{"id":12299,"date":"2026-06-30T15:48:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T15:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T11:30:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T11:30:15","slug":"should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/","title":{"rendered":"SHOULD I BUY A WATER ACTIVITY INSTRUMENT OR USE AN EXTERNAL CONTRACT LABORATORY?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This practical decision calculator helps you estimate whether investing in an in-house water activity instrument is financially worthwhile compared with routine testing at an external contract laboratory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By entering a few key assumptions, such as instrument price, expected sample volume, external laboratory cost per sample, internal working time, and annual service costs, you can quickly calculate the expected break-even point, payback time, and total savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: Beyond cost savings, an in-house water activity instrument can support faster release decisions, shorter feedback loops in production, better process control, easier trend monitoring, and less dependency on external laboratory turnaround times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShould I Buy a Water Activity Instrument or Use an External Contract Laboratory?<\/title>\n<style>\n@import url('https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Montserrat:wght@400;500;600;700;800&display=swap');\n:root{\n --bg:#F1EDE7;\n --card:#ffffff;\n --text:#1f2937;\n --muted:#4D7980;\n --border:rgba(77,121,128,.28);\n --accent:#A51D6C;\n --accent-soft:rgba(165,29,108,.10);\n --teal:#4D7980;\n --blue:#1f4e79;\n --good:#2F855A;\n --bad:#C53030;\n}\n*{box-sizing:border-box}\nbody{\n margin:0;\n font-family:\"Montserrat\", Arial, sans-serif;\n background:var(--bg);\n color:var(--text);\n}\n.app{display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr;gap:22px;padding:22px 0 36px;max-width:100%;margin:0 auto}\n.panel,.card{\n background:var(--card);\n border:1px solid var(--border);\n border-radius:18px;\n box-shadow:0 8px 22px rgba(31,78,121,.08);\n}\n.panel{padding:20px;position:static;align-self:start}\n.section{\n margin:20px 0 10px;\n font-weight:800;\n color:var(--blue);\n font-size:13px;\n letter-spacing:.02em;\n text-transform:uppercase;\n}\n.field{margin:11px 0}\nlabel{display:block;font-size:13px;color:var(--teal);margin-bottom:6px;font-weight:600}\n.label-row{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:7px;margin-bottom:6px}\n.label-row label{margin-bottom:0}\n.info{\n display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;width:17px;height:17px;border-radius:50%;\n background:rgba(77,121,128,.12);border:1px solid rgba(77,121,128,.35);color:var(--teal);\n font-size:11px;font-weight:800;cursor:help;position:relative;line-height:1;flex:0 0 17px;\n}\n.info:hover::after,.info:focus::after{\n content:attr(data-tip);position:absolute;left:22px;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%);z-index:20;\n width:260px;max-width:60vw;padding:10px 12px;border-radius:10px;background:#ffffff;color:var(--text);\n border:1px solid var(--border);box-shadow:0 8px 22px rgba(31,78,121,.16);font-size:12px;font-weight:500;line-height:1.45;\n}\n.info:hover::before,.info:focus::before{content:\"\";position:absolute;left:17px;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%);border:6px solid transparent;border-right-color:var(--border);z-index:21}\ninput,select{\n width:100%;padding:10px 11px;border:1px solid var(--border);border-radius:10px;font-size:14px;background:#fff;\n color:var(--text);font-family:\"Montserrat\", Arial, sans-serif;font-weight:500;\n}\ninput:focus,select:focus{outline:2px solid rgba(165,29,108,.18);border-color:var(--accent)}\n.main{display:grid;gap:18px}\n.priority-metrics{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(190px,1fr));gap:16px}\n.secondary-metrics{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(170px,1fr));gap:16px}\n.metric{padding:18px;border-top:4px solid rgba(77,121,128,.30);background:#fff}\n.metric .label{font-size:13px;color:var(--muted);font-weight:600;display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:6px}\n.metric .value{font-size:25px;font-weight:800;margin-top:7px;color:var(--text)}\n.metric.primary .value{font-size:30px}\n.metric.decision-good{border-top-color:var(--good);border-color:rgba(47,133,90,.32);background:#EAF6F0;box-shadow:0 8px 22px rgba(47,133,90,.12)}\n.metric.decision-good .value{color:var(--good)}\n.metric.decision-bad{border-top-color:var(--bad);border-color:rgba(197,48,48,.32);background:#FDECEC;box-shadow:0 8px 22px rgba(197,48,48,.12)}\n.metric.decision-bad .value{color:var(--bad)}\n.decision-banner{padding:18px 20px;border-radius:18px;background:#fff;border:1px solid var(--border);box-shadow:0 8px 22px rgba(31,78,121,.08)}\n.decision-banner.good{border-left:7px solid var(--good)}\n.decision-banner.bad{border-left:7px solid var(--bad)}\n.decision-title{font-size:20px;font-weight:800;margin-bottom:6px;color:var(--text)}\n.decision-banner.good .decision-title{color:var(--good)}\n.decision-banner.bad .decision-title{color:var(--bad)}\n.decision-text{color:var(--text);font-weight:500;line-height:1.5}\n.section-title{font-size:16px;font-weight:800;color:var(--blue);margin:4px 0 -6px}\n.notice{padding:15px 17px;border-radius:14px;background:rgba(47,133,90,.08);border:1px solid rgba(47,133,90,.28);color:var(--text);font-weight:600}\n.notice.bad{background:rgba(197,48,48,.08);border-color:rgba(197,48,48,.28);color:var(--text)}\n.charts{display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr;gap:18px}\n.card{padding:18px}\nh2{font-size:18px;margin:0 0 13px;color:var(--blue);font-weight:800}\nsvg{width:100%;height:320px;border:1px solid rgba(77,121,128,.18);border-radius:14px;background:#fff}\n.axis{stroke:rgba(77,121,128,.55);stroke-width:1}\n.grid{stroke:rgba(77,121,128,.16);stroke-width:1}\n.line1{fill:none;stroke:#A51D6C;stroke-width:3}\n.line2{fill:none;stroke:#4D7980;stroke-width:3}\n.line3{fill:none;stroke:#1f4e79;stroke-width:3}\n.bar{fill:rgba(165,29,108,.55)}\n.dot1{fill:#A51D6C}.dot2{fill:#4D7980}\n.legend{display:flex;gap:16px;flex-wrap:wrap;margin-top:10px;font-size:13px;color:var(--muted);font-weight:600}\n.sw{display:inline-block;width:12px;height:12px;border-radius:50%;margin-right:6px;vertical-align:-1px}\n.sw.b{background:#A51D6C}.sw.g{background:#4D7980}.sw.p{background:#1f4e79}.sw.bar{background:rgba(165,29,108,.55);border-radius:2px}\n.results{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fit,minmax(190px,1fr));gap:16px}\ntable{width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px}\nth,td{padding:11px;border-bottom:1px