OTTAWA, ON—STACS DNA Inc., the only DNA sample processing software provider, today introduced the Lab Budget Impact Analysis, an online tool that shows crime labs the most cost-effective method for attaining productivity goals. Based on the lab’s own data, this tool calculates the lab’s potential processing capacity and then generates a customized financial comparison of two ways the lab could achieve that capacity.
Most publicly-funded forensic DNA labs are faced with a growing caseload and static or shrinking budgets. Legislative changes, increased expectations for DNA evidence, and the turnover of highly trained criminalists all intensify workload pressures. It is common for lab managers to assume that hiring more scientists is the best option to address the lab’s workload. Considering the possibility of a six-month hiring process, combined with a 12-18 month new hire training period (plus the requirement to take experienced lab staff away from their work to perform the training), hiring can be a costly and ongoing expense.
The Lab Budget Impact Analysis compares the cost of hiring and training scientists versus the cost of increasing lab automation with STACS DNA’s sample tracking and control software. The analysis is based on results reported by customers using STACS-CW Enterprise in automated casework labs over the past one to two years.
Upon answering a series of simple questions about the laboratory, the Lab Budget Impact Analysis report presents:
- The lab’s current and potential processing capacity in terms of samples and cases per year
- The number of scientists the lab must hire to achieve the potential processing capacity
- The cost to hire and train that number of scientists
- The cost of acquiring and implementing STACS-CW Enterprise software, with all fees covered (software license, support and maintenance, training, installation, configuration, system validation and the associated time of current staff)
“Lab directors often approve hiring more scientists because that’s the way they’ve always done it,” said Jocelyn Tremblay, President and COO of STACS DNA. “We worked closely with our current customers to determine how automation has improved their lab operations. The cost of every task in a lab can be calculated in dollars and cents. We used real lab data to drive the calculations. This analysis shows that hiring is not always the best use of a lab’s limited resources.”
Accessing the Lab Budget Impact Analysis Tool
The STACS DNA Lab Budget Impact Analysis is now available. For a more detailed assessment, contact us here.
About STACS-CW Enterprise
STACS-CW Enterprise is sample tracking and control software specifically designed for casework DNA labs. It has been proven to increase sample processing capacity by more than 40% while meeting all forensic accreditation standards— with no new hiring, and with no need to acquire or replace a lab’s current forensics LIMS. Rather, STACS-CW Enterprise addresses the shortcomings of current forensics LIMS faced by DNA labs. It is simply the most effective DNA sample processing software available today.
About STACS DNA
STACS DNA delivers the only sample processing software specifically designed for DNA laboratories. Since 2000, we’ve helped DNA labs of all sizes to accelerate throughput, save time, prevent errors, cut costs, and maintain chain of custody. STACS tracks and controls samples, manages workflows, integrates systems and instrumentation and improves data quality. Used by federal, state, regional and local police forces in the U.S. and Canada, including many of the largest DNA labs in North America. The company is based in Ottawa, ON and Fairfax, VA. For more information, visit www.stacsdna.com.
For more information
Heather MacIntosh
Vice President, Marketing
STACS DNA Inc.
613-274-7822 ext. 2005
stacsdna@stacsdna.com
