Lab equipment scheduling is software that plans which scientist uses which instrument at what time, so that expensive machines are not left idle and experiments do not clash. It also plans people: who is trained to run which instrument, and who is free. It is a part of lab instrument integration.
Why does a laboratory need this? Some instruments cost crores of rupees. A high-resolution mass spectrometer, an instrument that weighs molecules very precisely, is one example. A laboratory may have only one, and many scientists need it. Without a plan, three things go wrong. Scientists book the machine on a shared spreadsheet and then do not turn up, so it stands idle. Two experiments are planned for the same slot, and one must wait. And a run is booked for a person who is not yet trained on the instrument.
Imagine a university research centre in Mohali with one such mass spectrometer and 14 scientists who need it. Before the scheduling software, the machine was idle for about 40% of its working hours, because of empty bookings. The software now offers two-hour slots. A scientist books a slot and states the samples and the method. The software checks that she is trained on that method. If she has not checked in within 15 minutes of the slot's start, it releases the slot to the waiting list and tells the next scientist. It also books the machine's calibration and servicing, so that nobody plans a run in those hours. After three months, the idle time has fallen to about 15%.
The same software can plan an automated line. A plate may need to go from a liquid handling robot to an incubator, then to a plate reader. The software works out an order in which every plate reaches each machine when that machine is free.
The software also produces reports. It shows how many hours each instrument was used, by which team. A laboratory can use this to decide whether it needs a second machine, or whether to share one with another department.
The idea is close to desk booking and workplace management, which lets office staff book a desk or a meeting room. The difference is that a laboratory booking must also check training, calibration and the samples being run. A shared instrument may also be used by teams doing genomics or chemistry research.