To Demo, or Not to Demo?
When might an in-lab instrument demonstration not be the best strategy? In-person demos may not be offered for all instruments, particularly if the technology or protocols are well-established and reported in the literature. Furthermore, some instruments are difficult to transport and require field service for installation. In these cases, field representatives will provide additionalsupport, such as virtual demos or primary literature describing the instrument's use in a variety of research contexts to help you evaluate the instrument for your own research needs.
If hosting a demo isn’t the right approach for you, a field representative can refer you to nearby laboratories or colleagues who have an instrument and are willing to share their experience and use cases. They can even help with scheduling an in-person demo using colleagues’ instruments and provide training and software tutorials.
Now, on to the situations in which a demo is required. If your application is niche or novel, your field representative might be more willing to provide a demonstration that increases your confidence in the system's suitability for your needs. Additionally, demo requirements can differ between academic and industry laboratories.
For researchers in academia, where budgets and financial resources may be limited, demoing an instrument (including testing software capabilities and compatibility) is a good way to increase confidence in a purchase, particularly if it represents a significant financial and research investment. Furthermore, academic labs tend to desire on-site demos more often than industry laboratories, as they often have a large user base with diverse needs, often including multiple independent research projects or several lab members, each with their own project thatwill be using the instrumentation or software for diverse research applications.
A good field representative can help you decide whether to demo an instrument or not without pressuring a sale. Prior to any demo, they will request a meeting to assess whether the instrument meets your needs and is an appropriate option for you. They will likely ensure you have the appropriate budget for the instrument and should make an effort to understand your research goals and any challenges you’re currently facing, as well as which outcomes you arelooking for to consider the demo successful. Without these qualifying steps, a demo is unlikely to succeed.
Types of Demos
If you and your field representative determine that a demo is needed, there are two options: on-site and off-site demos.
On-Site Demos
On-site demos are performed in a researcher's own laboratory and are the best option, when possible, for envisioning how the instrument will fit into the laboratory space and ecosystem. Some instruments are very amenable to on-site demos and don’t take a lot of effort or resources to demo because of their size, ease of use, and portability. Other instruments may be larger or more difficult to transport and install. Additionally, if you’re moving to a new location or just starting up your lab, running an on-site demo may not be practical.
Off-Site Demos
Off-site demos are a great option if you’re moving into a new space, are still setting up your lab, or in cases where the instrument is large and difficult to transport but is owned and used by a nearby lab or collaborator. Best practice is to demo instruments once the research lab is fully set up and ready to run samples.
Researchers who are satisfied and happy with new instrumentation are often willing to share their experiences with others. Depending on the level of usage, they may even be willing to allow colleagues and collaborators to use the instrument. While it may be tempting to work directly with the scientists in that laboratory to learn how the instrument works, it’s still best to request a demo with a field representative from the instrument manufacturer. They will have more in-depth technical knowledge of the instrument and be able to address questions about setup and maintenance, particularly for your unique lab space. They can also walk through the relevant instrument and software capabilities and ensure the instrument can meet your research needs.
How to Prepare for a Demo
Researcher Preparations
If you’ve decided to perform a demo, there are several things you can do to help ensure it meets your needs and is successful. Just as a demo is an opportunity for you to try out new instrumentation for your lab, it is also a field representative’s opportunity to develop the partnership and offer support by helping you prepare for the demo and providing all the information needed to make the best decision for your lab and research goals. Through their cumulative decades of experience in assisting researchers, field representatives Tom Coulson, Zafer Chankhour, and Aron Gyuris have seen that the following demo preparations work the best:
- Have a checklist of expectations so you can quickly verify whether the instrument works for you and share the expected outcomes with the field representative. "Data analysis is a critical part of the demo process because it can help you evaluate whether the demo was a success or not," says Chankhour. "If I know what you expect to see, I can show you how to use the software to analyze your data — and, importantly, whether the instrument helped you meet your goals."
