In research and development environments, especially those focused on materials and device testing, operational efficiency is critical. The testing process often involves multiple very specific instruments, specialised personnel and complex workflows, each with unique scheduling and availability constraints.
To address these challenges, laboratory managers are increasingly turning to digital solutions such as the Optima LRMS® Laboratory Resource Management Solution platform. This powerful tool streamlines resource management, reduces downtime and improves the overall throughput of testing and quality control processes.
Why Material and Device Testing Labs are looking for dedicated Lab scheduling solution
Material and device testing labs operate at the intersection of precision, compliance, and innovation. These facilities often juggle with:
- A variety of sample types (e.g., polymers, ceramics, semiconductors…)
- Multiple high-value instruments (e.g., tensile testers, thermal analyzers, SEMs, FTIR)
- Highly specialized staff, test engineers
- Strict regulatory requirements and documentation needs
- Concurrent R&D projects with evolving timelines
This intricate ecosystem demands careful coordination to prevent bottlenecks, equipment underutilization, and delays in product development cycles.
Labs are often overwhelmed by:
- Limited availability of high-value equipment
- Technician scheduling conflicts
- Unplanned downtime due to missed maintenance or calibration
- Lack of integration between scheduling, sample management system, instrument maintenance program, competency tracking tools…
- Difficulty standardizing multi-site labs
- Difficulty managing remote lab operations
Without a centralized system, labs risk delays, underutilized assets, and compliance gaps. That’s where Optima LRMS® provides a strategic advantage.
Enter Optima LRMS® Laboratory Resource Management Solution: A Centralised Scheduling and Coordination Platform
Optima LRMS® is designed to bring visibility and control to laboratory operations by providing real-time scheduling, availability tracking and resource optimisation capabilities. Find out how it supports key activities in materials and device testing Labs:
Centralised Equipment Scheduling with Real-Time Visibility
Optima LRMS® platform gives your team a live view of all lab resources —equipment, rooms, and users—in one intuitive interface. With color-coded bookings, filterable calendars, and smart scheduling logic, users can track instruments based on real-time availability and priority, eliminating double bookings and guesswork.
Use case: When scheduling thermal cycling tests or optical measurements, Optima ensures that only calibrated, available equipment is assigned—keeping your testing timelines on track.
Optimise Staff Allocation with Skill-Based Scheduling
Many testing procedures require certified or highly specialized personnel (e.g., fracture toughness analysis or cleanroom-compatible testing). Optima allows labs to assign tasks based on personnel qualifications and availability, ensuring that tests are executed correctly and safely.
This is especially valuable in regulated industries where compliance and personnel traceability are required.
Moreover, by integrating calendars and staff rosters, it helps avoid overbooking technicians and enables better resource forecasting for long-term projects.
Built-in Maintenance and Calibration Tracking
Optima automates the scheduling of preventive maintenance and calibration and ensures that instruments are only booked when they are fully operational and validated. The platform can prevent resources from being reserved when they are due for maintenance — protecting your lab from invalid results and costly rework.
Ensuring that instruments are calibrated and functioning correctly is essential for test validity.
Integrate with LIMS, any relevant data management system
Material and device tests often generate extensive data sets that are linked to test conditions, type of instrument, configuration of the instrument, protocol details for operators, and sample metadata.
Optima LRMS® can be integrated with a LIMS, Laboratory Information Management System, ensuring traceability and streamlined data flow between planning and test reporting systems.
Support for Multi-Site and Remote Laboratory Operations
Whether you’re managing a single high-throughput lab or coordinating testing across multiple sites, Optima is a cloud-based solution that enables multi-site access.
Researchers, lab managers and project leaders can collaborate across sites in real time, facilitating resource sharing and eliminating redundancy.
Track Utilization and Performance with Analytics
Through built-in dashboards and customisable reports, Optima provides insights into lab utilisation, turnaround times and test throughput. Managers can identify underutilised resources, forecast demand trends and justify investments in new equipment or personnel.
A Real-World Impact
A leading materials science organization that implemented Optima LRMS@ reported
✅ 80% reduction in scheduling conflicts
✅ 15% improvement in equipment utilization within the first 6 months
✅ Faster project completion Time and more predictable R&D cycles
In regulated industries such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, … where rigorous material and device testing is essential for regulatory compliance, the ability to plan and document every step of the testing workflow is of added value.
Optima Laboratory Resource Scheduling is not just a planning tool — it’s a strategic advantage for laboratories conducting high stakes materials and device testing.
By optimising scheduling, ensuring compliance and improving visibility of laboratory operations, companies can accelerate innovation without compromising on quality or efficiency.
For labs that want to remain competitive and agile in a demanding scientific environment, intelligent resource planning is no longer optional, it’s essential.
