Once your company has selected a contract laboratory or contract research organization to perform it's research, studies, experimentation, assays, examinations, certifications, analysis, developments or testing, effective management and continuous evaluation of the laboratory is needed. Effective management is especially important if your company uses multiple contract laboratories or is having multiple tests performed.

If possible, maintain one single point of contact between your company and the contract laboratory or contract research organization. This should be clearly defined and communicated to the contract laboratories. This ensures proper communication, transmission and distribution of materials such as contract changes, emergencies, laboratory test result discrepancies or failures, laboratory investigations and laboratory testing results.

If your company uses multiple contract laboratories or has many different products or tests performed, consider using laboratory databases, spreadsheets or software to manage and track the status, turn around time, and results of samples and testing.