solid rgba(77,121,128,.16);text-align:right}\nth:first-child,td:first-child,td:last-child{text-align:left}\nth{color:var(--blue);background:#F1EDE7;font-weight:800}\n.good{color:var(--good);font-weight:800}.badtxt{color:var(--bad);font-weight:800}.logic{line-height:1.6;color:var(--teal);font-weight:500}\n@media(max-width:1000px){.app{padding:18px 0}.panel{position:static}.charts{grid-template-columns:1fr}}.panel{position:static}.priority-metrics,.secondary-metrics,.charts,.results{grid-template-columns:1fr}}\n\n\/* Mobile overflow fix for WordPress embeds *\/\nhtml,\nbody{\n width:100%;\n max-width:100%;\n overflow-x:hidden;\n}\n\n.app,\n.main,\n.panel,\n.card,\n.decision-banner,\n.priority-metrics,\n.secondary-metrics{\n width:100%;\n max-width:100%;\n min-width:0;\n}\n\n.panel,\n.card,\n.decision-banner{\n overflow-wrap:break-word;\n word-break:normal;\n}\n\n.metric .label,\n.decision-title,\n.decision-text,\n.metric .value{\n max-width:100%;\n overflow-wrap:break-word;\n}\n\ninput,\nselect{\n max-width:100%;\n}\n\n.info:hover::after,\n.info:focus::after{\n left:auto;\n right:0;\n top:24px;\n transform:none;\n width:min(260px, calc(100vw - 48px));\n max-width:calc(100vw - 48px);\n}\n\n.info:hover::before,\n.info:focus::before{\n display:none;\n}\n\n@media(max-width:700px){\n .app{\n display:block !important;\n padding:14px 0 28px !important;\n overflow-x:hidden !important;\n }\n\n .main{\n display:grid !important;\n grid-template-columns:1fr !important;\n gap:16px !important;\n overflow-x:hidden !important;\n }\n\n .panel,\n .card,\n .decision-banner{\n width:100% !important;\n max-width:100% !important;\n margin-left:0 !important;\n margin-right:0 !important;\n padding:16px !important;\n }\n\n .priority-metrics,\n .secondary-metrics{\n display:grid !important;\n grid-template-columns:1fr !important;\n gap:14px !important;\n width:100% !important;\n max-width:100% !important;\n }\n\n .metric .value{\n font-size:28px !important;\n line-height:1.2 !important;\n }\n\n .metric.primary .value{\n font-size:30px !important;\n }\n\n .decision-title{\n font-size:20px !important;\n line-height:1.3 !important;\n }\n\n .decision-text{\n font-size:15px !important;\n line-height:1.5 !important;\n }\n\n table{\n display:block;\n width:100%;\n overflow-x:auto;\n -webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;\n }\n}\n\n\n\/* Centered info tooltip positioning for desktop and mobile *\/\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .info {\n position: relative !important;\n z-index: 9998 !important;\n}\n\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .info:hover::after,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .info:focus::after {\n content: attr(data-tip) !important;\n position: fixed !important;\n left: 50% !important;\n right: auto !important;\n top: 50% !important;\n bottom: auto !important;\n transform: translate(-50%, -50%) !important;\n width: min(420px, 86vw) !important;\n max-width: 86vw !important;\n z-index: 999999 !important;\n text-align: left !important;\n white-space: normal !important;\n background: #ffffff !important;\n color: var(--text) !important;\n font-weight: 500 !important;\n font-size: 12px !important;\n line-height: 1.45 !important;\n padding: 11px 12px !important;\n border-radius: 12px !important;\n border: 1px solid var(--border) !important;\n box-shadow: 0 10px 26px rgba(31,78,121,.22) !important;\n}\n\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .info:hover::before,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .info:focus::before {\n display: none !important;\n}\n\n\/* Keep parent containers from clipping centered tooltips *\/\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .panel,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .main,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .card,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .field,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .label-row,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .priority-metrics,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .summary-grid,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .decision-banner {\n overflow: visible !important;\n}\n\n\n\/* Strong tooltip fix: desktop near icon, mobile centered *\/\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .info::after,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .info::before,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .info:hover::after,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .info:focus::after,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .info:hover::before,\n#novasina-make-buy-calculator .info:focus::before {\n display: none !important;\n content: none !important;\n}\n\n#novasina-make-buy-tooltip {\n position: fixed !important;\n width: min(360px, calc(100vw - 32px)) !important;\n max-width: calc(100vw - 32px) !important;\n z-index: 2147483647 !important;\n background: #ffffff !important;\n color: var(--text, #1f2937) !important;\n border: 1px solid var(--border, rgba(77,121,128,.28)) !important;\n border-radius: 12px !important;\n box-shadow: 0 14px 34px rgba(31,78,121,.26) !important;\n padding: 12px 14px !important;\n font-family: \"Montserrat\", Arial, sans-serif !important;\n font-size: 12px !important;\n font-weight: 500 !important;\n line-height: 1.45 !important;\n text-align: left !important;\n white-space: normal !important;\n pointer-events: auto !important;\n}\n\n#novasina-make-buy-tooltip[hidden] {\n display: none !important;\n}\n\n@media (max-width: 760px) {\n #novasina-make-buy-tooltip {\n left: 50% !important;\n top: 50% !important;\n transform: translate(-50%, -50%) !important;\n width: min(420px, 86vw) !important;\n max-width: 86vw !important;\n }\n}\n\n<\/style>\n<\/head>\n<body>\n<div id=\"novasina-make-buy-calculator\" class=\"app\">\n<aside class=\"panel\">\n<div class=\"section\">Currency<\/div><div class=\"field\"><div class=\"label-row\"><label for=\"currency\">Select currency<\/label><span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Select the currency used for all monetary inputs and outputs. The calculator does not convert exchange rates; it only changes the displayed currency label.