1. Efficient Coordination for Core Sustainability
Research Resource Program
University of California San Francisco
Efficient Coordination for Core Sustainability
Self-funded Equipment Maintenance Program
Julie A. Auger
Introduction:
Methods:
Equipment service & repair is one of the largest expenses in a shared research facility (SRF). In general, annual service contracts from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) are equivalent to 10% of the purchase price and are a money-making venture for the OEM. Active management of this expense provides an opportunity for cost savings that can be reinvested back into the SRF. Establishment of an institutional approach provides assurance for catastrophic failures by providing a central fund backup and results in overall cost savings.
Data collected for participating equipment
Age
Service calls
Staff oversight
Use/redundancy
Risk Assessment annually
Decision: OEM contract or Self- funded program (time & materials)
Budget: full contract costs or 50%
Individual Facility Hypothetical
Real Life Example for 1 Fiscal Year
Facility
Equipment Maintenance ($000s)
Equipment Inventory ($000s)
Ratio
Cost Savings ($000s)
Biophysics 19
859
2.2% 67
MR Res Ctr (3T)
158
2,700
5.9%
112
MRIS (9.4T) 46
2,000
2.3%
154
EM Tomography 7
277
2.5% 21
Hum Tissue Res Ctr 60
866
6.9% 27
Machine Shop 39
0.0% 4
NMR 37
3,362
1.1%
299
Optical Imaging
600
7.7% 14
Proteomics 62
1,092
5.7% 47
Transgenics
380
1.8% 31
DNA Sequencing 96
1,494
6.4% 53
Electron Microscopy 85
1,377
6.2%
Flow Cytometry 69
2,150
3.2%
146
Functional Genomics 59
760
7.8% 17
Hum Imm Monitoring 13
159
8.2% 3
Immunohistochemistry 5
279 23
Integrated Microscopy 63
2,875
225
Monoclonal Antibody 2
1.3%
834
21,427
3.9%
1,309
Conclusion:
This saves money on an individual SRF basis and the financial risk is best absorbed by the institution when many SRFs participate.