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Improving Lab Ergonomics with Automation

It is essential to discuss the topic of ergonomics in a laboratory setting because it directly impacts an employee’s comfort and productivity levels. When a body has to engage in repetitive movements, it becomes stressed. We believe that when employees are more comfortable, they’re more productive in the workspace that they are in. And so, perhaps it is time to discuss assembly equipment and lab automation equipment.

At a baseline, automation reduces the need for repetitive tasks, so lab employees can focus on the more sophisticated work. In addition to this, we will discuss the effect of ergonomics on employees and how automating specific tasks is a solution to common ergonomic issues faced in a lab.

Repetitive Tasks And Productivity

Repetitive tasks can take a toll on workers both physically and mentally, resulting in reduced levels of productivity, jeopardized quality of product, diminished employee morale, and at times injuries. Essentially, it creates a lose-lose situation for the employee and employer alike, costing the organization a lot of time, money, and resources.

In the professional world, repetitive tasks are one of the biggest Issue that anyone working in a lab faces. It is also the primary reason why most laboratories now prefer laboratory automation across all Industries. Technology as we know it is continuing to advance, and this is true for labs worldwide. So, why not take advantage of it? When you have labs with automation, you create a more desirable working condition for your employees and reduce turnover.

Automation Equipment And The Lab

Here is how automation equipment can help ergonomics in your lab:

You give your employees a chance to remove repetitive tasks from their daily workday, which can be tedious and time-consuming.
Cutting out these tasks also allows workers to avoid physical complications that come with repetitive tasks.
You can enhance employee productivity by removing mentally challenging and monotonous tasks that become tiresome and incredibly boring. When employees do these tasks repeatedly day after day, they pay less attention to the task itself and jeopardize the overall quality of the results.
If you have someone working in your laboratory, chances are, they have a very specialized skill set that should not at all be wasted on tedious tasks. What you need to do is allow them the opportunity to use their skill set to enhance their talents further.

Source- https://retisoft.com/improving-lab-ergonomics-with-automation/

The Difference Between Attended/Throughput and Unattended Process Automation

If you’re planning to employ automation in your place of business, it’s essential that you know your goals with the automation process. That means you’re going to have to understand the difference between attended and unattended process automation.

Knowing this key distinction will go a long way to helping you choose the right equipment for your goals. If you’re confused about the difference, then this article will help you understand everything you need to know about automation software.

Unattended Process Automation

Unattended process automation refers to the type of automation software that doesn’t require staff to constantly oversee operations. Many of us think of this kind of automation when we think of a truly automated process. These systems will vary based on how long they can remain unattended before they need to be checked on.

A system like this aims to free up staff to perform meaningful tasks elsewhere in your facility. It’s a great way to ensure that you’re getting the maximum value from your staff and your equipment in terms of efficiency. Unattended process automation is an excellent way to give your employees as much flexibility as possible.

Designing a system with automation software that you can walk away from takes an expert hand; there are a multitude of variables to account for to ensure that operations continue to run smoothly for an extended period.

Attended/Throughput Automation

Automation systems are designed with process automation software that requires your staff to monitor the equipment for any issues that may arise during the process. The tradeoff for this is typically superior speed in throughput. This type of process automation software allows you to perform the most work in the shortest amount of time.

The specifications typically don’t need to be quite as stringent when you’re using throughput/attended style automation; you’ll have staff monitoring the equipment, so a bit of leeway is much more acceptable than in a walk-away scenario. Speed is the name of the game when you’re using this type of robotic process automation software, and you’ll be able to achieve a very high level of productivity.

Source: https://retisoft.com/the-difference-between-attended-throughput-and-unattended-process-automation/

Boosting Flexibility and Scalability with Automated Equipment

Automation technology is advancing at a rapid rate, and more and more laboratories are adopting it to enhance their productivity and efficiency.

Assembly equipment (automated work cell) is being used by laboratories to achieve new levels of throughput and significantly increase their experiments’ reproducibility. With the use of such technology, workflow is optimized in multiple areas of the lab.

As with anything, there can be certain obstacles that laboratory management face when implementing lab automation robots into their existing systems. This is to be expected, and it can easily be mitigated by addressing the concerns directly.

Early automated systems were focused on increasing the speed and capacity of work. They focused on a single task and performed it over and over again to its highest capabilities. It was initially difficult to get one piece of lab automation equipment to cover a range of tasks. Fast forward to the modern-day, and the latest, most advanced assembly equipment is able to work with more flexibility to meet the demands of the lab.

Lab automation robots can easily be re-designed or adjusted to address the specific demands of a particular lab. They can be reconfigured to perform a range of tasks that contribute to enhanced workflow and efficiency.

