What makes a Gold Standard sequencing product?

“To evaluate the suppliers, we evaluate the quality system of the supplier, business capability, process capability, and also ensure that the supplier meets our requirements. We have the same requirements for internal and external suppliers.” —Adma, Supplier Quality Engineer

The quality of a product starts with the raw materials.  How we select our suppliers is the first step of building a quality product.  At Thermo Fisher Scientific, we partner with our suppliers to ensure that they adhere to the same quality standards.  As part of our standardized process, we meet with our suppliers on a monthly basis to assess their performance and create action plans.  The ongoing dialogue enables to us drive toward continuous improvements with our supplier partners.    Raw materials are tested regularly and before entering the manufacturing process.  This ensures that quality goods start with quality materials.

“We do QC testing on every single bulk at each stage, to make sure that every lot meets specification.”  —Norma, Sr. QA/QC Technician

Our manufacturing facilities adhere to various ISO standards and internal quality systems. Through our standardized processes, we are able to produce products with lot-to-lot consistency.  Our strong global network of manufacturing facilities also enables supply continuity for our products, meaning if one site is down, we have to capability to pick up manufacturing at another site.  We can’t tame Mother Nature, but we try our best to lessen the impact to your work.

Vilnius, Lithuania

• Certification status: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, 21 CFR part 820, OHSAS 18001
• Property: 10.8 acres, 5 available for expansion
• 244,000 sq. ft. under roof in three buildings
• 25,000 sq. ft. clean rooms from ISO 5 to ISO 8
• Total employees: 790+
• Total SKUs: 3,654 finished goods; 29,000 components
• PPI Lean Enterprise: Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence

Bedford, MA

• Certification status: ISO 9001, ISO 13485
• Building size: 80,000 sq. ft.
• Total employees: 150
• Total SKUs: 400
• OSHA Awarded VPP Star Site
• Certified Zero Waste site

Marsiling, Singapore

• Certification status: ISO 9001, ISO 13485, cGMP (FDA), ISO14001, ISO18001, ISO22301, WHS Silver
• Building size: 150,000 sq. ft.
• Total employees: 400+
• Total SKUs: 1,100+

“As a distribution leader, it is my role basically to ensure that we follow all our SOPs and quality guidelines. It is very important, everything from the maintenance of the temperature of our facility, including the cold box where we're standing in now, all the way through how our product is processed and shipped.” —Dan, Distribution Leader

Life science products face the challenge of temperature-controlled storage.  At our distribution centers, we have massive scales of cold chain facilities to ensure that products stay in the same temperature from the moment it is manufactured to the moment it ships out the door.  Our facilities have different temperature zones to support products with different storage-condition requirements, ranging from  ambient, refrigerated, 2–8°C cold room, –20°C freezer,  –80°C ultra-cold freezer, and  –179°C liquid nitrogen.

“My role here is to make sure that everything that comes through here, comes through properly. The boxes are in one piece and gets the right condition label. The FedEx label is correct. I make sure the whole process from start to finish is good.” —Bruce, Sr. Material Handler

Through our innovative packaging solutions and our partnered shipping carrier, we ensure our products also stay in their most optimal conditions on the journey to your lab.  Dependent on the storage condition requirement, we ship our products using gel ice, dry ice,  super gel pack, or dry shipper dewars. Our global network of distribution center also ensures that products don’t have to travel across the globe to get to you, thus reducing carbon footprint.

“When R&D have new project or new product, we provide recommendations on green chemistry to use instead of hazardous chemical.  That’s good for the people working and also good for our customers.”  —Hassan, Sr EHS Specialist

Thermo Fisher Scientific strives to make environmental, health, and safety are top of mind. We are taking a fresh look at how we make our products and how our customers are using them.  At our sites, our aim is to keep people safe and reduce waste wherever possible. When the product gets to your lab, we want to make sure you have all the tools you need to continue that initiative.  We include a Safety Data Sheet on every product page so that you don’t have to look far to find out how to properly handle the products that have arrived at your lab.  We also designed recycling programs to help advance sustainability in the lab.  Learn more about our new SeqStudio recycling program and how we are providing a way for customers to recycle their used cartridges responsibly. It’s part of how we enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer.

“My role is to help the customers, by listening to them and helping them obtain the best research possible.” —Brad, Field Application Specialist

We have more than 1,400 service and support specialists worldwide to partner with you to enable your scientific success through: