Optimizing Your Shared Lab Assets

Shared lab spaces are collaborative environments that serve as catalysts for innovation and collaboration among researchers, startups, and established enterprises. These spaces not only provide essential resources—such as advanced equipment, mentorship, and networking opportunities—but also stimulate the growth of groundbreaking ideas and businesses. Prioritizing effective facilities management is a critical component for success, ensuring optimal space utilization, user safety, and the seamless upkeep of high-tech assets. Developing a robust, integrated strategy enables organizations to harness the full potential of shared lab environments, driving sustained innovation and competitive advantage.

An Integrated Strategy Includes These Components:

1. Integrated Facilities, Properties, and Asset Management
   An integrated facilities, property, and lab asset management strategy promotes efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Coordinated oversight keeps equipment running, space optimized, and costs controlled—ensuring a safe, productive environment for all users.
2. Access to Specialized Equipment
   The availability of specialized lab equipment is a cornerstone for the success of incubators and accelerators within shared lab environments. Centralized access to high-end tools supports a wide range of experiments, helping users move faster and more efficiently without duplicating resources. This not only maximizes productivity but also accelerates scientific discoveries and technological advancements.
3. Preventative and Reactive Maintenance
   Both preventative and reactive maintenance are crucial for effectively managing shared lab spaces, ensuring equipment longevity and optimal performance. Preventative maintenance through routine inspections and servicing mitigates the risk of equipment failure. When unexpected issues do arise, reactive maintenance addresses them swiftly, minimizing operational disruptions. The synergy of these maintenance practices is essential for fostering a productive and safe lab environment.

Shared labs are complex. Tracking the right metrics—like space usage, safety, and asset uptime—helps you improve operations, reduce conflict, and meet evolving user needs. A focus on these KPIs not only shapes the operational landscape but also lays the groundwork for optimizing facility performance within shared lab portfolios, ensuring alignment with overarching business objectives and stakeholder expectations.

Key Success Metrics for Your Shared Lab Space Portfolio

1. Space Utilization
   Key metrics such as space per person, occupancy rate, workstation utilization rate, and cost per square foot provide reveal how effectively your space is being used—and where it can be optimized—to help inform strategic decision-making. These metrics also help facilitate proactive planning for future needs, enhancing productivity and overall operational efficiency across the portfolio.
2. Quality, Safety and Risk Performance Indicators
   Quality, safety, and risk metrics are essential to managing shared lab spaces effectively. Track incident frequency, severity, and resolution times to ensure fast response and continuous improvement. Monitoring near-misses, conducting root cause analyses, and enforcing safety training fosters a proactive safety culture. Incorporating quality indicators—such as the percentage of corrective actions closed on time or the number of deviations per 1,000 lab hours—adds another layer of accountability, helping labs maintain compliance and credibility.
3. Lab Asset Uptime
   The critical nature of scientific tasks means maintaining continuous operation is crucial in a shared lab environment. Any interruption can hinder important processes, including research experiments and major scientific findings, resulting in significant financial losses and reputational damage. Metrics such as the average time for repairs and self-maintenance rates are essential for evaluating the effectiveness of equipment maintenance strategies.

Shared labs are uniquely vulnerable to coordination breakdowns, safety lapses, and equipment misuse. The collaborative nature of these shared spaces can lead to issues like miscommunication, misuse of shared resources, and discrepancies in scheduling and space allocation. Proactively managing these risks is essential for smooth, safe operations and safeguarding the integrity of scientific endeavors.

Common Operational Risks and How To Avoid Them

1. Regulatory Compliance Failures
   Failing to maintain compliance with safety, quality, and regulatory standards in shared lab environments poses significant risks, including accidents, compromised research integrity, and potential legal repercussions. Such lapses can lead to injuries, contaminated samples, and violations of ethical protocol. Regular training, reinforcement of protocols, and consistent monitoring through audits can foster a culture of safety and ensure adherence to necessary standards.
2. Mishandling Hazardous Materials
   Mishandling hazardous materials can result in injuries, contamination incidents, and legal liabilities. To avoid these risks, reinforce safety protocols, including comprehensive training for all lab personnel on safe handling and disposal procedures, clear labeling of all hazardous substances, use of PPE, and avoiding overcrowding of workbenches with chemicals. Regular safety audits and drills can also ensure consistent adherence to these protocols.
3. Ineffective Occupancy Planning
   Inefficient occupancy planning can hinder optimal space and resource utilization, impacting productivity and functionality in shared labs. Poorly coordinated lab schedules may lead to overcrowding, equipment misuse, and safety hazards. Developing a robust occupancy management system and providing training for lab users is crucial for preventing disruption and conflicts.

