What Do I Need to Ask? A Lab User’s Guide to Project Collaboration

Successful laboratory projects depend on more than good design. They require clear communication, thoughtful questions, and collaboration among lab users, designers, and project teams. In this interactive panel, speakers will share lessons learned from the Lubbock County Medical Examiner’s Office project, focusing on the team’s experiences working together rather than the facility itself.

Through real-world examples and audience discussion, the panel will explore how project goals were established, how end users were involved in decision-making, and how teams navigated budget, schedule, procurement, and supply-chain challenges.

Attendees will gain practical insight into the questions they should be asking at different stages of a lab project, how to communicate their needs and concerns, and how to respond when unexpected issues or last-minute changes arise.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify key questions lab users should ask during the planning, design, and construction phases of a laboratory project.
2. Describe strategies for communicating user needs, establishing project goals, and maintaining effective collaboration among project stakeholders.
3. Recognize common challenges involving budgets, schedules, procurement, and supply chains, and discuss approaches for addressing them.
4. Apply lessons learned from real-world project experiences to advocate for lab user needs and navigate unexpected issues and changes throughout a project.