Effective life cycle cost (LCC) management for electron microscope (EM) facilities at Purdue University and in other academic institutions is a complex process. Ideally, it should aim at controlling the cost of ownership of EMs while maximizing the output of the technology and utilization of resources. It could be argued that the current focus of the majority of EM facilities has been one that seeks to obtain the latest technology. However the growing sophistication of the equipment causes more indirect costs including labor, maintenance, and ancillary equipment needed to optimize the output of the base equipment. These costs can easily exceed the purchase price of the equipment over the life of the equipment.