\">i<\/span><\/div><select id=\"currency\"><\/select><\/div>\n<div class=\"section\">Investment<\/div>\n<div class=\"field\"><div class=\"label-row\"><label for=\"device_price\">Total investment cost<\/label><span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"One-time total cost for purchasing the in-house water activity instrument. Include installation, training, qualification support, initial setup and any other one-time implementation costs if they apply.\">i<\/span><\/div><input id=\"device_price\" type=\"number\" value=\"6000\" step=\"100\" min=\"0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"field\"><div class=\"label-row\"><label for=\"useful_life_years\">Useful life in years, residual value 0<\/label><span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Expected financial use period of the instrument. The model assumes no residual value after this period.\">i<\/span><\/div><input id=\"useful_life_years\" type=\"number\" value=\"7\" step=\"0.5\" min=\"1\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"field\"><div class=\"label-row\"><label for=\"interest_rate_pct\">Interest \/ discount rate in %<\/label><span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Financing or internal discount rate used to discount annual savings from year 1 to the selected useful life back to year 0. Use the default if no company-specific rate is available.\">i<\/span><\/div><input id=\"interest_rate_pct\" type=\"number\" value=\"5\" step=\"0.25\" min=\"0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"section\">Annual in-house operating costs<\/div>\n<div class=\"field\"><div class=\"label-row\"><label for=\"annual_calibration_service\">Annual in-house operating costs<\/label><span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Expected yearly operating costs for the in-house aw program, excluding QC labour time. This may include both fixed and volume-dependent items such as calibration, service, preventive maintenance, consumables, standards, verification checks and internal QC materials. Do not include sample-related working time here; labour is calculated separately from minutes per sample and the internal hourly rate.\">i<\/span><\/div><input id=\"annual_calibration_service\" type=\"number\" value=\"1000\" step=\"50\" min=\"0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"section\">External contract laboratory costs<\/div>\n<div class=\"field\"><div class=\"label-row\"><label for=\"external_aw_price_per_sample\">External contract laboratory aw price per sample<\/label><span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Analytical fee charged by the external contract laboratory for one water activity measurement, excluding shipping and administrative effort.\">i<\/span><\/div><input id=\"external_aw_price_per_sample\" type=\"number\" value=\"30\" step=\"1\" min=\"0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"field\"><div class=\"label-row\"><label for=\"external_shipping_admin_per_sample\">Shipping and external administration per sample<\/label><span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Additional cost per sample for shipment, sample registration, external communication, paperwork, and handling of laboratory orders.\">i<\/span><\/div><input id=\"external_shipping_admin_per_sample\" type=\"number\" value=\"12\" step=\"1\" min=\"0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"section\">In-house measurement costs<\/div>\n<div class=\"field\"><div class=\"label-row\"><label for=\"internal_minutes_per_sample\">Internal working time per sample in minutes<\/label><span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Average hands-on QC time for one in-house sample, including preparation, measurement handling, documentation, and basic cleaning where applicable.\">i<\/span><\/div><input id=\"internal_minutes_per_sample\" type=\"number\" value=\"20\" step=\"1\" min=\"0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"field\"><div class=\"label-row\"><label id=\"internal_hourly_rate_label\" for=\"internal_hourly_rate\">Internal hourly rate, CHF per hour<\/label><span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Fully loaded internal QC labour cost per hour in the selected currency, including salary, social costs, overhead assumptions, or the company rate used for internal costing.\">i<\/span><\/div><input id=\"internal_hourly_rate\" type=\"number\" value=\"70\" step=\"5\" min=\"0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"field\"><div class=\"label-row\"><label for=\"samples_per_month\">Samples per month<\/label><span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Expected number of water activity samples measured or outsourced per month. This is the main volume driver for the make-or-buy decision.\">i<\/span><\/div><input id=\"samples_per_month\" type=\"number\" value=\"20\" step=\"1\" min=\"0\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<main class=\"main\">\n<div id=\"decisionBanner\" class=\"decision-banner\">\n <div id=\"decisionTitle\" class=\"decision-title\"><\/div>\n <div id=\"decisionText\" class=\"decision-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"priority-metrics\">\n <div class=\"card metric primary\" id=\"card_payback\"><div class=\"label\">Payback time <span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Estimated time until the initial instrument investment is recovered through annual cash savings compared with an external contract laboratory.\">i<\/span><\/div><div class=\"value\" id=\"m_payback\"><\/div><\/div>\n <div class=\"card metric primary\" id=\"card_total\"><div class=\"label\"><span id=\"total_label\">Discounted saving over useful life<\/span> <span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Discounted saving over the selected useful life. The instrument investment is treated as a year 0 cash outflow. The annual savings from year 1 to the selected useful life are discounted back to year 0 using the selected interest \/ discount rate.\">i<\/span><\/div><div class=\"value\" id=\"m_total\"><\/div><\/div>\n <div class=\"card metric primary\" id=\"card_save\"><div class=\"label\">Annual saving <span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Difference between external contract laboratory cost per year and in-house cost per year. A positive value means the in-house instrument is cheaper for the selected sample volume.