Laboratory cost management.

Laboratory cost management deals with the economical use of laboratory resources such as capital, equipment and manpower. Cost analysis is a tool for cost management, by means of which the laboratory manager can properly set priorities, choose appropriate test procedures, set personnel policies and make better investments of his resources. This article sets out some important aspects of cost analysis, such as the construction of cost curves, the factors that enter into cost analysis, the context in which cost analysis is used, and the limitations of this type of analysis.