- Make sure to have your protocol outlined so the field representative performing your demo can show you how to set up a custom protocol on the instrument. "The most informative demo uses a protocol that is relevant to the workflow the instrument will be used for, rather than a generic representative assay," Gyuris says. "It is important to have clearly defined goals for how the demo experiment will run, and how this will relate to the work that will be done."
- Perform all required sample preparations, such as extractions or removing samples from the freezer with sufficient time to thaw, and have all necessary reagents on-hand and set out before the demo starts. "Having all the pre-work done ahead of time can really go along way to make the demo successful," says Coulson. "We want to remove as many variables as possible, and understand what our experimental goals are before we start."
- Coordinate with your building's management, including the loading dock, operations team, and the field representative, to ensure a smooth delivery and setup.
- Make sure you have the appropriate space cleared with accessible power and internet connection.
- Coordinate with all health safety and lab induction requirements.
- Consider any and all regulatory guidelines that you need to adhere to in your research and communicate those guidelines to your field representative prior to scheduling a demo so they can confirm whether the instrument software will enable you to obtain data in the format you need for recording purposes, digital notebooks, and audit trails. "If a customer is in a regulated environment, it's critical that we understand that up front," emphasizes Coulson. "Some instruments require special software or accessories for QC and manufacturing, and we even offer unique diagnostic versions of some instruments should further certifications be required."
Preparing to Work with Your Field Representative
An important aspect of a demo is building a relationship with your field representative. If you do purchase an instrument, they, along with the instrument service engineers, will be there whenever you need assistance, whether you need help troubleshooting or input on protocol development. There are several things your field representative might need youto help themwith before, during, and after the demo.
"Logistics are an important aspect," says Coulson. "We work with the researcher to determine how we’ll get access to the building on demo day, where we’ll park, whether or not there is a freight elevator or loading dock, and the who the operations team is. Those are some of the things researchers help us with."
Consider whether you’d like a single-day demo or a long-term demo where you can run multiple rounds of samples and fully utilize the instrument. Inform your field representative of this request so they will not only put a support plan in place in case assistance is needed virtually, but they’ll also share some tips and expectations for a long-term demo.
"I like to be transparent about what I expect the researcher to do once the demo period is over," says Coulson. "Usually at the minimum, this includes cleaning and disinfecting the instrument. Depending on the machine and demo location, it may also include boxing the instrument and shipping it with a prepaid label."
"I like to be transparent about what I expect the researcher to do once the demo period is over," says Coulson. "Usually at the minimum, this includes cleaning and disinfecting the instrument. Depending on the machine and demo location, it may also include boxing the instrument and shipping it with a prepaid label."
It's also important to share with your field representative your level of experience with the instrument technology so that they can customize the demo not only to your research needs, but also to your level of experience.
Gyuris agrees. "I always ask the researchers who will be present at the demo how familiar they are with the technology. Based on their answer, we can take it back to the basics or focus on what you know, allowing you to compare your competencies with what the instrument has to offer.’"
While some adverse events, such as traffic, illnesses, and shipping issues, can’t be avoided, with proper planning and preparation, most demos will be beneficial, fruitful, and enjoyable.
After the demo, it is important to provide your field representative with honest feedback on the demo and if the instrument is a fit for your research goals and lab. This feedback not only helps you progress to the next step of purchase (if applicable), but also helps your field representative ensure they have properly qualified the technology for your research needs.
Conclusion
To summarize, finding the right way to evaluate a piece of equipment you want to purchase can be a complex process. Identifying a company and field representative you trust can be a great first step. Often, initial interactions include an in-person demo, which is a great way to evaluate whether an instrument helps you meet a research need or not. Bio-Rad’s field representatives have a wealth of knowledge and expertise and can help you every step of the way when you areconsidering purchasing our instrumentation. We are interested in building a long-lasting, fruitful relationship with you so you can tackle your research challenges with confidence. If you're interested in working with a Bio-Rad field representative to learn more about an instrument you need, contact us today.
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