\">i<\/span><\/div><div class=\"value\" id=\"m_save\"><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"section-title\">Supporting indicators<\/div>\n<div class=\"secondary-metrics\">\n <div class=\"card metric\"><div class=\"label\">External contract lab cost\/year <span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Estimated yearly cost if all samples are sent to an external contract laboratory. Formula: samples per year x external laboratory cost per sample including shipping and administration.\">i<\/span><\/div><div class=\"value\" id=\"m_ext\"><\/div><\/div>\n <div class=\"card metric\"><div class=\"label\">In-house cost\/year <span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Estimated yearly cost of measuring in-house. It includes the annualized total investment, annual in-house operating costs and sample-related internal working time.\">i<\/span><\/div><div class=\"value\" id=\"m_int\"><\/div><\/div>\n <div class=\"card metric\"><div class=\"label\">Break-even samples\/month <span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Minimum number of samples per month needed for the in-house instrument to become cheaper than the external contract laboratory under the entered assumptions.\">i<\/span><\/div><div class=\"value\" id=\"r_bem\"><\/div><\/div>\n <div class=\"card metric\"><div class=\"label\">Nominal saving <span class=\"info\" tabindex=\"0\" data-tip=\"Total saving over the selected useful life without discounting. This shows the simple sum of annual savings minus the initial instrument investment.\">i<\/span><\/div><div class=\"value\" id=\"r_npv\"><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"card\"><h2>Decision table by sample volume<\/h2><table><thead><tr><th>Samples\/month<\/th><th>External contract lab cost\/year<\/th><th>In-house cost\/year<\/th><th>Saving\/year<\/th><th>Decision<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody id=\"scenarioRows\"><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>\n<\/main><\/div>\n<script>\nconst currencies={\"CHF\":\"Swiss franc\",\"EUR\":\"Euro\",\"USD\":\"US dollar\",\"GBP\":\"Pound sterling\",\"AED\":\"UAE dirham\",\"AFN\":\"Afghan afghani\",\"ALL\":\"Albanian lek\",\"AMD\":\"Armenian dram\",\"ANG\":\"Netherlands Antillean guilder\",\"AOA\":\"Angolan kwanza\",\"ARS\":\"Argentine peso\",\"AUD\":\"Australian dollar\",\"AWG\":\"Aruban florin\",\"AZN\":\"Azerbaijani manat\",\"BAM\":\"Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark\",\"BBD\":\"Barbadian dollar\",\"BDT\":\"Bangladeshi taka\",\"BGN\":\"Bulgarian lev\",\"BHD\":\"Bahraini dinar\",\"BIF\":\"Burundian franc\",\"BMD\":\"Bermudian dollar\",\"BND\":\"Brunei dollar\",\"BOB\":\"Bolivian boliviano\",\"BRL\":\"Brazilian real\",\"BSD\":\"Bahamian dollar\",\"BTN\":\"Bhutanese ngultrum\",\"BWP\":\"Botswana pula\",\"BYN\":\"Belarusian ruble\",\"BZD\":\"Belize dollar\",\"CAD\":\"Canadian dollar\",\"CDF\":\"Congolese franc\",\"CLP\":\"Chilean peso\",\"CNY\":\"Chinese yuan\",\"COP\":\"Colombian peso\",\"CRC\":\"Costa Rican colon\",\"CUP\":\"Cuban peso\",\"CVE\":\"Cape Verdean escudo\",\"CZK\":\"Czech koruna\",\"DJF\":\"Djiboutian franc\",\"DKK\":\"Danish krone\",\"DOP\":\"Dominican peso\",\"DZD\":\"Algerian dinar\",\"EGP\":\"Egyptian pound\",\"ERN\":\"Eritrean nakfa\",\"ETB\":\"Ethiopian birr\",\"FJD\":\"Fijian dollar\",\"FKP\":\"Falkland Islands pound\",\"GEL\":\"Georgian lari\",\"GHS\":\"Ghanaian cedi\",\"GIP\":\"Gibraltar pound\",\"GMD\":\"Gambian dalasi\",\"GNF\":\"Guinean franc\",\"GTQ\":\"Guatemalan quetzal\",\"GYD\":\"Guyanese dollar\",\"HKD\":\"Hong Kong dollar\",\"HNL\":\"Honduran lempira\",\"HTG\":\"Haitian gourde\",\"HUF\":\"Hungarian forint\",\"IDR\":\"Indonesian rupiah\",\"ILS\":\"Israeli new shekel\",\"INR\":\"Indian rupee\",\"IQD\":\"Iraqi dinar\",\"IRR\":\"Iranian rial\",\"ISK\":\"Icelandic krona\",\"JMD\":\"Jamaican dollar\",\"JOD\":\"Jordanian dinar\",\"JPY\":\"Japanese yen\",\"KES\":\"Kenyan shilling\",\"KGS\":\"Kyrgyzstani som\",\"KHR\":\"Cambodian riel\",\"KMF\":\"Comorian franc\",\"KPW\":\"North Korean won\",\"KRW\":\"South Korean won\",\"KWD\":\"Kuwaiti dinar\",\"KYD\":\"Cayman Islands dollar\",\"KZT\":\"Kazakhstani tenge\",\"LAK\":\"Lao kip\",\"LBP\":\"Lebanese pound\",\"LKR\":\"Sri Lankan rupee\",\"LRD\":\"Liberian dollar\",\"LSL\":\"Lesotho loti\",\"LYD\":\"Libyan dinar\",\"MAD\":\"Moroccan dirham\",\"MDL\":\"Moldovan leu\",\"MGA\":\"Malagasy ariary\",\"MKD\":\"Macedonian denar\",\"MMK\":\"Myanmar kyat\",\"MNT\":\"Mongolian tugrik\",\"MOP\":\"Macanese pataca\",\"MRU\":\"Mauritanian ouguiya\",\"MUR\":\"Mauritian rupee\",\"MVR\":\"Maldivian rufiyaa\",\"MWK\":\"Malawian kwacha\",\"MXN\":\"Mexican peso\",\"MYR\":\"Malaysian ringgit\",\"MZN\":\"Mozambican metical\",\"NAD\":\"Namibian dollar\",\"NGN\":\"Nigerian naira\",\"NIO\":\"Nicaraguan cordoba\",\"NOK\":\"Norwegian krone\",\"NPR\":\"Nepalese rupee\",\"NZD\":\"New Zealand dollar\",\"OMR\":\"Omani rial\",\"PAB\":\"Panamanian balboa\",\"PEN\":\"Peruvian sol\",\"PGK\":\"Papua New Guinean kina\",\"PHP\":\"Philippine peso\",\"PKR\":\"Pakistani rupee\",\"PLN\":\"Polish zloty\",\"PYG\":\"Paraguayan guarani\",\"QAR\":\"Qatari riyal\",\"RON\":\"Romanian leu\",\"RSD\":\"Serbian dinar\",\"RUB\":\"Russian ruble\",\"RWF\":\"Rwandan franc\",\"SAR\":\"Saudi riyal\",\"SBD\":\"Solomon Islands dollar\",\"SCR\":\"Seychellois rupee\",\"SDG\":\"Sudanese pound\",\"SEK\":\"Swedish krona\",\"SGD\":\"Singapore dollar\",\"SHP\":\"Saint Helena pound\",\"SLE\":\"Sierra Leonean leone\",\"SOS\":\"Somali shilling\",\"SRD\":\"Surinamese dollar\",\"SSP\":\"South Sudanese pound\",\"STN\":\"Sao Tome and Principe dobra\",\"SYP\":\"Syrian pound\",\"SZL\":\"Eswatini lilangeni\",\"THB\":\"Thai baht\",\"TJS\":\"Tajikistani somoni\",\"TMT\":\"Turkmenistan manat\",\"TND\":\"Tunisian dinar\",\"TOP\":\"Tongan pa'anga\",\"TRY\":\"Turkish lira\",\"TTD\":\"Trinidad and Tobago dollar\",\"TWD\":\"New Taiwan dollar\",\"TZS\":\"Tanzanian shilling\",\"UAH\":\"Ukrainian hryvnia\",\"UGX\":\"Ugandan shilling\",\"UYU\":\"Uruguayan peso\",\"UZS\":\"Uzbekistani som\",\"VES\":\"Venezuelan bolivar\",\"VND\":\"Vietnamese dong\",\"VUV\":\"Vanuatu vatu\",\"WST\":\"Samoan tala\",\"XAF\":\"Central African CFA franc\",\"XCD\":\"East Caribbean dollar\",\"XOF\":\"West African CFA franc\",\"XPF\":\"CFP franc\",\"YER\":\"Yemeni rial\",\"ZAR\":\"South African rand\",\"ZMW\":\"Zambian kwacha\",\"ZWG\":\"Zimbabwe Gold\"};\nconst