Starting An In-House Lab: Everything You Need to Know

From boosting monthly profits and reducing turnaround time to simplifying operations and delivering high-quality results, discover how in-house edging can transform your practice and enhance patient satisfaction.

The "Top Ten" Questions When Starting an In-house Lab

1. How much can I expect to save?  
You can save an average of $30 or more per job. 

2. What equipment and staffing will I need? 
You will need an edging/tracing system, but you do not need to hire an advanced optician to operate it. Due to the ease of use of today’s equipment, existing staff can be trained to use it. 

3. Will I be able to expedite the turnaround time for glasses? 
Yes, you will be able to offer much faster turnaround times for glasses, as quickly as the same day or next day! 

4. Will I have fewer remakes? 
Yes! By bringing edging in-house, you have complete control over the process and are not dependent on an outside lab. No more sending incorrect jobs back to the lab to fix them! 

5. Will it help me differentiate my practice from the competition? 
Yes! Offering the convenience of same-day or next-day glasses will impress your customers and set you apart from your competition.

6. How much office space will I have to dedicate to this?
The equipment footprint is minimal, but you will need to dedicate some counter space for lens storage and the tinting/coating unit. 

7. Are there any water or electrical requirements? 
Yes, you will need water and electric power, but nothing outside normal power/drainage.

8.  Is the equipment noisy? 
No, with Briot/WECO’s brushless motor technology, the equipment is surprisingly quiet. 

9. Is the equipment hard to operate?  Will I need to hire a technician?
No, the equipment is very intuitive and simple to operate, allowing you to train your existing staff in as little as a few hours. 

10. Will I be able to do high-power, high astigmatism orders in-house?
Yes, with Briot’s advanced wavefront technology, complex jobs are made simple!  

FIGURE 1. A chart showing examples of return on investment and potential profit with in-house edging systems.

Why BRIOT FINISHING SYSTEMS?

• Ease of Use - Briot systems make complicated finishing jobs simple, and are incredibly intuitive and easy to operate, requiring little to no experience.
• Wavefront Lens Analysis allows you to see progressive lens designs on the frame trace before you cut the lens, giving you full control of the edging process.
  
• TruFit 3D full-frame tracing - The only tracer on the market able to create a 3D model of the entire frame, including thickness, shape, and groove placement, resulting in a custom high-quality fit for every pair of eyewear.
• Torque Management Systems (TMS) to reduce slippage and misalignment, even on the slickest AR surfaces.
  
• Compact, quiet, and environmentally-friendly - Brushless motor technology makes it ideal for smaller spaces.

1. May, K. (2024, May 17). Demystifying In-House Lens Finishing with Dr. Kristopher A. May [Webinar]. ODWire.org. https://www.odwire.org/community/threads/demystifying-in-house-lens-finishing-with-dr-kristopher-a-may.166604/
2. Lou, Oliver. “Criteria for Buying an Edger.” Optometric Management, 1 Aug. 2013, https://optometricmanagement.com/issues/2013/august/criteria-for-buying-an-edger/.