We all have them. Those things in our everyday work life that drive us absolutely bananas but we've come to accept as normal simply because it's always been that way. The strange filing or reporting logic we inherited from our predecessor, the copier that has never worked right but continues to work enough that we simply can't justify getting rid of it, or antiquated inventory (or data) management system that requires headache-inducing workarounds because it wasn't designed to meet department specific needs. In many cases, budget are simply too tight or life is simply too busy to focus our limited resources on addressing minor inefficiencies. In fact, only when triggered by some undeniable driving need do we take dollars from our already overextended budget or time from our over packed agendas to tackle these peripheral priorities.
Labs are no different. Like so many other professionals, lab directors inherit legacy processes and systems that can be riddled with inefficiencies and gaps but also like so many other professionals, many laboratory employees have either come to view these not so normal every day headaches as the norm or are simply so consumed in the day to day management of the business that they are unable to find time to address them. The storage of glass slides and wax blocks is perfect example of this. Riddled with complexity, cost, and risk, the storage of glass slides and paraffin blocks is an often overlooked crack in the foundation when it comes to resource and space efficacy. Keep in mind there can be numerous slides in a single accession (or case group) making them difficult to store and track. And, the weight and fragility of slides in itself limits how and where they can be stored. Likewise, storage of paraffin blocks, while far less numerous, comes with its own unique set of challenges. To ensure the wax does not begin to soften, or worse melt, paraffin blocks must be stored in a controlled environment where temperature does not drop below 60 or rise above 80 degrees. Due to these complexities, onsite storage imparts a heavy burden on resources and premium space that could otherwise be allocated to revenue driving functions. Yet, like many other processes riddled with minor inefficiencies is has been widely accepted as the norm - at least until recently.
Given the state of the economy, the laboratory segment, like many others, is being forced to re-evaluate the status quo and explore new and innovative ways to contain costs, do more with less, and improve overall productivity. Specimen storage is no exception. Labs are now reassessing the norm and learning there are productivity gains to be had and value to be realized by exploring alternatives - and particularly by working with an offsite storage vendor. Offsite storage vendors are increasingly demonstrating a clear, if not an expert, understanding of the nuances of tracking, transporting and storing glass slides and wax blocks. Whereas before labs may have had apprehensions about the safety and accessibility of transporting such fragile assets offsite, innovative solutions such as Iron Mountain Pathology Storage Management are quickly extinguishing those concerns with real time inventory tracking technology and durable transport containers equipped with E-por inserts customized to insulate and secure slides and blocks while in transit. In fact, given the storage expertise and dedicated resources of offsite vendors, it's actually becoming progressively difficult for in-house operations to mirror the sophistication or efficiencies of their workflow and facilities.
Perhaps historically it's made sense or simply been easier to deal with the pain of onsite storage than to spend precious time and resources shaking up old processes. But no more. Given today's economy and the recent advancements in offsite storage services, labs are beginning to question the not so normal storage norm. And given the offsite alternative enables more strategic re-allocation of onsite space and resources to offset growing operational expenses, realize higher productivity, and drive more value to the bottom line this re-assessment could prove invaluable.
To learn more about offsite storage advancements and innovations click here.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
15/06/2026
Detach from Direct-Attached: How Remote Editing with EVO Keeps Creative Teams Mo...
14/06/2026
Library captures 1960s R&B/pop drum sound
Following on from their recent wave of plug-in effects, Iconic Instruments have just launched an all-new virtual d...
14/06/2026
HBO Comedy Rooster Shot with URSA Cine 17K 65
Brie Clayton June 14, 2026
0 Comments
Large format brings viewers intimately close to characters.
Black...
13/06/2026
Latest expansion pack includes 252 presets
Devious Machines have recently introduced another expansion for their powerful multi-effects plug-in, Infiltrator...
13/06/2026
Create custom DAW/plug-in controllers using prompts
MetaGrid have recently introduced an all-new AI Builder function to their touchscreen-based control surf...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production, Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it has given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what o...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
AgentPerf from Artificial Analysis, the industry's first agentic AI benchmark, gives developers, enterprises and infrastructure providers a clear way to com...
We all have them. Those things in our everyday work life that drive us absolutely bananas but we've come to accept as normal simply because it's always been that way. The strange filing or reporting logic we inherited from our predecessor, the copier that has never worked right but continues to work enough that we simply can't justify getting rid of it, or antiquated inventory (or data) management system that requires headache-inducing workarounds because it wasn't designed to meet department specific needs. In many cases, budget are simply too tight or life is simply too busy to focus our limited resources on addressing minor inefficiencies. In fact, only when triggered by some undeniable driving need do we take dollars from our already overextended budget or time from our over packed agendas to tackle these peripheral priorities.