symbols={CHF:\"CHF\",EUR:\"\u20ac\",USD:\"$\",GBP:\"\u00a3\",JPY:\"\u00a5\",CNY:\"\u00a5\",AUD:\"A$\",CAD:\"C$\",NZD:\"NZ$\",SEK:\"kr\",NOK:\"kr\",DKK:\"kr\",PLN:\"z\u0142\",CZK:\"K\u010d\",HUF:\"Ft\",INR:\"\u20b9\",BRL:\"R$\",MXN:\"Mex$\",ZAR:\"R\",SGD:\"S$\",HKD:\"HK$\"};\nconst scenario=[1,5,10,15,20,30,40,50,75,100,150,200];\nconst ids=[\"device_price\",\"useful_life_years\",\"interest_rate_pct\",\"annual_calibration_service\",\"external_aw_price_per_sample\",\"external_shipping_admin_per_sample\",\"internal_minutes_per_sample\",\"internal_hourly_rate\",\"samples_per_month\"];\nconst currencySelect=document.getElementById('currency'); Object.keys(currencies).sort().forEach(c=>{const o=document.createElement('option');o.value=c;o.textContent=c+' - '+currencies[c];if(c==='CHF')o.selected=true;currencySelect.appendChild(o)});\nfunction val(id){return parseFloat(document.getElementById(id).value)||0}\nfunction annualizedCapex(capex,years,rate){if(years<=0)return 0;const r=rate\/100;if(Math.abs(r)<1e-9)return capex\/years;return capex*(r*Math.pow(1+r,years))\/(Math.pow(1+r,years)-1)}\nfunction calc(spm){const capex=val('device_price'), years=val('useful_life_years'), rate=val('interest_rate_pct'); const externalPer=val('external_aw_price_per_sample')+val('external_shipping_admin_per_sample'); const internalVar=(val('internal_minutes_per_sample')\/60)*val('internal_hourly_rate'); const samplesYear=spm*12; const annualCapex=annualizedCapex(capex,years,rate); const annualInhouseCost=val('annual_calibration_service'); const inhouseBaseCost=annualCapex+annualInhouseCost; const externalAnnual=samplesYear*externalPer; const internalAnnual=inhouseBaseCost+samplesYear*internalVar; const saving=externalAnnual-internalAnnual; const contribution=externalPer-internalVar; const beYear=contribution>0?inhouseBaseCost\/contribution:Infinity; const cashSaving=externalAnnual-(annualInhouseCost+samplesYear*internalVar); const payback=cashSaving>0?capex\/cashSaving:Infinity; const nominalExternal=externalAnnual*years; const nominalInternal=capex+(annualInhouseCost+samplesYear*internalVar)*years; let ys=[],cum=[],disc=[]; let c=-capex,d=-capex,r=rate\/100; for(let y=0;y<=Math.ceil(years);y++){if(y>0){c+=cashSaving; d+=cashSaving\/(r>0?Math.pow(1+r,y):1)}ys.push(y);cum.push(c);disc.push(d)} return {capex,externalPer,internalVar,samplesYear,annualCapex,inhouseBaseCost,externalAnnual,internalAnnual,saving,contribution,beMonth:beYear\/12,beDay:beYear\/220,cashSaving,payback,nominalSaving:nominalExternal-nominalInternal,ys,cum,disc,npv:disc[disc.length-1]}}\nfunction fmtMoney(v){const c=currencySelect.value,s=symbols[c]||c;if(!isFinite(v))return 'not possible';return s+' '+Math.round(v).toLocaleString('en-US')}\nfunction fmt(v,d=1){return !isFinite(v)?'not possible':v.toLocaleString('en-US',{minimumFractionDigits:d,maximumFractionDigits:d})}\nfunction plotLine(svgId,xs,series){const svg=document.getElementById(svgId),w=svg.clientWidth||600,h=320,p={l:55,r:18,t:18,b:42};svg.setAttribute('viewBox',`0 0 ${w} ${h}`);svg.innerHTML='';const allY=series.flatMap(s=>s.y);let minY=Math.min(0,...allY),maxY=Math.max(1,...allY); if(maxY===minY){maxY+=1;minY-=1} const xMin=Math.min(...xs),xMax=Math.max(...xs); const X=x=>p.l+(x-xMin)\/(xMax-xMin)*(w-p.l-p.r); const Y=y=>h-p.b-(y-minY)\/(maxY-minY)*(h-p.t-p.b); for(let i=0;i<=5;i++){const y=p.t+i*(h-p.t-p.b)\/5; svg.innerHTML+=`<line class=\"grid\" x1=\"${p.l}\" y1=\"${y}\" x2=\"${w-p.r}\" y2=\"${y}\"><\/line>`} svg.innerHTML+=`<line class=\"axis\" x1=\"${p.l}\" y1=\"${h-p.b}\" x2=\"${w-p.r}\" y2=\"${h-p.b}\"><\/line><line class=\"axis\" x1=\"${p.l}\" y1=\"${p.t}\" x2=\"${p.l}\" y2=\"${h-p.b}\"><\/line>`; series.forEach(s=>{let pts=xs.map((x,i)=>`${X(x)},${Y(s.y[i])}`).join(' '); if(s.type==='bar'){const bw=(w-p.l-p.r)\/xs.length*.65; xs.forEach((x,i)=>{let y0=Y(0), y1=Y(s.y[i]); svg.innerHTML+=`<rect class=\"bar\" x=\"${X(x)-bw\/2}\" y=\"${Math.min(y0,y1)}\" width=\"${bw}\" height=\"${Math.abs(y0-y1)}\"><\/rect>`})} else {svg.innerHTML+=`<polyline class=\"${s.cls}\" points=\"${pts}\"><\/polyline>`; xs.forEach((x,i)=>svg.innerHTML+=`<circle class=\"${s.dot||'dot1'}\" cx=\"${X(x)}\" cy=\"${Y(s.y[i])}\" r=\"3\"><\/circle>`)}}); for(let i=0;i<=4;i++){const x=xMin+i*(xMax-xMin)\/4; svg.innerHTML+=`<text x=\"${X(x)}\" y=\"${h-16}\" font-size=\"11\" text-anchor=\"middle\" fill=\"#667085\">${Math.round(x)}<\/text>`} for(let i=0;i<=5;i++){const yv=maxY-i*(maxY-minY)\/5; svg.innerHTML+=`<text x=\"${p.l-8}\" y=\"${Y(yv)+4}\" font-size=\"11\" text-anchor=\"end\" fill=\"#667085\">${Math.round(yv).toLocaleString('en-US')}<\/text>`}}\nfunction setDecisionClass(el, positive){el.classList.remove('decision-good','decision-bad');el.classList.add(positive?'decision-good':'decision-bad')}\nfunction update(){const r=calc(val('samples_per_month')); const positive=r.saving>0 && r.npv>0;\n document.getElementById('internal_hourly_rate_label').textContent='Internal hourly rate, '+currencySelect.value+' per hour';\n document.getElementById('total_label').textContent='Discounted saving over '+fmt(val('useful_life_years'),1)+' years';\n document.getElementById('m_ext').textContent=fmtMoney(r.externalAnnual);\n document.getElementById('m_int').textContent=fmtMoney(r.internalAnnual);\n document.getElementById('m_save').textContent=fmtMoney(r.saving);\n document.getElementById('m_payback').textContent=isFinite(r.payback)?fmt(r.payback,1)+' years':'not reached';\n document.getElementById('m_total').textContent=fmtMoney(r.npv);\n document.getElementById('r_bem').textContent=fmt(r.beMonth,1);\n document.getElementById('r_npv').textContent=fmtMoney(r.nominalSaving);\n ['card_payback','card_total','card_save'].forEach(id=>setDecisionClass(document.getElementById(id),positive));\n const banner=document.getElementById('decisionBanner'); banner.className='decision-banner '+(positive?'good':'bad');\n document.getElementById('decisionTitle').textContent=positive?'In-house water activity testing is financially attractive':'External contract laboratory is currently financially stronger';\n document.getElementById('decisionText').textContent=positive?`At ${fmt(val('samples_per_month'),0)} samples per month, the in-house instrument is expected to save ${fmtMoney(r.saving)} per year. Discounted to year 0 over ${fmt(val('useful_life_years'),1)} years, the saving is ${fmtMoney(r.npv)}. The estimated payback time is ${isFinite(r.payback)?fmt(r.payback,1)+' years':'not reached'}.