Introduction

Proper vendor relationships are important to the clinical laboratory's operational success. The laboratory utilizes vendors when obtaining laboratory information systems (LIS), lab equipment, reagents, supplies, human resources (contract employees/pathologists), ongoing maintenance and repairs, education, referral laboratory testing, and external services, to name only a few examples. How well laboratory managers, supervisors, lead technologists, and other employees manage these vendor relationships will predict the degree of success in any venture. When incorrect information and manipulation are used to secure any vendor relationship, a long-term relationship will most certainly fail.

Medical laboratories are strongly encouraged to conform to the quality management system model as prescribed by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and published by partners World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)¹ as well as to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA).² The importance of laboratory quality cannot be overstated. Medical laboratories produce results used in the treatment of patients; inaccurate results may lead to unnecessary treatment, complications for the patient, delay in providing proper diagnosis or treatment, and additional/unnecessary testing. These errors result in increased costs, as well as poor patient outcomes. Errors may be directly or indirectly related to lab equipment selection and purchasing, installation, calibration, performance, maintenance, service, or repair, as well as other operations involving contract services. The laboratory director must oversee and ensure proper selection of equipment and training of personnel, as well as monitor, review, and update all activities.

Inventory management is a key component that presents a challenge to the broader quality management system. Items that impact laboratory operations and as well as patient care include expired reagents, low levels or diminished levels of reagents, and any other nonconforming event that impacts daily operations. All of these events must be addressed and root causes investigated.^3,4,5 This is inclusive of some situations where the vendor relationship becomes vital. Vendor experts in specific fields can assist the laboratory in the prevention of testing delays and in monitoring inventory, as well as provision of education and training.

In the following pages, these standards, the implementation of policy, and the importance of proper vendor relationships will be explored more fully.