REPORT
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MASURE economy!/ Economy Begins With Price and Ends With Performance True economy is made up of two measurable factors . . . lowest possible price and best possible performance. In any product you buy, anything less than this combination is a waste of money! This is particularly true in the purchase of laboratory glassware. We base our claim of true economy on FACTS . . . and these facts are yours for the asking. Our booklet "FACTS ABOUT THE ECONOMICS OF LABORATORY GLASSWARE" will open your eyes to the achievement of maximum lab glassware economy. Send for your copy right away! You'll see, for instance, how sub-
COMPARATIVE LIST PRICE CHART
stantial savings can be effected by using lime glass where expensive borosilicate ware is now being used. One West Coast laboratory saved $3,659.83 in six months! You'll find the 2-WAY TEST FORMULA is a practically infallible method of selecting glassware to insure for you a maximum measure of true economy. Don't delay . . . send for "FACTS" today to Doerr Glass Company, Vineland, N . J.
Item Brand A Brand Β Doerr PIPETTE (1 ml in 0.01) $1.3] $1.57 $0.87 (Serological)
NOTICE TO LAB GLASSWARE USERS
PIPETTE (5 ml) (Volumetric)
1.19
1.36
0.78
PIPETTE (1 ml) (Ostwald)
1.14
1.28
0.78
CENTRIFUGE TUBE (15 ml) 1.28
1.28
0.66
FLASK (100 ml) (Glass Stoppered)
2.73
3.01
1.94
CYLINDER ( 1 0 0 ml)
2.71
2.94
HEMATOCRIT TUBE (Wintrobe) Silk Screen
0.94
0.56
HEMATOCRIT TUBE (Wintrobe) Etched
1.72
0.90
1.46
DOERR Laboratory Glassware is sold SEPARATORY FUNNEL 6.22 6.56 5.08" only through l a b supply houses or other (250 ml) (Squibb) laboratory equipment dealers. It is not sold direct. However, if the supplier v o u B E T H E JUDGE. Check the comparative prices from whom you purchase your lab equip- ["J^tf™ ftf ,£m, 'SÏÏÏÏV'ï'hli'ïKîR ÏÏÏ ment feels he cannot help you in this just ο few selections chosen at random. This is ,he matter, please send us your order direct actual proof . . . the only real measure you and include the dealer's name. W e will h a v e o f , r u e e c o n o m > ' · fill your order from our main plant . . . and w e will send your dealer the commission he would have earned if he had handled the transaction. Fair enough? Our only requirement is that your order must have a minimum value of $50.00.
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IT'S YOURS FOR THE ASKING! Send for your copy of the new Doerr FACTS book.
Doerr Glass Company V i n e l a n d , Νθ-w J e r s e y For further information, circle number 22 A on Readers' Service Can), page 103 A
22 A
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ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
larly cost-conscious, because they must b e assured t h a t their groups are producing results at a cost com petitive with the general market. Supporting services, such as me chanical shops and analytical lab oratories, are responsible for a substantial percentage of research budgets and are particularly amen able t o cost analysis and control. Furthermore, these groups are ex pected to give fairly rapid customer service. I n general, rapid service and low costs are incompatible. I t seems logical t h a t some operat ing condition will yield lowest costs for any given service factor. I n our case, t h e analytical lab oratories were dissatisfied with t h e length of time required t o process a sample through t h e laboratory. Relatively long delay times ham pered research effectiveness b y slow ing down progress while the re searcher waited for analytical data. In addition, analytical efficiency was impaired because the researcher requested more than t h e necessary amount of work, in t h e hope of getting some data back in a hurry. Requests for "rush" work disrupted routine and contributed t o inefficient operations. Logically enough, this area was chosen for mathematical studies, designed t o answer three questions : 1. Was our service efficient from a cost-service viewpoint? 2. Could service be improved? 3. How much would improved serv ice cost? T h e difficulty of measuring nonwage costs has restricted this study to t h e wage aspect only, although costs other t h a n wages—e.g., fixed overhead and costs incurred b y the researcher having t o wait for a result—enter the total cost picture. Several articles have discussed ways and means of processing d a t a and scheduling work. Post et al. (4) have described a visual system for scheduling routine tests and Hale and Stillman (2) have re ported on a punched card system of keeping records of samples being analyzed and d a t a obtained. Schaefermeyer and Smith (5) have presented methods used t o promote better data processing b y analytical laboratories. Newchurch (S) has pointed out the usefulness of quality control for planning and controlling