Waters Corporation increases lab efficiency with AWS

Across the Life Sciences, companies are integrating cloud technology into laboratory operations to create digitally connected labs. This innovation is bringing our industry one step closer to the Lab of the Future enabling seamless data integration, remote access, collaboration, flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.

Waters Corporation has had success in this area. Their customers benefit from enhanced collaboration, data sharing, and connectivity within and across laboratories to enable modern and future-ready labs. A key advantage includes improved resource utilization, allowing lab operators and scientists to focus more time on science. Digitally connected labs also enable organizations to move towards “lab in the loop” where the data from the digitally connected lab can be used to build and fine-tune AI models that not only facilitate generation of new experiments but quickly validate them as well. Ultimately, digitally connected labs create efficient, collaborative, secure and data-driven laboratory environments, accelerating scientific discoveries and innovations in Life Sciences.

Challenge:

In labs focused on pharmaceutical, biologics, and materials testing, the need for greater efficiency is a key factor for modernizing labs. Many customers struggle to gain a universal, real-time view of their analytical testing lab operations, which include instruments like high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry, and other techniques for analyzing chemicals and proteins. Instrument management and scheduling tools are often homemade, fragmented, and lack the speed and flexibility to meet the lab’s evolving needs. Troubleshooting is arduous and errors may not be quickly identified, which can lead to increased system downtime and decreased lab efficiency. Consequently, samples frequently require re-running, wasting valuable resources and delaying product launches or shipments. To ensure optimal lab operations, scientists and lab managers must be physically present; when absent, valuable analysis time is lost.

Solution:

The waters_connect™ System Monitoring Software from Waters Corporation is a cutting-edge solution designed to address the challenges faced by busy chromatography laboratories looking to improve uptime and efficiency. Often, these laboratories struggle to gain a comprehensive view of their systems making it difficult to coordinate work and respond promptly to system errors. Real-time access to laboratory information is crucial for improving system utilization, maximizing uptime, and accelerating business decision-making processes.

By harnessing the scalability and flexibility of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Services, Waters™  has developed a secure and compliance-ready platform that offers intuitive and adaptive single-source access to detailed Waters Empower™ Software and waters_connect Software information. This innovative approach ensures that users can effortlessly coordinate work, monitor system performance, and respond to errors without compromising the security or compliance standards of their laboratory operations.

Waters Empower Software has more than 500,000 users worldwide, is installed on over 5,000 networks, and supports 10 languages in over 70 countries

Teaming up with AWS has enabled Waters to leverage a range of cloud services, including:

• Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2): Offers scalable computing capacity in the cloud
• Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS): Streamlines setup, can automate operations, and scale relational databases in the cloud
• Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3): A highly scalable, durable, and secure object storage enabling collaboration
• AWS IoT Greengrass: Provides the ability to collect data at the edge and communicate securely to move the data to the AWS Cloud

These services provide the necessary computing power, database management, storage and edge connectivity capabilities to support the waters_connect System Monitoring Software.

waters_connect System Monitoring implemented to monitor the significant HPLC instrument fleet in real-time in the QC laboratory at CKD

Case Study:

Chong Kun Dang (CKD) is a prominent South Korean pharmaceutical company headquartered in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do. CKD’s primary focus is on the manufacturing and sale of pharmaceuticals, including specialized medicines for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, as well as general medicines such as painkillers, digestive aids, and vitamins. Since implementing waters_connect System Monitoring, CKD has seen significant improvements in lab efficiency, according to Yoon Jae-hoon, Manager of CKD’s QC Testing Support Team. The software allows for 24/7 real-time integrated monitoring of their extensive chromatography system fleet and has increased the response speed to equipment downtime issues.

“Real-time checking has become possible from anywhere, at anytime, and we have set up dashboards on large monitors in the preparation area to monitor all HPLC instruments,” says Yoon. “This has improved the efficiency of our analysis operations and allowed for continuous monitoring, contributing to productivity improvements.” The ability to monitor equipment remotely ensures that the lab can maintain optimal operational status, significantly reducing delays and enhancing overall productivity.

CKD envisions additional benefits from the waters_connect System Monitoring beyond their current implementation. They plan to leverage the accumulated system data for statistical analysis and anticipate improvements in analysis efficiency and equipment utilization through additional integrations with various programs.

“We expect to extend beyond basic monitoring of our analytical equipment remotely.,” adds Yoon. “Keeping pace with AI, machine learning, and virtualization technologies, we look forward to further enhancing productivity and convenience.” These initiatives highlight the importance of CKD’s future-oriented approach and collaboration with Waters in driving innovation in pharmaceutical technology.

Solution Benefits:

One of the key advantages of this cloud-based solution is its ability to provide users with real-time access to laboratory information from anywhere, at any time. Whether users are on-site or working remotely, they can seamlessly monitor their lab operations, ensuring efficient coordination and prompt response to any system errors or issues.

Additionally, the waters_connect System Monitoring software leverages the robust security measures of AWS, including data encryption, access controls, and logging, to help customers meet industry standards such as HIPAA and GxP. This ensures that sensitive system data remains secure and protected while enabling users to access the information they need. System Monitoring is also designed as a business tool, which sits outside the validated Empower Software environment.

Several measures ensure that:

• Information transfer is in one direction only, from the Acquisition Device Edge Software to the waters_connect Cloud
• Information being sent to the waters_connect Cloud is system telemetry information rather than GxP analytical data
• Users cannot interact with or change the database from the waters_connect Cloud and associated applications
• Single sign on (SSO) eliminates the need for multiple passwords, by using central corporate authentication, increasing security and improving ease-of-use

Conclusion:

The AWS Cloud has helped Waters enhance the functionality of waters_connect System Monitoring and future-proofed the software for scalability and adaptability. As laboratory needs evolve and data volumes grow, the cloud-based architecture can seamlessly scale to accommodate increased demand, ensuring that users always have access to the resources they require.

In summary, the collaboration between Waters and AWS has enhanced waters_connect System Monitoring, a powerful software tool that revolutionizes laboratory productivity by providing users with intuitive and adaptive single-source access to detailed lab system information. The Waters cloud-based platform ensures secure and compliant access to chromatography laboratory information, enabling users to coordinate work, respond to system errors, and make informed business decisions from anywhere, at any time.

Contact an AWS Representative to know how we can help accelerate your business.

Additional Reading:

• AWS Life Sciences Leaders Symposium Keynote
• Hacket Group Study
• To read more about CKD and how they are implementing waters_connect System Monitoring, download the full case study.