Proactive Support & Change Management Framework for a Digital Lab

Industry

Biotech / Life Sciences

Scope

Managed Services / IT/OT Support / Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) / Incident Management / Remote Orchestration

Timeframe

Ongoing

  • 3

    Support Tiers (L1-L3) ensuring specialized attention for every issue

  • 100+

    Monitored parameters across IT and OT assets

  • < 8

    Hours Resolution target for "Regular Changes" to keep the lab agile.

01

CLIENT

A global Life Sciences innovator and leader in bioprocess technology. The organization focuses on accelerating drug development and bioprocessing through the implementation of cutting-edge, data-driven Digital Lab environments.

02

BUSINESS NEEDS

Following the successful deployment of the Digital Lab (M2700 and M1720) in 2022, the client faced the "Day 2" operational reality. The complexity of the interconnected IT/OT ecosystem meant that laboratory staff needed to focus on science, not on troubleshooting technical glitches. To maintain the lab's utility and "readiness to support any bio processes," the client required a specialized partner to handle continuous maintenance, resolve incidents, and manage the evolution of the platform through a structured Change Management process.

03

CHALLENGE

The transition from "build" to "run" presented several distinct hurdles:

  1. High Technical Complexity

    High Technical Complexity

    The ecosystem comprises diverse assets, including Smart Pumps, Sensors, Bioreactors (DeltaV), and custom middleware, requiring expert knowledge across IT and OT layers.

  2. Change Management

    Change Management

    The solution needed to evolve continuously to match current lab team needs, requiring a robust process for implementing changes without disrupting ongoing experiments.

  3. Geographical Dispersion

    Geographical Dispersion

    The need for seamless collaboration between the European technology team (A4BEE) and the US-based laboratory, necessitating efficient remote support protocols.

04

SOLUTION

We delivered a comprehensive Support & Change Management Service designed to operate as an extension of the client's internal team. Moving beyond simple "break-fix" support, we implemented a proactive framework ensuring system health and adaptability.

  • Tiered Support Structure (L1-L3)
    • We established a clear escalation matrix. Tier 1 handles initial troubleshooting and user requests, Tier 2 provides deep technical analysis for specific components, and Tier 3 (SMEs/3rd party vendors) resolves complex infrastructure or code-level issues.
  • Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM)
    • Instead of waiting for failures, we implemented a strategy that monitors the actual condition of assets (hardware and software) to trigger maintenance actions proactively.
  • Automated Monitoring Stack
    • We deployed a robust monitoring architecture using Prometheus (metrics aggregation), Grafana (visualization), and Alertmanager. This system continuously scrapes metrics from Linux/Windows hosts, Docker containers, OPC UA diagnostics, and network connections to detect anomalies instantly.
  • Structured Change Management
    • We introduced a formal Request for Change (RFC) process. This allows for controlled "Regular Changes" (under 8 man-hours) and larger "Work Orders" to be planned, evaluated, and implemented safely, ensuring the Digital Lab evolves with the scientists' needs.

"A Digital Lab is a living organism, not a static monument. By implementing a Condition-Based Maintenance strategy and a transparent Change Management process, we didn't just support the infrastructure—we empowered the scientists to push the boundaries of bioprocessing without worrying about the 'how'. We turned technical complexity into operational reliability."

Paweł Godawa

Service Delivery Manager

Technology used

Prometheus Grafana Alertmanager Docker OPC UA AWS (CloudWatch) Python (Exporters) Loki Promtail Odoo (Ticketing) Microsoft Teams

05

OUTCOME

The implementation of this support framework successfully bridged the gap between advanced digital tools and daily laboratory operations.

  • Proactive Stability
    • The CBM approach allowed for the detection and resolution of potential failures (e.g., performance issues, connection drops) before they impacted lab experiments.
  • Seamless Evolution
    • The RFC process enabled the continuous development of the platform, accommodating new requirements like dashboard modifications or new device integrations (e.g., new Bioreactors or Smart Sensors).
  • Transparent Communication
    • Weekly reviews and monthly reporting on SLAs (Reaction Time) provided full visibility into service performance and system health.

6

IMPLEMENTED SOLUTION

  1. Infrastructure Monitoring

    Infrastructure Monitoring

    Linux/Windows Exporters, SmartCTL (Hard Drives), cAdvisor (Containers).

  2. Connectivity Diagnostics

    Connectivity Diagnostics

    OPC UA Diagnostics and Ping Exporters ensure communication with lab instruments like Smart Pumps and DeltaV systems.

  3. Log Aggregation

    Log Aggregation

    Promtail and Loki collect and compress logs, allowing for rapid root cause analysis.

  4. Visualization & Alerting

    Visualization & Alerting

    Data pushed to Grafana for real-time dashboards and processed by Alertmanager for notifications.

  • 3

    Support Tiers (L1-L3) ensuring specialized attention for every issue

  • 100+

    Monitored parameters across IT and OT assets

  • < 8

    Hours Resolution target for "Regular Changes" to keep the lab agile.

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