The use of automation in the lab reduces the need for staff members to perform repetitive tasks that can easily be done using robots. For example, mixing solutions and pipetting samples or analyzing large sets of data from previous experiments are all tasks that require a lot of time and energy for humans to perform.

However, an automated robot can complete the above tasks at a faster pace and with higher accuracy and precision. This leaves more time for the laboratory staff to work elsewhere in the lab on tasks that require a higher level of skill and thought.

Source: https://retisoft.com/boosting-flexibility-and-scalability-with-automated-equipment/

How Resource Scheduling Boosts Lab Performance

Resource scheduling via automation software can enhance performance in the laboratory environment where the focus is on the analysis of samples, tissues, and various solutions. Process automation software can also benefit laboratories that focus on medical or scientific research, animal testing, agriculture, and production processes (such as CRO, CMO, and CDMO).

Although each of these industries varies substantially, the common denominator amongst all of these lab environments is the need to meet the demands of customers, businesses, or suppliers. In order to be successful, labs need to complete their tasks in the quickest time possible without compromising the quality of the work, as their business is closely linked to overall revenue and profits. The use of automate scheduling software can enhance efficiency in the lab to help companies meet their goals and demands, and maximize income.

Lab managers are always looking for improved and more sophisticated methods of analyzing results and reporting them to the relevant individuals. By implementing process automation software, iterative tasks can be completed efficiently and with high accuracy, allowing workers to focus their time and efforts elsewhere in the lab. Analytical results and data can, therefore, be interpreted and relayed to customers and clients quickly.

Resource scheduling via automated scheduling software can help the lab maintain a strong and positive relationship with their customers and clients. When work is completed to a high standard within the given timeframe, customer satisfaction is high and they are likely to become returning clients.

Customer requests are often unique and requests are never standardized. This adds an extra layer of complexity to lab processes, and may make it harder for labs to meet the demands of their contract. Whether the new contract differs in time constraints, technical complexity, or a combination of both, laboratory managers must assess how to adjust the workload to meet the contractual obligations each time.

Source: https://retisoft.com/how-resource-scheduling-boosts-lab-performance/

The Reality of Lab Automation Costs

The past 18 months has been a unique experience for every business, and it has caused many companies to reassess the way they do work, (on site Vs. at home) possibly utilizing automation equipment. The term essential worker and essential work has become a common vernacular. Due to decreased staffing or the need to reduce on-site staff, many research organizations are assessing or re-evaluating the need and implementation of lab automation equipment for their processes. Whether you perform high throughput COVID-19 testing or you are performing some other type of research testing; significant cost, time, throughput, and quality can be achieved with the use of lab automation robots.

Purchasing Lab Automation Equipment

The prospect of purchasing and implementing lab automation equipment and systems for part or all your laboratory processes can seem daunting and expensive. But today’s lab automation robots can perform routine repetitive tasks faster and with fewer errors creating greater productivity. Also, automation equipment technology has developed greatly over the past 10 years, resulting in lab management having a wider variety of choices for what processes they want to automate and how much they are willing to pay. For example, the range of automation equipment costs for a robotic liquid handler can vary from as little as $5,000 up to $500,000.

The cost will typically depend on your specific needs and functionality. If you are only wanting to perform some automated liquid handling to a few test tubes to a couple of dozen plates, and throughput is not an issue, then an inexpensive benchtop automation equipment (liquid handler) may be the right tool for you. If you need higher throughput, automatic barcode scanning, plate and tip box movement, or any other off instrument processing or functionality, then you will typically be in the $70K to $300K (or more) range for a liquid handler.

When considering larger, fully integrated lab automation equipment or lab automation robots, (systems with robotic plate movers, plate storage, multiple automation equipment and instruments along with lab automation scheduling software), there is a great deal more to consider. These lab automation robotic systems require careful and thoughtful planning as capital equipment costs can soar along with year-to-year expenditures. A small, automated robot system can cost in the $100K to $300K range. Larger more complex Lab automation systems can easily go into $1MM or greater range.

Source: https://retisoft.com/the-reality-of-lab-automation-costs/

The Right Process Automation Technology for Your Company

All medical labs share a few common goals and requirements. They all need accuracy and efficiency, in order to maintain the throughput demands of their users and clients. They need to maximize every aspect of the process to achieve results that compete with industry standards. And yet, there are enough variables that give each lab its own particular details that must be considered, in order to meet its goals. Process automation solutions are the most important component of this mission.

Automation equipment manufacturers will all present their respective products as the correct solution for every lab’s requirements. How will you make informed choices when it comes time for smart, well-reasoned capital expenditure? Let’s consider some factors in this decision-making process.

Selecting the right process automation solutions for your laboratory requirements begins with identifying your expected outcome. You’ll want speed and accuracy, of course. But each automated solution must be designed to accommodate your particular science and space availability.

Source: https://retisoft.com/the-right-process-automation-technology-for-your-company/