Situation

When a global specialty chemicals manufacturer acquired two sites in Canada from another chemical company, they inherited a critical challenge: the sites' existing SampleManager™ LIMS needed to be upgraded and integrated with the client’s SampleManager ecosystem. With an existing support relationship and a history of successful implementations, the global chemical company turned to CSols to manage the complex transition. 

Objectives and Challenges 

The core objective was moving the two acquired sites off the outdated SampleManager version and integrating them into the client’s own environment. This involved a full-scale data migration and system upgrade, with a switch from an Oracle database in the background to SQL Server. The sites needed a new, functional system on the latest version of SampleManager (v21.1), including a robust SM/IDI interface with their SAP system.

The project wasn't without its roadblocks. Initial server availability was delayed, and there was a notable lack of functional documentation for the previous system. Furthermore, open access to the Oracle and SQL servers was not available, meaning the client’s team had to upload developed modules themselves. Compounding the complexity, some project members were based in Germany, requiring careful coordination across different time zones.

CSols’ Role in the Solution

CSols responded to these challenges with a well-defined project plan and a team whose expertise was perfectly aligned with the project's needs. The team consisted of the following roles: a project manager, business analyst, configuration specialist, a data migration lead, and a developer/C# coder. This allowed for parallel workstreams focusing on the LIMS upgrade, data migration, and the new SM-IDI/SAP interface.

The strategy focused on leveraging the team’s deep domain knowledge and problem-solving skills. The CSols team took ownership of the technical heavy lifting, including preparing the necessary code for the data migration—an area where the client lacked the internal C# development experience and environments. Although the virtual servers were not immediately available to the CSols team, the project schedule was strategically aligned with a planned SAP upgrade, which minimized the impact of the delay. The lack of documentation was overcome by collaborating directly with users to define the required functionality. The CSols team also worked with the client to streamline the SAP interface, and simplify the user menu.

Benefits 

Through this collaborative and expert-driven approach, CSols successfully delivered a fully functional LIMS, migrated all necessary data, and implemented the SM-IDI interface all on time and within budget.

The successful project provided the client with several key benefits:

• Seamless Integration: The two sites were successfully transitioned from the IFF/DOW environment and integrated into the client’s ecosystem, with their LIMS platform moved from on-premise to the Azure cloud.
• Future-Proofed System: By moving to the latest version of SampleManager, the system is now standardized and ready for future upgrades, which will be less involved and disruptive.
• Improved User Experience: The CSols team streamlined the SM-IDI/SAP interface and simplified the user menu, which improved the day-to-day workflow for lab personnel.
• Expanded Capabilities: The project completed the move from the legacy system, allowing the client to add these sites to their business portfolio and build upon the modernized platform.

The success of this project led to the next phase of collaboration with CSols: a new upgrade project for four to five additional sites in North America. This long-term partnership is a testament to the value CSols brings to complex informatics projects.

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