Overview:
A leading U.S.-based life sciences manufacturer relies on calibrated equipment to support critical laboratory, engineering, and manufacturing activities. When calibration turnaround times became increasingly unpredictable, the organization began reevaluating its long-standing service model.
Complex and portable equipment was routinely taking four to five weeks or longer to return from calibration. At the same time, inconsistent communication, missing assets, and concerns around service reliability made it harder for the team to confidently plan around equipment availability.
The company needed a calibration partner that could provide faster, more predictable turnaround while maintaining the technical capability and reliability required in a regulated life sciences environment.
The Challenge:
The company’s existing calibration provider had supported the organization for more than 25 years, but service performance was no longer consistently meeting expectations.
The team faced several recurring challenges:
- Turnaround times of four to five weeks or more for some pickup and delivery equipment
- Delays involving complex and critical instruments
- Inconsistent responsiveness and communication
- Difficulty maintaining confidence in asset status and calibration data
- Missing assets and limited visibility into equipment location
- The need for competitive pricing without sacrificing service quality
- A mix of equipment requiring both onsite and offsite calibration capabilities
These issues created operational uncertainty and increased the risk that important equipment would be unavailable when needed.
The Solution:
SIMCO worked with the customer to develop a calibration approach focused on improving turnaround time, responsiveness, and service predictability.
The proposed program combined onsite and offsite calibration capabilities, allowing equipment to be serviced through the most appropriate method based on instrument type, technical requirements, and operational priorities.
A key objective was to reduce turnaround time for pickup and delivery equipment from four to five weeks or longer to approximately five days.
SIMCO also provided the technical breadth needed to support a diverse equipment population while giving the customer a more responsive service experience for scheduling, status updates, and calibration questions.
Rather than requiring an immediate full-program transition, the engagement began with an initial group of approximately 50 assets. This gave the customer an opportunity to evaluate SIMCO’s service performance before considering a broader expansion.
Why SIMCO
The customer selected SIMCO based on several factors:
- Faster and more predictable turnaround times
- Strong technical capabilities across a broad range of equipment
- Flexible onsite and offsite service options
- Reliable calibration and service quality
- More responsive communication
- Competitive overall service costs
- Ability to support future expansion as additional assets are evaluated
Program Objectives
The initial program was designed to improve equipment availability while reducing the operational uncertainty associated with extended service cycles.
Key objectives included:
- Reducing turnaround time for targeted pickup and delivery equipment from four to five weeks or more to approximately five days
- Improving predictability around equipment return dates
- Increasing responsiveness and visibility into calibration status
- Reducing disruption caused by critical equipment being out of service
- Building confidence in asset tracking and calibration data
- Establishing a scalable service model that could expand based on demonstrated performance
By starting with a defined group of assets, the customer could validate SIMCO’s performance with limited transition risk while establishing the foundation for a broader calibration partnership.
A More Predictable Approach to Calibration
When calibration delays begin affecting equipment availability, engineering productivity, or operational planning, changing providers does not have to mean changing everything at once.
SIMCO helps manufacturers improve calibration turnaround, service reliability, and visibility through flexible programs designed around their equipment, locations, and operational requirements.