Outsource vs In-House Packaging Testing
Development drop, compression and seal checks are frequently brought in-house for fast design iteration, while formal distribution qualification, sterile barrier validation and certified test programmes are commonly outsourced.
Often kept in-house
- Development drop and compression checks
- Seal strength during process setup
- Incoming film and board testing
Often outsourced
- Formal ISTA/ASTM distribution qualification
- Sterile barrier validation under ISO 11607
- Long accelerated or real-time aging programmes
Factors to weigh
- Testing volume and how predictable it is
- Equipment capital cost and depreciation (obtain real supplier quotations)
- Operating costs: consumables, gases, reference materials, service contracts
- Staff expertise, training and retention
- Facility requirements: space, utilities, ventilation, environmental control
- Calibration, maintenance and instrument qualification
- Method validation and quality system (e.g. ISO/IEC 17025 if accredited results are needed)
- Turnaround needed versus outside laboratory turnaround plus shipping
- Sample logistics, stability and holding times
- Expected instrument utilization
Common questions
- Can we mix both?
- Yes — develop in-house, then qualify at an outside laboratory.
- Is there a volume where in-house pays off?
- There is no universal figure. Compare fully loaded in-house cost — equipment, staff, calibration, consumables, quality overhead — against real outside quotations for your actual annual volume.