The last few postings from some of our staff give you some idea of what ABS is like. Frankly, I hope their comments may inspire you to apply at ABS. We are always looking for people who want to be effective and grow with us.

The topic of this blog is less pleasant. However, it bears thinking about sooner rather than later. Let me start by saying that I not a financial advisor, nor do I claim expertise in economics; but my expectation is that winter is coming. You don’t have to take my word for it. I highly recommend that you read or view the insights of Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates.

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I like to believe that everyone enjoys being a part of a team. Not just existing in a team, but being in a team, participating in important decisions and having your opinion count. That’s kind of what it’s like to work at ABS.

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Who hasn’t been asked about their job? It’s one of the biggest social icebreakers no matter where you are: on a date, at a reunion, at your child’s first grade chorus recital… I mean, really, it’s probably that or something about the weather. Personally, I absolutely love when someone asks me what I do, because I never get tired of talking about it. I know that there are a lot of people that keep work at work, but I almost always associate my job with so many positive, exciting, and interesting aspects of my life (I say almost always because, come on, we all have had one of those days, am I right?). Many of my friends and relatives have those careers where they are happy to come home and get away from the stress of their projects, the coworkers they can’t stand, or, even worse, their hard-to-please boss; regretting having to get up again Monday morning to bear the brunt of all the previous for another long five days.

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They say that variety is the spice of life and my job is spicy. I enjoy spicy food and I love my job. You know that awkward lingering question that comes out fast when you meet new people; “So, what do you do?” I think I have answered that over 1,000 different ways over the 7 years I have worked at ABS, doing so with a big smile as I explain my role as Biospecimen Operations Manager. I don’t just show up to work. I come to work to get important, productive responsibilities accomplished. I am a curious person which is why I chose biotechnology as my major in college. I like to ask questions and enjoy a challenge. I am fortunate that my position fits me perfectly. I could list my job description and responsibilities to give an idea of what I do. But that is not how I describe what I do. I get to accomplish so many different assignments.

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I have worked for ABS for about 23 years. During this time, I have seen many changes, mostly good. What would make someone want to stay at the same company for almost a quarter of a century? Some may think it’s just stagnation or comfort, but its nothing like that at all. ABS and I have grown in many ways over that time period. 

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Most of these blogs have about the processes and systems at ABS that ensure fast and reliable service. All of this is important, but none of this happens without the people who are dedicated to making it happen. The next several posts will be written by our team members who work in all aspects of ABS.

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Several months back, Dr. Saller wrote an article about our processes. To further expand on this topic, I want to discuss our Quality Management System and why we are certified to the ISO 9001:2015 standard.

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ABS attended and exhibited at the annual International Bio meeting in Philadelphia last week. As an entrepreneur and scientist, it was an interesting and exciting event. I have no doubt that many of the talks were interesting and well worth attending, but that is not what I am talking about.

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Someone recently asked how we decide to add new services. For us the answer is straightforward. We begin with our mission statement. Any new services must make research faster, easier, and more reliable. It also must center around how we deliver value to researchers by providing, processing, analyzing, and storing cells and human biospecimens.

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When doing science, information technology (IT) is often an afterthought. When working with a supplier or custom research organization such as ABS, it is probably even less of a consideration. However, it is of crucial importance. If it is working well, you shouldn’t have to think about it; but if it doesn’t, it can cause significant problems. For example, how often have you contacted a vendor and that vendor does not know what is going on with your inquiry or order? How often does a company market to you, but never follows up?

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