CBRE understands that each client and each portfolio is unique, and we offer solutions that flex and span based on your organizational goals. Whether supporting a global portfolio or assisting with local client needs, we have the products and services to ensure cost control, operational excellence, stakeholder satisfaction and right-sized solutions.

1. Lab Asset Management Program (LAMP)
   Full Spectrum Lab Services from CBRE reduces lab inefficiencies and maximizes lab asset utilization through a range of unique services, exceptional data integration, and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) alliances. Full Spectrum specializes in instrument maintenance, project management, workflow life cycle management, and laboratory equipment repair. Our highly specialized in-house team offers a suite of services to life sciences R&D labs. Learn more.
2. Metrology and Calibration
   Full Spectrum Lab Services from CBRE’s comprehensive metrology and calibration solutions are globally accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard. Our services include on-site, ship-in-ship-out, and account-based calibration, as well as customized gage programs and calibration database services. We offer consulting services to help you design a calibration program that meets your specific needs and ensures that your equipment is always in compliance with regulatory requirements. Learn more.
3. Installation Qualification (IQ), Operational Qualification (OQ), and Performance Qualification (PQ)
   Qualification of your instrumentation needs to happen at many stages within the instrument’s life cycle, and the life sciences industry requires qualification at extremely regular intervals. In the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry, any research data errors can lead to disastrous outcomes, which is why IQ/OQ/PQ regulations exist. Whether your instrument was just repaired, transported to a new location, or has an upcoming audit, Full Spectrum Lab Services from CBRE can help with the full spectrum of lab equipment qualification services. Learn more.
4. Laboratory Relocations
   Full Spectrum Lab Services offers professional laboratory moving services. Their experienced team is capable of handling sensitive equipment, ensuring safe and efficient relocation. Services include pre-move planning, decommissioning, secure transportation, and reinstallation of laboratory equipment. The team follows a strict process to minimize downtime and ensure the functionality of the equipment in the new location. Learn more.
5. Integrated Facilities Management
   We provide streamlined facility management operations and support to life sciences manufacturing portfolios. Our technology-led model gives clients access to the largest and most reliable data repository in the industry to revolutionize facility performance, process, and expenses. Achieve increased efficiency and operational reliability while reducing carbon and lowering cost with connected building automation, IoT, and data analytics solutions that leverage people, processes, and integrated technology. We provide clients cost-savings, transparency, flexibility, and reliable technicians for each location, all driven by our differentiated commercial real estate capabilities. Learn more.
6. Project Management and Project Management Office (PMO)
   Our team uses an optimized service delivery process to manage every aspect of your project’s budget, schedule and scope and protect your interests throughout the entire real estate journey. The Project & Program Management Office (PMO) acts as an extension of a client's organization to standardize and provide project-related governance across a defined program, geography or region. The PMO also facilitates or directly coordinates the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools, and techniques. This centralized control results in a collaborative environment with consistent project execution, supply chain management, rigorous fiscal governance, and a commitment to innovation. Learn more.
7. Supply Chain
   Our global supplier network ensures competitive pricing, resilience, and access to best-in-class resources. Our global scale enables strategic partnerships with industry-leading suppliers, driving innovation and creating value for our clients. We continuously evaluate marketing pricing through competitive sourcing events and benchmarking to deliver cost savings. Learn more.
8. Energy Management & Sustainability
   Energy management represents a major opportunity for life science manufacturers. Our globally consistent programming in decarbonization solutions, renewable energy and electrical vehicle charging stations can help you achieve your ambitious ESG goals. We help enterprises optimize their energy performance through strategic and turnkey solutions to support carbon reduction and net zero commitments to achieve their sustainability goals. Learn more.