27
The organisation should plan on extending the following to the support staff to build a robust remote services troubleshooting process:
• Imbue training techniques and exercises built on remote services • Impart newer skill sets and technology savvy appetite • Build tools to assist in interpreting logs and running statistical analysis • Develop fault isolation flow charts for separating issues from assay or instrument
• Incorporate scripts and processes to use remote service tools to troubleshoot instruments
A service team relying on remote services as their primary means of support cannot happen overnight. It requires constant coaching, training and establishing firm support guidelines. Developing a tiered remote support organisation by identifying individuals with certain specific traits and skill set can be one approach. One example of this tiered Remote Support Service Organisation is indicated below:
Figure 1. Illustration of Predictive and Reactive continuum
Level 1: - Front-line personnel, with good customer skills - Less comfortable with computer skills - Able to collect the data needed
- Need additional assistance with complex issues - Key to gathering issue and customer perspective
Level 2:
- Comfortable with computers and the Internet - Capable of using logs and tools - Available to frontline to review issues and log analysis - Able to train Level 1
Level 3:
- Assay specialists or instrument / software engineers - Key to understand logs and reading logs - Provide assistance with difficult investigations - SME’s available globally to Level 2 support
Figure 2. A Typical laboratory instrument connection From Reactive to Predictive Support
This is a natural progression in remote support and services. As the information from the instrument becomes readily available through remote connection, tools will be conceived and developed to tap into the information.
One can look at the static snapshot of a single instrument upon the occurrence of an issue to search for specific causes; this approach is the classic ‘reactive’ approach. Real-time information can also be used to quickly identify an instrument condition and dispatch an engineer without the customer needing to seek the support. This is the ‘proactive’ approach.
Monitor errors or scenarios across the instruments that can lead to an instrument malfunction down the lane necessitating a service call, are the ‘predictive’ tools.
Predictive responses allow enable the change of a part before it breaks, perform preventive maintenance based on the volume of tests performed, predict the life of the part on the instrument, and monitor assay performance and determine trends that allow for technical review if the assay performance is out of specification.
Future of Remote Service and Support
As accessibility to broadband becomes easier and customer demand for real-time support and service increases, the remote services which enhance troubleshooting and provide several valuable services to customers will remain a key service offering for instrument vendors. As the new next-gen instruments are developed, they will likely debut the market with several new remote service capable features. Combined with other key remote services features we could see the following remote service features become common place in the very near future:
• Remote software or assay file updates, downloaded to the instrument and installed by the customer
• On-line chat with Service Personnel • Remote access for service folks to aid in rapid troubleshooting •Webcams to exchange video over remote service channel for training.
The future for remote services and support is bright and is a win-win for laboratory customers and instrument vendors alike.
Indeed the predictive service for the customers holds the greatest promise by allowing instrument vendors to offer customer specific service based on customer specific usage of the instrument.
The Quickest Path to Automation
Labcyte, Inc recently launched a new product for life science research. The Access workstation takes the powerful suite of software applications and automation control proven successful on the POD™ 810 automation platform to the bench top. It combines the revolutionary Echo liquid handler with a high-precision robotic plate handling system to meet critical needs of improving assay results and reducing costs.
“Our Echo liquid handler customers are miniaturising their processes while improving data quality,” said Mark Fischer-Colbrie, Labcyte CEO and president. “The Access workstation instantly adds automation with the same user-friendly software that has made our POD automation platform so successful.”
The Access workstation is exceeding the expectations of Labcyte early access customers. Building on the Labcyte reputation for customer-driven solutions, the Access workstation ensures that researchers can easily create automation routines, manage sample inventory, and customise reports.
“Labcyte continues to revolutionise liquid handling. In 2010, we introduced the Omics package to enable transfer of a broad set of fluids across a wide range of drug discovery and life science applications,” said Fischer-Colbrie. “Recent enhancements have extended our liquid handling capabilities to include the transfer of very viscous fluids including protein crystallography reagents and solutions containing high concentrations of glycerol. The Access workstation makes it easy to tap into the Echo capabilities.”
Circle no. 379
Automation Meeting
Agilent Automation Solutions has announced that its 4th Automation User Group meeting that will take place in San Francisco, USA, from September 20th - 22nd 2011. Early registration for the popular 3-day meeting is now open.
The 2011 agenda has been designed to feature information-rich technical talks, thought-provoking panel discussions, training sessions and informative workshops on the latest topical applications. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear presentations from industry-leading automation experts, and see the latest in automation applications in areas including genomics, protein purification and high-throughput screening in action. As with previous events the 2011 meeting presents an excellent forum for those people interested or involved with laboratory automation to share experiences and knowledge as well as networking with fellow professionals.
Circle no. 380
Spotlight
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
