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Manager's Guide to Lab Automation & Technology Management
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The scheduled date for the next offering is being planned. |
Whether you are in research, quality control or contract labs, this is the course you need...
The practice of laboratory work depends on computing and information technology - from microprocessors in sample prep systems to instrument data systems, LIMS and Electronic Lab Notebooks; and in increasing instances, interfacing with Enterprise and Manufacturing Resources Planning systems. This course will give you the basis for:
- the effective, successful planning of laboratory automation and computing programs,
- helping you avoid cost over-runs, unrealistic schedules and put your planning on solid footing.
- It will also assist you in working with Information Technology groups.
The successful use of automation and information technologies in laboratory applications depends as much upon the policies and goals defined by lab management as it does on the skills of those implementing projects. Whether you are responsible for one lab or a laboratory complex, setting the guidelines within which automation is implemented across lab organizations is fundamental to cost-effective, successful, and supportable systems. Note: Seating is limited to 12 people to allow for more depth of discussions.
Purpose
The purpose of this short-course is to introduce management to lab automation: what it is, managements role in laboratory automation, the policies that need to be developed to help ensure successful projects, models of laboratory work that can be used to define automation needs and product requirements, and an overview of the technologies used. This course is of particular benefit to those considering LIMS, Electronic Lab Notebook, and systems integration projects; their success is high dependent on a clear understanding of your labs operations (see process modeling below - item 4 in the course description) and on management policies (item 3).
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The benefits of the course include:
Since the participants are expected to bring with them a range of experiences and perspectives, we expect this course to be interactive. |
This course is intended for Laboratory Managers & Supervisors, Directors and above, and is also suitable for Information Technology management working in a scientific environment. It is intended for those interested in the successful application of automation and computing technologies to laboratory work (LIMS, lab notebooks, robotic, instrument data systems, etc.).
What will the attendees get out of it?
When the course is over, the attendees should understand:
- Management ’s role in laboratory automation
- The policies that need to be put in place for lab automation projects to be successful
- The relationship between labs and IT groups
- Models for describing lab processes - how to describe the processes in your lab and use them to plan for, and evaluate automation opportunities
- How to use those models to specify and evaluate products and establish priorities, and
- How to manage the technologies used in laboratory work, how to plan for effective technology utilization and replacement/upgrades as new technologies are introduced to the marketplace.
- How to evaluate different approaches to acquiring, processing and storing laboratory instrument data. Are desktop systems or client-server models better? We'll look at what they are, what they offer and how to choose technologies that don't lock you into one methodology.
- Product and data life cycle management - understanding product life cycles and their impact on your labs operations, planning for product transitions when needed, and managing access to data over the long term.
Laboratory automation is often viewed as a technology effort. Successful projects will depend on managements ability to set goals and policies to guide the development of systems that can be integrated, reduce operational costs, and meet their goals. Managers have an active role in lab automation projects, and should understand how those projects can be used to increase the lab ’s effectiveness, and the lab’s ability to work with other organizations.
- The pricing for the public course is $2,600 for the 2 1/2 day course. It Includes a continental breakfast, lunch & break snacks/beverages. Lodging, transportation, and other meals are at the attendees expense.
- On-site pricing varies with the number of students, facility requirements, etc. Contact us for details.
| 1. Overview of Laboratory Automation | |
| 2. The Laboratory Automation Engineering Methodology |
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3. Management Policies - successful laboratory automation programs are built on a foundation that provides implementers with consistent guidelines for project development. This section covers the elements of that foundation.
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4. Describing the process of laboratory work - modeling for automation and product requirements. This is a key section. It's purpose is to show you:
It also looks at how processes within the lab connect to other groups to make data & information exchange more efficient and effective. |
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| 5. Open discussion - note: discussion is expected throughout the sessions |
Instructor's Biographical Sketch:
Joe Liscouski is an experienced laboratory automation professional with over thirty years experience in the field including the design and development of automation systems, LIMS, robotics and data interchange standards. He has held symposia on validation, and presented technical material and short courses on laboratory automation and computing in the US, Europe, and Japan, and wrote an editorial defining the need for Laboratory Automation Engineering as a means of advancing the state-of-the-art. Publications include books and book chapters on computing and automation and over thirty technical papers. His most recent work has centered on the development of a new approach to technology planning and management for automation and computing. More detail...