"Calira gave us the visibility to see where we could share [equipment] or reallocate instead."
Before adopting Calira, Moa Technology relied on printed schedules for critical shared equipment. According to Jasmine Freeman, Moa’s Laboratory Manager, the paper-based system was error-prone and clumsy:
“Every week there would be a new sheet printed out. You’d write your initials in pen and then just hope nobody else showed up at the same time.”
When Moa moved into new labs at the Oxford Science Park in 2021, the team needed a more robust solution. Having previously used a cloud-based system (Calpendo) during their time at BioEscalator, they sought something flexible and purpose-built for lab scheduling. That’s when they switched to Calira.
Key uses today:
Calira has eliminated booking conflicts and brought clarity to shared lab resources.
“It reduces the number of clashes you get where two people want the same piece of equipment at the same time. We have a clear policy: if it’s booked in Calira, that person gets priority. Everyone knows to check before they start.”
With QR codes on each instrument, staff can scan and instantly see who has booked it. This visibility has embedded Calira into Moa’s lab culture, where booking is second nature.
Scientists now plan their week in advance, booking what they need and syncing reminders with their calendars:
“I get booking requests at the beginning of the week, which I can then go and approve. People plan their week using Calira; it’s just become part of how we work.”
Calira reporting has helped Moa avoid unnecessary capital expenditure by revealing true usage patterns.
“One department asked for a new shaking incubator. I checked the usage data in Calira and saw our existing two were never in use at the same time. So instead of buying another, I just moved one across the road. That saved us thousands.”
The same data has been used to identify other underused equipment, redeploy instruments between sites, and optimise access to high-demand tools like the liquid handling robots.
Since 2021 Moa has nearly doubled in size. Calira has scaled with the company, helping prevent bottlenecks as equipment demand increased.
“Without it, we probably would have bought more kit than we really needed. Calira gave us the visibility to see where we could share or reallocate instead.”
Jasmine highlighted the flexibility of Calira’s settings, from grouping users into departments to managing training sign-offs and access rights.
“You can make it very quick to set up new users and make sure they’ve got access to what they need. And people can still see equipment they’re not trained on yet, which is really useful for planning.”
Moa’s work in herbicide research requires running hundreds of assays each week across biology and chemistry labs. With Calira embedded into daily workflows, Jasmine’s team can:
“I’d definitely recommend it. Calira has made life easier for both the people managing the labs and the people who use them. It gives visibility for everyone, no matter where they are.”
If your team is still juggling paper booking sheets, struggling with visibility, or facing pressure on equipment access, Calira might be the quiet fix you’ve been looking for. Let’s talk about how we can help your lab run more smoothly, with less admin and more clarity.
