Introduction: In the production of blood products, safety is the first priority for blood donation services. Thus a safe and high-quality analysis, respectively, pre- and postanalysis of the blood samples is essential in our central laboratory. The process steps in pre- and postanalysis are manifold and – manually performed – would be one of the great timekeepers and sources of error in the laboratory. They are not only error-prone, they also mean a high degree of complexity and require many resources that can be better utilized elsewhere.

Methods: In 2016 our Blood Donation Service has decided to install a new laboratory automation system for testing the infection-serology in our in-house central laboratory. The automated and standardized workflow to perform the testing on approximately 3000 donations per day is presented. It is shown which logistical, personnel and machine requirements have been coordinated to enable efficient and safe testing of our blood products.

Results: Logistical, personnel and machine requirements have been coordinated to enable efficient and safe testing of our blood products.

Conclusion: Laboratory automation was intended to simplify our lab-processes. This goal was achieved. Automation has optimized the performance of the laboratory and the safety of testing.

No disclosures.