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Better, cheaper, faster. The goals of most Food and Beverage manufacturers are driven by these demands. Frequent product changeovers, mega-retailer pressure, product variability and increasing regulatory demands dominate the industry. All while intense competition applies pressure to lower costs and increase throughput across your organization. 

Risks and costs associated with quality and safety have risen dramatically in recent years and as a food or beverage manufacturer, your organization must ensure that operations throughout the supply chain are in control and in compliance with industry regulations and standards.  Emphasis is on regulatory compliance (GMP, GLP, HACCP, CODEX, 21CFR Part 11, etc.), validation status, traceability, sample identification and tracking, documented and insured corrective actions, established and controlled methodology, reproducibility, and accountability. 
 

With the need for innovative solutions that enable companies to become more lean and agile, companies are investing in solutions that:

  • Focus on better tracking and tracing throughout the entire supply chain
  • Offer cost effective production management capabilities
  • Improve quality and safety
  • Allow for flexible and responsive testing protocol
  • Monitor and improve processes
  • Document a historical record of compliance with internal and external standards and regulations
  • Collect and disseminate test and standards data from and to all parts of the enterprise
  • Ensure that vital process data and final product tests are being captured and provided to those that require the information to make informed decisions in real time

In order to assure the quality of products, optimize the efficiency and throughput of continuous processes, and comply with governmental product and safety standards, companies in the food and beverage industries must control their processes with rigorous testing and real-time monitoring. A key component in this effort is employing Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) that afford:

  • Ease of configuration and integration with laboratory equipment to increase productivity
  • Compliance with regulatory requirements, HACCP, Codex and full support of CFR 21 part 11
  • Remote access to view data, trends or the ability to log in samples from a remote site
  • Monitor and report processes in real-time
  • Flexible solutions that are built on proven technology that is fully scalable
  • Ability to integrate multiple locations (remote laboratories) into a single database

In addition, industrial LIMS are an important component of a comprehensive quality management solution that often includes Process Information Management Systems (PIMS), Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Together, these systems continuously monitor and control production processes, however the LIMS – which stores product quality data – generally operates independent of the other systems. Therein lies the challenge.  Companies contend with two separate islands of information, resulting in inefficient data management and decision-making.  Today, food and beverage companies need a LIMS with greater flexibility and ability to meet the needs of the broader organization. An ideal LIMS is one that serves as an integrated platform capable of supporting key enterprise processes and systems. Enterprise LIMS include XML web services for open communication with lab and enterprise applications, and client/server functionality for greater access to information and insight into data across the organization.

Specifically developed for enterprise deployments, Thermo Scientific’s Nautilus LIMS™ and SampleManager LIMS™ are the LIMS of choice for many food and beverage companies around the world. They can be implemented in one or multiple instances, are scalable for a large user base, and are available in multiple languages. In addition, they are flexible and configurable to accommodate various workflows, lab types and user communities across the enterprise. Both Nautilus and SampleManager integrate easily with other applications and instruments in and out of the lab, providing one standard user-interface and helps companies enforce process standardization across multiple labs.

Thermo Scientific’s LIMS include a web browser interface for remote sample login, data access and reporting. Secure access to the LIMS data is available for laboratory staff, remote users and external customers.  The web services interface allows the LIMS to be delivered as a network service that can be integrated using common Internet standards, such as ASP, XML, SOAP and HTTP. These industry standard tools help dramatically simplify and reduce the costs of integrating your LIMS with other laboratory and business systems, including PIMS, MES and ERP solutions.

Lower Total Cost of Ownership
A global solution helps reduce the total cost of ownership. An independent study, commissioned by Thermo Scientific, confirms this. Enterprise LIMS reduce costs by centralizing and consolidating IT and technical support personnel. With one solution, departments can develop more knowledge of a particular LIMS to identify and solve problems faster, even anticipate them before they occur. This frees staff to focus on business activities.  An enterprise LIMS reduces downtime and increases productivity for the end-user. Lower costs are also achieved in the areas of implementation, systems integration, upgrades, application development and training. In addition, standardization streamlines vendor relationships and improves purchasing power.

Ensure Product Quality and Avoid Delays
With an enterprise LIMS, companies can spot trends and monitor product quality more quickly and easily, dramatically improving their overall quality control process. An integrated approach results in better data flow, less redundant data and virtually no transcription errors and increased laboratory efficiency – all while maintaining the highest quality standards. Duplicate data and manual entry of sample requests and testing parameters are eliminated through instrument integration. Nautilus and SampleManager help to ensure accurate data flow between the lab and the rest of the organization. Having that data available to managers and decision-makers organization-wide leads to faster, data-driven business decision-making.

In Good Company
Here’s a “sampling” of food and beverage customers who count on Nautilus and SampleManager: Bacardi, Coca Cola, Bulmers, Kellog company of Great Britain, Kerry ingredients, Muller Dairies, Nestle Waters, Purac, Sara Lee, Scottish Courage, South African Sugar and Quaker Oats.