This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
84 MICROSCOPY


Faster field service C


David Jones explains why facilitating a rapid response with minimum downtime is the key to success for labs moving towards automated solutions.


hanges are under way in pharmaceutical microbiology quality


control (QC) laboratories. Tese laboratories are the last bastion of QC assays that require a very high manual input to perform and complete. Te development of automated technology to perform repetitive analytical tests has been on the increase and now affects many of the standard microbiology tests. With the introduction of instrumentation comes the need to ensure that the systems continue to run reliably without restricting the QC lab from releasing critical tests.


As a result of this, companies are looking more closely to their vendors’ preventative maintenance (PM) contracts to ensure that the timing and commitments confirm continued reliable performance and any other innovations that will help maintain uptime.


An example of an automated technology is the Growth Direct system, which automates the tedious manual process of colony counting and data transfer to LIMS databases. Users of the Growth Direct system only need to prepare samples using the same methods currently employed.


Fig. 1. For simple error messages or maintenance work, laboratory staff on site can describe messages on the screen. But in more complicated conditions, remote network access is critical.


www.scientistlive.com


Once prepared, the samples are loaded into the automated instrument, which manages incubation, enumeration and reporting, alerting via email to any samples that are out of specification. Tis technology frees microbiology resources to perform higher value tasks and gives the lab flexibility in the execution of tests, potentially placing the instrument closer to manufacturing versus in the lab.


In the event of a system issue with an automated technology,


there are two key events that need to happen quickly to enable an efficient resolution and recovery of the system. Tose events are:


n Notification of the supplier service organisation.


n Transfer of suitable information on the issue such that the service engineers are fully aware of the specific issue and arrive with the correct repair resources.


Notification of the supplier is often performed by the user who arrives at work and at some stage looks at the system and sees that error messages or other warning signs that are on display. If staff do not frequent the area or have no coverage on weekends this can


lead to long periods of downtime before the supplier is contacted. Tis can cause delays in the time to resolution. In that initial communication the engineer often needs information on the failure to enable a diagnosis.


Because automated technologies can often utilise systems such as email, a preferred method of communication of the issue is for the system to access the email system and email the supplier service team with the pertinent error message for the issue.


In this case, no staff are required and the service team can swing into action immediately.


Once informed, the next step is to determine the cause


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120