Sell your used test equipment

When upgrading from an analog to a digital oscilloscopes, practice good equipment disposition. Sell or trade your used test equipment and you not only get a discount on the new purchase, you'll be a greener company as well.

I recommend: Some suppliers that accept used equipment on trade are Test Equipment Connection and TestEquity. These suppliers also buy equipment and actively search for brand like HP and Tektronix test equipment.

Determine the most cost effective method of acquiring your company's electrical test equipment

Buying new is not always the most cost effective route of acquiring the test equipment your company needs. Consider buying used test equipment, leasing or renting, especially high end items that have a limited lifespan, or you have a limited use for.

I recommend: Tucker Electronics has great leasing options available and have flexible leasing terms to fit any accounting structure. TRS-RenTelco specializes in renting test equipment and is committed to both outstanding service and carrying a wide range of test equipment. This means they have what your company needs to get the job done. Register for On Demand, and your company benefits from preferred pricing and instant account access.

Train your staff on the proper usage of the test equipment

No matter how much experience your staff has with a certain type of product, you need to make sure they know how to use the specific brand of electronic test equipment you purchase. Training sometimes means the difference between accurate results and properly maintained test equipment and false results and equipment loss.

I recommend: Agilent Technologies has dozens of training webcasts and videos to get your staff up to speed on the electronics test equipment they sell. They have an easy to browse library of training tools listed by type of machinery and tool test equipment available at no cost. For more in depth oscilloscope training, you might try the Oscilloscope Training Course available from the Cleveland Institute of Electronics. They have an in depth, reasonably priced course which is transferable into their associates program.