`:`With the current assumptions, the in-house instrument does not yet reach a positive discounted saving. Increase the sample volume or review external laboratory cost, internal working time, annual in-house operating costs, total investment cost, useful life, or discount rate.`;\n const rows=scenario.map(spm=>{const x=calc(spm);return `<tr><td>${spm}<\/td><td>${fmtMoney(x.externalAnnual)}<\/td><td>${fmtMoney(x.internalAnnual)}<\/td><td class=\"${x.saving>0?'good':'badtxt'}\">${fmtMoney(x.saving)}<\/td><td>${x.saving>0?'In-house instrument':'External contract lab'}<\/td><\/tr>`}).join('');\n document.getElementById('scenarioRows').innerHTML=rows}\nids.forEach(id=>document.getElementById(id).addEventListener('input',update)); currencySelect.addEventListener('change',update); update();\n<\/script>\n\n<script>\n\/* Strong info tooltip: desktop near icon, mobile centered *\/\n(function(){\n var root = document.getElementById(\"novasina-make-buy-calculator\");\n if (!root) return;\n\n var tooltip = document.getElementById(\"novasina-make-buy-tooltip\");\n if (!tooltip) {\n tooltip = document.createElement(\"div\");\n tooltip.id = \"novasina-make-buy-tooltip\";\n tooltip.setAttribute(\"hidden\", \"hidden\");\n tooltip.setAttribute(\"role\", \"tooltip\");\n document.body.appendChild(tooltip);\n }\n\n function positionTip(target) {\n var isMobile = window.matchMedia && window.matchMedia(\"(max-width: 760px)\").matches;\n\n if (isMobile) {\n tooltip.style.left = \"50%\";\n tooltip.style.top = \"50%\";\n tooltip.style.transform = \"translate(-50%, -50%)\";\n return;\n }\n\n tooltip.style.transform = \"none\";\n\n var gap = 12;\n var margin = 16;\n var rect = target.getBoundingClientRect();\n\n \/\/ Make tooltip measurable before positioning.\n var tipRect = tooltip.getBoundingClientRect();\n var tipWidth = tipRect.width || 360;\n var tipHeight = tipRect.height || 120;\n\n \/\/ Prefer right side of the icon.\n var left = rect.right + gap;\n var top = rect.top + (rect.height \/ 2) - (tipHeight \/ 2);\n\n \/\/ If it would overflow right, place it on the left side.\n if (left + tipWidth > window.innerWidth - margin) {\n left = rect.left - gap - tipWidth;\n }\n\n \/\/ Clamp horizontally and vertically so it never gets cut off.\n left = Math.max(margin, Math.min(left, window.innerWidth - tipWidth - margin));\n top = Math.max(margin, Math.min(top, window.innerHeight - tipHeight - margin));\n\n tooltip.style.left = left + \"px\";\n tooltip.style.top = top + \"px\";\n }\n\n function showTip(target) {\n var text = target.getAttribute(\"data-tip\");\n if (!text) return;\n tooltip.textContent = text;\n tooltip.removeAttribute(\"hidden\");\n positionTip(target);\n }\n\n function hideTip() {\n tooltip.setAttribute(\"hidden\", \"hidden\");\n }\n\n root.addEventListener(\"click\", function(e) {\n var target = e.target.closest ? e.target.closest(\".info\") : null;\n if (target && root.contains(target)) {\n e.preventDefault();\n e.stopPropagation();\n showTip(target);\n }\n });\n\n root.addEventListener(\"mouseenter\", function(e) {\n var target = e.target.closest ? e.target.closest(\".info\") : null;\n if (target && root.contains(target)) showTip(target);\n }, true);\n\n root.addEventListener(\"mouseleave\", function(e) {\n var target = e.target.closest ? e.target.closest(\".info\") : null;\n if (target && root.contains(target)) hideTip();\n }, true);\n\n root.addEventListener(\"focusin\", function(e) {\n if (e.target && e.target.classList && e.target.classList.contains(\"info\")) {\n showTip(e.target);\n }\n });\n\n root.addEventListener(\"focusout\", function(e) {\n if (e.target && e.target.classList && e.target.classList.contains(\"info\")) {\n setTimeout(hideTip, 150);\n }\n });\n\n document.addEventListener(\"click\", function(e) {\n if (!root.contains(e.target) && e.target !== tooltip && !tooltip.contains(e.target)) {\n hideTip();\n }\n });\n\n document.addEventListener(\"keydown\", function(e) {\n if (e.key === \"Escape\") hideTip();\n });\n\n window.addEventListener(\"resize\", hideTip);\n window.addEventListener(\"scroll\", hideTip, {passive:true});\n})();\n<\/script>\n\n<\/body>\n<\/html>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This practical decision calculator helps you estimate whether investing in an in-house water activity instrument is financially worthwhile compared with routine testing at an external contract laboratory. By entering a few key assumptions, such as instrument price, expected sample volume, external laboratory cost per sample, internal working time, and annual service costs, you can quickly…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":12300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"qubely_global_settings":"","qubely_interactions":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","iawp_total_views":34,"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,73,74,77,78,79,76],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-applications-use-cases","category-best-practice","category-beyond","category-food","category-pet-food","category-pharma","category-water-activity"],"acf":[],"qubely_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12.png",1248,832,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12-1200x750.png",1200,750,true],"portraits":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12-540x320.png",540,320,true],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12-300x200.png",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12-768x512.png",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12-1024x683.png",1024,683,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12.png",1248,832,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12.png",1248,832,false],"qubely_landscape":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12-1200x750.png",1200,750,true],"qubely_portrait":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12-540x320.png",540,320,true],"qubely_thumbnail":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12-140x100.png",140,100,true]},"qubely_author":{"display_name":"Sales - Novasina AG","author_link":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/author\/salesnovasina-ch\/"},"qubely_comment":0,"qubely_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/category\/applications-use-cases\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Applications & Use Cases<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/category\/best-practice\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Best