Digital Transformation of the Pharmaceutical Quality Control Laboratory

Context

90% of pharma manufacturers have begun their digital transformation efforts. These manufacturers expect (in 3 to 5 years) a high level of system integration with a focus on digitalization and automation.

Nevertheless, the IT/Digital QC environment is highly complex, as it is composed of the LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System), multiple instruments (from more than one vendor), and other software that are used for production or corporate management like EBR, ERP and QMS that are a challenge to interconnect.

This creates an operation in data silos, where it is difficult for manufacturers to ensure:

Traceability
Performing real time data analysis
Having a comprehensive view of KPIs for decision-making.

To answer these needs, some customers are relying on Data Management Software (DMS) or / and Business Intelligence (BI) tools to support their digital transformation, whereas some others are still on paper based approach.

Your advice

1. Currently, which are the supported hosting choices in your organization for QC Data Management Software (e.g.: LIMS: Laboratory Information Management System)?

You can select up to 4 items

Vendor provides hosting and the Data Management Software (SaaS)

Customer provides private cloud hosting (IaaS, PaaS) and vendor provides the DMS

Customer provides on premise hosting (Server, PC or Virtual Machine) and vendor provides the DMS

Other

2. Following the previous question, is the hosting choice applicable:

3. If you were to deploy a new Data Management Software (DMS) for QC in the near future (3-5 years), which would be the preferred hosting choice, based on your IT policy?

Please drag and drop to rank items: 1 being the most preferred and 4 being the least preferred

Customer provides private cloud hosting (IaaS, PaaS) and vendor provides the DMS

Customer provides on-premise hosting (Server, PC or Virtual Machine) and vendor provides the DMS

Vendor provides hosting and DMS (SaaS)

Other

4. If you were to deploy a new Data Management Software for QC to be hosted on Linux server (now), what would be your acceptance?

Linux is a NO-GO for my organization

I can do it, but I would prefer Windows

I can do both Windows or Linux

I can do it, and it would be my preferred choice

I don’t know

5. If you were to deploy a new Data Management Software for QC to be hosted on Linux server (In the future: 3-5 years), what would be your acceptance?

Linux is a NO-GO for my organization

I can do it, but I would prefer Windows

I can do both Windows or Linux

I can do it, and it would be my preferred choice

I don’t know

6. Do you have Kubernetes instances available to deploy vendor software?

No, Kubernetes is a NO-GO for my organization

I don’t have it, but I can provide it if needed

Yes, it is available

I don’t know

7. What is the brand name and version of your LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) or LIS (Laboratory Information System)?

If you have none, please specify why in the comments

8. What are the main gaps that your LIMS is not able to perform for product quality control?

★☆☆☆☆ = Not at all present in current LIMS/ ★★★★★ = Present in current LIMS

9. What is the brand name and version of the Data Management System used in quality control (complementary to LIMS) ?

If you have none, please specify why in the comments

10. What is the name and version of the BI (Business Intelligence) tool that you use?

If you have none, please specify why in the comments

11. What is the usage of this BI tools?

★☆☆☆☆= Not used at all / ★★★★★ = Highly used

12. Which is the preferred way for your organization to purchase software?

Onetime fee: Software license is sold, upgrades and service are paid separately

Subscription: Fee paid at recurrent basis, including licensing, upgrades and service

Other