5 min read
How to extend capabilities of the existing SCADA systems through flexible control platform and integration with a variety of vendors.
Picture this: You’re a biotech executive who just discovered your perfectly functioning lab setup is essentially digital quicksand. Every upgrade costs a fortune, integration with new equipment requires calling three different vendors (who all point fingers at each other), and switching systems would be like performing open-heart surgery on a moving patient. Eventually your laboratory’s destiny could be controlled by someone else’s business model…
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, a lot of labs and production sites struggle with such an issue. In biotech and pharma, where innovation moves at breakneck speed but lab infrastructure needs to last decades, this problem is becoming a genuine threat to competitiveness.
The hidden costs of digital imprisonment
Here’s the truth that’ll make your CFO weep: vendor lock-in doesn’t just cost money – it steals time, stifles innovation, and can literally hold your breakthrough discoveries hostage.
When Dropbox migrated off AWS to escape escalating costs and regain control, they weren’t just making a business decision, they were breaking free from digital shackles that were constraining their growth.
In biotech labs, the stakes are even higher. Operational impact of vendor lock-in costs money and time across key laboratory functions, from rigid system architectures to costly integration nightmares.
Flexible control platform and integration with a variety of vendors
But here’s where the story gets interesting. While the industry wrestles with proprietary prisons, A4BEE’s QB Control is rewriting the rules entirely. Think of it as the Switzerland of lab automation – diplomatically neutral, universally compatible, and designed to play nicely with everyone. Just not as costly as Switzerland…
The multi-vendor advantage
QB Control’s positioning as “more than SCADA with some MES features” isn’t marketing fluff – it’s architectural philosophy. The system supports:
– Open connectivity through OPC UA, Modbus TCP, and MQTT protocols
– Integration up and down the automation hierarchy – from DCS to PLC to edge controllers
– Multi-system and multi-process capabilities
– Dynamic P&ID per-process functionality
This isn’t just technical flexibility – it’s strategic freedom. When your competitor’s lab grinds to a halt because their single-vendor solution can’t integrate with the latest breakthrough instrument, your QB Control system just shrugs and connects via standard protocols.
The plug-and-play
What is more, you can use QB Control just to extend capabilities of the existing systems or add QB Modules (modular hardware) to create a bioprocess system itself. Remember the last time you bought a USB device and it “just worked”? QB Control brings that same philosophy to laboratory automation. The QB Systems ecosystem features easy plug-and-play connectivity. No compatibility matrices. No weekend integration nightmares. No unexpected costs.
Want to add a new pump? Plug it in. Need temperature control? Connect and configure. Require multi-sensor monitoring? The QB MULTISENSOR module handles up to six different sensors simultaneously, from Hamilton Arc modules to Mettler Toledo devices. It’s the laboratory equivalent of LEGO® for grown-ups – if LEGO® blocks could run bioprocesses and generate regulatory-compliant data.
The Interoperability
The lab automation industry is experiencing what insiders call an “interoperability revolution”. Standards like SiLA (Standardization in Lab Automation) and OPC-UA are becoming the link language that allows different vendors’ equipment to communicate easily.
QB Control doesn’t just support these standards – it’s built on them. The system’s “open connectivity” philosophy means you can integrate equipment from multiple vendors without the traditional headaches. As Krzysztof Kaczor, A4BEE CEO, noted:
The ability of different systems to interact is vital in maximizing laboratory efficiency.
Real-world case study
Challange:
A biotech facility was running five bioreactors with a traditional setup – separate MS SQL databases, limited visualization capabilities, and no centralized control. Each system operated in isolation, creating data silos and operational inefficiencies. The company faced a classic vendor lock-in dilemma: accept expensive proprietary solutions or find a flexible alternative.
Solution:
The QB Control. Open architecture wins.
The implementation team chose QB Control specifically for its OPC-UA integration capabilities with existing equipment. The project objectives were elegantly straightforward:
Business impact:
The results speak to every CFO’s favorite language… measurable ROI:
Cost Reduction: Avoided expensive proprietary historian solutions
Operational Efficiency: Centralized monitoring of five parallel bioprocesses
Data Accessibility: Standard CSV exports for downstream analysis
Scalability: Foundation for future expansion without vendor constraints
Compliance: Built-in audit trails and user management for regulatory requirements
Flexible growth: Supports easy system expansion and integration of new modules and technologies to meet evolving business needs.
Action plan. Gain the competitive advantage
In biotech, speed kills – the competition, not your experiments. While competitors struggle with rigid systems, QB Control users can pivot on a dime. Need to add a new analytical method? Connect the instrument and configure the workflow. Regulatory requirements changed? Update the software, not the hardware.
Phase 1: assessment and planning
Start with an honest evaluation of your current vendor dependencies. Map your critical systems and identify integration points. QB Control’s team offers support with dedicated consultants and engineers.
Phase 2: pilot implementation
Begin with a single process or system. QB Control’s modular architecture makes pilot programs risk-free. Start with something straightforward – perhaps a bioreactor monitoring system or sample management workflow. The flexible architecture means you can have a proof-of-concept running within weeks, not months.
Phase 3: gradual expansion
Once the pilot proves successful (and it will), expand gradually. Add modules, integrate more systems, and build confidence across your organization. The modular approach means you can scale at your own pace and budget.
Phase 4: vendor-agnostic lab automation
Eventually, you’ll reach the promised land… a fully integrated, vendor-agnostic laboratory automation system that serves your needs, not your vendors’ revenue targets. You’ll join the ranks of labs that can choose technology based on merit, not compatibility constraints.
Extend capabilities of the existing systems
The choice is yours: remain a digital prisoner in someone else’s ecosystem, or claim your technological freedom with systems designed for interoperability, scalability, and genuine innovation. QB Control isn’t just offering software – it’s offering independence with flexibility.
In biotech, where breakthrough discoveries can change the world, shouldn’t your laboratory infrastructure be as revolutionary as your science? The future belongs to organizations that control their own destiny. QB Control helps you build that future, one flexible, interoperable connection at a time.