Practice<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/category\/beyond\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Beyond<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/category\/food\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Food<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/category\/pet-food\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Pet Food<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/category\/pharma\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Pharma<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/category\/water-activity\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Activity<\/a>","qubely_excerpt":"This practical decision calculator helps you estimate whether investing in an in-house water activity instrument is financially worthwhile compared with routine testing at an external contract laboratory. By entering a few key assumptions, such as instrument price, expected sample volume, external laboratory cost per sample, internal working time, and annual service costs, you can quickly...","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>SHOULD I BUY A WATER ACTIVITY INSTRUMENT OR USE AN EXTERNAL CONTRACT LABORATORY? - Novasina<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"de_DE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SHOULD I BUY A WATER ACTIVITY INSTRUMENT OR USE AN EXTERNAL CONTRACT LABORATORY? - Novasina\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This practical decision calculator helps you estimate whether investing in an in-house water activity instrument is financially worthwhile compared with routine testing at an external contract laboratory. By entering a few key assumptions, such as instrument price, expected sample volume, external laboratory cost per sample, internal working time, and annual service costs, you can quickly...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Novasina\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-30T15:48:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-08T11:30:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1248\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"832\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sales - Novasina AG\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Verfasst von\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sales - Novasina AG\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Gesch\u00e4tzte Lesezeit\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2\u00a0Minuten\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sales - Novasina AG\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2c7657d9669f54385bf7abc72be50156\"},\"headline\":\"SHOULD I BUY A WATER ACTIVITY INSTRUMENT OR USE AN EXTERNAL CONTRACT LABORATORY?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-30T15:48:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-08T11:30:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":244,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Download-12.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Applications & Use Cases\",\"Best Practice\",\"Beyond\",\"Food\",\"Pet Food\",\"Pharma\",\"Water Activity\"],\"inLanguage\":\"de\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\\\/\",\"name\":\"SHOULD I BUY A WATER ACTIVITY INSTRUMENT OR USE AN EXTERNAL CONTRACT LABORATORY? - Novasina\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Download-12.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-30T15:48:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-08T11:30:15+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"de\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"de\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Download-12.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Download-12.png\",\"width\":1248,\"height\":832},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"SHOULD I BUY A WATER ACTIVITY INSTRUMENT OR USE AN EXTERNAL CONTRACT LABORATORY?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/\",\"name\":\"Novasina\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"de\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Novasina AG\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"de\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/Logoplatzhalter2.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/Logoplatzhalter2.png\",\"width\":1060,\"height\":120,\"caption\":\"Novasina AG\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/ch.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/novasina-ag\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@novasina-ag\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2c7657d9669f54385bf7abc72be50156\",\"name\":\"Sales - Novasina AG\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"de\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b8c9e6a9c5e4027386597e6fedf9335e8071cac13c24c9ee414049e2e813bcc9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b8c9e6a9c5e4027386597e6fedf9335e8071cac13c24c9ee414049e2e813bcc9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b8c9e6a9c5e4027386597e6fedf9335e8071cac13c24c9ee414049e2e813bcc9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sales - Novasina AG\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novasina.ch\\\/de\\\/author\\\/salesnovasina-ch\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"SHOULD I BUY A WATER ACTIVITY INSTRUMENT OR USE AN EXTERNAL CONTRACT LABORATORY? - Novasina","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/","og_locale":"de_DE","og_type":"article","og_title":"SHOULD I BUY A WATER ACTIVITY INSTRUMENT OR USE AN EXTERNAL CONTRACT LABORATORY? - Novasina","og_description":"This practical decision calculator helps you estimate whether investing in an in-house water activity instrument is financially worthwhile compared with routine testing at an external contract laboratory. By entering a few key assumptions, such as instrument price, expected sample volume, external laboratory cost per sample, internal working time, and annual service costs, you can quickly...","og_url":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/","og_site_name":"Novasina","article_published_time":"2026-06-30T15:48:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-07-08T11:30:15+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1248,"height":832,"url":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Sales - Novasina AG","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Verfasst von":"Sales - Novasina AG","Gesch\u00e4tzte Lesezeit":"2\u00a0Minuten"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/"},"author":{"name":"Sales - Novasina AG","@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/#\/schema\/person\/2c7657d9669f54385bf7abc72be50156"},"headline":"SHOULD I BUY A WATER ACTIVITY INSTRUMENT OR USE AN EXTERNAL CONTRACT LABORATORY?","datePublished":"2026-06-30T15:48:35+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-08T11:30:15+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/"},"wordCount":244,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12.png","articleSection":["Applications & Use Cases","Best Practice","Beyond","Food","Pet Food","Pharma","Water Activity"],"inLanguage":"de","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/","url":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/","name":"SHOULD I BUY A WATER ACTIVITY INSTRUMENT OR USE AN EXTERNAL CONTRACT LABORATORY? - Novasina","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12.png","datePublished":"2026-06-30T15:48:35+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-08T11:30:15+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"de","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"de","@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12.png","width":1248,"height":832},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/should-i-buy-a-water-activity-instrument-or-use-an-external-contract-laboratory\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"SHOULD I BUY A WATER ACTIVITY INSTRUMENT OR USE AN EXTERNAL CONTRACT LABORATORY?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/","name":"Novasina","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"de"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/#organization","name":"Novasina AG","url":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"de","@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Logoplatzhalter2.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Logoplatzhalter2.png","width":1060,"height":120,"caption":"Novasina AG"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/ch.linkedin.com\/company\/novasina-ag","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@novasina-ag"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/#\/schema\/person\/2c7657d9669f54385bf7abc72be50156","name":"Sales - Novasina AG","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"de","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b8c9e6a9c5e4027386597e6fedf9335e8071cac13c24c9ee414049e2e813bcc9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b8c9e6a9c5e4027386597e6fedf9335e8071cac13c24c9ee414049e2e813bcc9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b8c9e6a9c5e4027386597e6fedf9335e8071cac13c24c9ee414049e2e813bcc9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sales - Novasina AG"},"url":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/author\/salesnovasina-ch\/"}]}},"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":80,"label":"Applications & Use Cases"},{"value":73,"label":"Best Practice"},{"value":74,"label":"Beyond"},{"value":77,"label":"Food"},{"value":78,"label":"Pet Food"},{"value":79,"label":"Pharma"},{"value":76,"label":"Water Activity"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/novasina.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Download-12-1024x683.png",1024,683,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Sales - Novasina AG","author_link":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/author\/salesnovasina-ch\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":80,"name":"Applications & Use Cases","slug":"applications-use-cases","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":80,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":8,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":80,"category_count":8,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Applications & Use Cases","category_nicename":"applications-use-cases","category_parent":0},{"term_id":73,"name":"Best Practice","slug":"best-practice","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":73,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":6,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":73,"category_count":6,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Best Practice","category_nicename":"best-practice","category_parent":0},{"term_id":74,"name":"Beyond","slug":"beyond","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":74,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":12,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":74,"category_count":12,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Beyond","category_nicename":"beyond","category_parent":0},{"term_id":77,"name":"Food","slug":"food","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":77,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":12,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":77,"category_count":12,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Food","category_nicename":"food","category_parent":0},{"term_id":78,"name":"Pet Food","slug":"pet-food","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":78,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":7,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":78,"category_count":7,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Pet Food","category_nicename":"pet-food","category_parent":0},{"term_id":79,"name":"Pharma","slug":"pharma","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":79,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":12,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":79,"category_count":12,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Pharma","category_nicename":"pharma","category_parent":0},{"term_id":76,"name":"Water Activity","slug":"water-activity","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":76,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":19,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":76,"category_count":19,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Water Activity","category_nicename":"water-activity","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12299"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12301,"href":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12299\/revisions\/12301"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novasina.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}