today
Access to an instrument could never afford to buy outright Current lack of capital budget
To gain access to rapidly changing instrument technology Guaranteed service or replacement Want to reduce operating costs
Want to test/fully evaluate before potential purchase
Have only a short-term/limited project requirement Best way to adapt to changing circumstances within company
Time savings related to budgeting, procurement, admin, service etc
Want to defer purchase 2.85 2.74
1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00 4.50 5.00 Mean RANKING SCALE, where 1 = no motivating and 5 = major motivation
© HTStec 2012
3.64 3.69
3.50 3.53
3.37 3.38
4.14 4.01
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