Building an innovative, digitalized laboratory can be a daunting task, but with the suitable approaches and tools, it can also be a rewarding experience. Learn about the key challenges and how to overcome them to create an efficient and effective laboratory.
Fremont, CA: "Smart laboratory" refers to a collection of hardware and software instruments that streamline or automate data processing and other lab operations. Depending on your laboratory's needs, digital transformation or digitization might take various forms and be rather complex.
Critical Terms in Digital Transformation
The three significant terms in digital transformation are:
Digitization: Information is converted from analog to digital form through digitization.
The process of using digital technology and Information to change how businesses operate is known as digitalization.
Digital transformation aims to enhance an organization by combining Information, computing, communication, and linking technologies to bring about significant changes to its properties. Only when the company's leadership understands the strategic value of implementing effective organizational changes that are customer-driven rather than technology-driven will digital transformation genuinely occur.
Challenges in Building a Smart and Digitalized Laboratory
When beginning the process of digitalizing a laboratory, there are some significant difficulties that you may need to address:
Recognizing Your Data Flows and Processes:
It would help if you comprehended the procedures used in your laboratory. You will better understand your workflows and data flows, even if you do not intend to digitize your processes. Additionally, you might work to improve your present procedures with more excellent knowledge.
Even while you might think you understand everything going on in your laboratory, it frequently turns out that there are procedures and bottlenecks that you were completely unaware of. Although this is expected, your objective is to identify and address these pain points more effectively.
Creating a map of your laboratory's processes is highly advised as a first step. The method you are mapping, its activities, its sequence, and its beginning and ending must all be determined at that point. Your staff must be involved in this process to create the most accurate process map. Since they are the final consumers, they may offer the most insightful details about the actual workflows in their daily jobs.
Critical bottlenecks can be solved by introducing straightforward or more intricate remedies after they are recognized. Your laboratory's increased production and efficiency should be the ultimate goal.
Data Management:
Large volumes of data are produced in laboratories; for this data to truly bring value, it must be appropriately handled. You can manage your data differently depending on how much of your life you have already gone digital.
If you're just getting started, consider how to convert your data from analog to digital format. You can view various software solutions to digitally document, store, analyze, share, and manage experimental data.
After establishing a central data repository, like an ELN or LIMS, you may want to consider integrating laboratory equipment into a cohesive network. One way to accomplish this is to use middleware or APIs, which manage communication between devices and the central data repository.
Finances:
Financial considerations are undoubtedly essential to consider when undergoing a digital transition. The short- and long-term benefits of digitization must be understood to make an informed choice.
A popular metric is return on investment (ROI), which considers all the expenses and advantages associated with a particular project.
These are some of the challenges of building a smart and digitalized laboratory. Other challenges may include digital security, digital culture and regulation compliance.
