Chapter 5: The hidden costs of not automating

No matter the application you are working with, there are many hidden costs in manual pipetting which usually makes automated liquid handling a cheaper solution in the long run.

This series explores 5 costly reasons why you should automate today rather than tomorrow. In chapter 5, we take a closer look at manual pipetting errors and sample switching.

Cost 5: Human Errors

There is always a risk of human errors in an extensive manual pipetting routine.

In fact, it is estimated that pre-analytical errors account for up to 70% of all mistakes made in lab diagnostics, making it the most error-prone part of the workflow.

Typical errors include inconsistent pipetting, incorrect volume measurement, contamination, and sample-switching. All of these might make it necessary to re-do tests and experiments which can generate high costs over time.

The liquid handler, flowbot ONE, reduces the likelihood of errors and ensures reliable results. In turn, this minimizes the need for costly re-testing or redoing experiments with expensive reagents and mastermixes.

The Road to Great Traceability

Having good traceability is key for avoiding sample switching, and automated sample tracking solutions have proved their worth many times over.

At Flow Robotics we ensure safe processing of samples with the scanID scanning solution which can be used both with and without a liquid handler.

ScanID scans an entire rack of 1D barcoded tubes or SLAS racks with 24, 48 or 96 tubes in seconds, giving you the security you need.

Do you want to see how flowbot ONE and scanID can fit into your workflow?

Then book a free online demo today.