Automating the Lab: LEAN Lab Operations and Integrated Lab Informatics Systems

Automating the Lab: LEAN Lab Operations and Integrated Lab Informatics systems


Geoff Turnbull
CSols, Inc.
Course: Short Course #17

Level: Beginner

Length: 1/2 Day Course

Date: 03/07/2016 – Monday

Fee: $300 ($400 after 2/12/16)

More Course Info

Target Audience

The course is targeted for QC laboratory managers, chemists and technicians from all industries but will also be of interest to IT personnel and QA managers.

Course Description

Lean techniques have been used for many years within manufacturing to improve quality (Right First Time), improve productivity, and reduce cycle time. Although QC Labs are not the same as manufacturing environments (most notably Labs typically have more volatile workloads), lean techniques can be, and have been, applied to the Lab to realize benefits similar to those achieved within manufacturing. Incorporating Lab Informatics (LIMS, CDS, ELN, SDMS, etc.) into the leaned Lab can further improve quality and productivity, reduce cycle time, minimize the use of paper and, of paramount importance to regulated industries, enforce compliance with standard operating procedures. In short, selecting the appropriate informatics systems can make the lean lab leaner. The first part of this course will introduce Lean concepts that have been proven to work in the Lab environment. The second part of this course will introduce the key components of the Lab Informatics Landscape and show how automation can further lean the lab.