Situation

A market-leading specialty chemical company, focused on maintaining double-digit growth, found its operations hindered by a patchwork of disparate and suboptimal LIMS/ERP/MES software across its multisite manufacturing base. This lack of standardization and integration severely impacted both quality and the speed of batch production and release. Specifically, one major site was operating on the highly risky and end-of-life Beckman LabManager LIMS.

CSols was engaged by the company based on our previous record of success in implementing a LIMS at another of the company’s sites, our overall LIMS expertise, our expertise with LabManager LIMS, our outstanding domain knowledge (specialty chemical quality testing labs), and our systems integration skill set.

Objectives and Challenges

The company’s primary objective was to standardize information management by implementing Thermo Scientific SampleManager LIMS v11.1 and integrating it with the new Epicor 9 ERP/MES system. This standardization was intended to harmonize QC processes and dramatically increase throughput and product release speed.

The key challenges involved:

• Legacy Data Migration: 
  Successfully performing a hybrid migration of complex static data (tests, specifications)from the obsolete LabManager LIMS.
• System Alignment:
  Adjusting the implementation approach for a highly experienced client team.
• Integration Timing:
  Managing the integration schedule, which was dependent on a delayed, concurrent implementation of the Epicor 9 ERP system.

CSols’ Role in the Solution

CSols was engaged for the full implementation, migration, and integration effort, leveraging our specialized domain knowledge.

• Implementation Strategy: 
  We used a rapid prototyping methodology and conducted workshops to quickly establish requirements, develop the SampleManager configuration, and automate manual processes, including Product Regrading and Environmental Test Scheduling
• Data Migration: 
  We executed a hybrid migration methodology to efficiently preserve and transfer all legacy static data from the Beckman LabManager LIMS to the new system.
• System Integration:
  We successfully developed and delivered the integration between SampleManager v11.1 and Epicor 9, enabling streamlined lot and in-process sample login and results return once the ERP system achieved stability.

Benefits

This engagement gave the client increased efficiency, standardized processes, and increased regulatory compliance.

• Increased Productivity and Speed:
  LIMS–ERP integration and the harmonization of QC processes significantly increased the speed and quality of batch production and release.
• Enhanced Sales Capabilities:
  The specialized Product Regrading functionality was implemented to quickly and accurately match batch quality to specific customer specifications, supporting increased sales.
• Risk Mitigation:
  The obsolete and unsupported Beckman LabManager LIMS was successfully retired
• Process Automation:
  The automation of Certificate of Analysis (COA) creation and Environmental Test Scheduling boosted overall productivity and supported regulatory compliance

Learn more about this project by downloading the full SampleManager Implementation case study.

Return to the main case study page to view more SampleManager projects that CSols has worked on.

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