WATERS INSTRUMENT SERVICE PLANS - PROTECT YOUR TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT WITH WATERS INSTRUMENT SERVICE PLANS

Importance of Maintenance and Support Plans

Ensuring continuous operation and peak performance of analytical instrumentation and software is critical for laboratories, research facilities, and quality control operations. Proactive service agreements help prevent unplanned downtime, control maintenance expenses, and support compliance with regulatory standards such as GxP.

Objectives and Overview of Service Offerings

This document presents two complementary suites of service plans from Waters Corporation: instrument service plans available at time of purchase or after warranty expiration, and software support and maintenance plans. Each plan is designed to match varying budgets, operational requirements, and compliance obligations.

Service Plan Structures and Features

• Instrument Service Plans:
  • Total Assurance Warranty: Two years of full support including one Performance Maintenance visit in year two.
  • Basic Assurance Warranty: Two years of coverage primarily aimed at educational institutions, providing cost-effective protection for unplanned repairs.
  • Total Assurance Plan (post-warranty): Comprehensive package with performance maintenance, on-site support priority, and access to genuine Waters parts.
  • Performance Maintenance Plan: Scheduled preventive maintenance visits and priority support for routine upkeep.
  • Basic Assurance Plan: Limited budget option for laboratories that rely on in-house resources and require protection against major failures.
• Software Support and Maintenance Plans:
  • Priority telephone technical support and unlimited email support.
  • Free major product upgrades during coverage period.
  • Optional software qualification services to assist in regulatory compliance.
  • Online self-service knowledge base and access to a global informatics community.
  • Educational service discounts and early information on future technology releases.

Main Offerings and Discussion

The instrument plans differ in response priority, scope of preventive visits, spare parts coverage, and labor/travel inclusion. Higher-tier plans deliver faster response times, broader parts discounts, and firmware updates. Software plans focus on maintaining up-to-date installations, reducing risk of cybersecurity or compliance gaps, and providing expert support for troubleshooting.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Maximized uptime and controlled downtime costs.
• Predictable maintenance budgeting and reduced emergency repair expenses.
• Regulatory compliance support through documented performance verification and qualification services.
• Enhanced productivity by ensuring instruments and software remain current and fully operational.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Advances in remote monitoring, predictive diagnostics driven by data analytics, and integration of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors will further optimize maintenance scheduling. Artificial intelligence-based health analytics platforms may enable early fault detection. Cloud-based service portals and automated firmware updates will simplify lifecycle management and accelerate technology adoption.

Conclusion

Investing in tailored service and maintenance agreements for analytical instruments and software safeguards research continuity, strengthens compliance posture, and delivers long-term cost efficiencies. Selecting the appropriate plan aligns operational needs with budget constraints and supports strategic goals.

Reference

Waters Corporation. Instrument and Software Service Plans brochure, November 2017.