The benefits of a paperless scenario
The implementation of a middleware like Ioi can be the first step towards digitization. Its simple Ioi – Integration of instruments and management makes it the the ideal starting point to achieve concrete results without the complexity of projects such as ERP, LIMS or ELN. At the same time, however, Ioi does not replace these systems, but rather gives its best when it is placed between laboratory instruments and a LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System). Using Ioi, users have the opportunity to become familiar with IT systems and better understand the potential and the critical issues of these ones, preparing themselves for more challenging projects and for the eventual achievement of a completely digitized scenario. An investment in a middleware is fully recovered in the case of LIMS or ELN projects, in fact it will be sufficient to interface these systems with the middleware, instead of providing a tool.
Moreover, as analyzed in the case study of a pharmaceutical laboratory, from the first months of use of Ioi it was found a significant reduction of time and cost of managing paper material (receipts, logbook and analytical sheets), going from 21 to 11 minutes for managing the receipt of a measure of a simple instrument.
Since Ioi supports the attribution of the measure and the electronic signature, it’s possible to eliminate forever the printed receipt, otherwise necessary to be able to sign it as a counter-proof of the revision and an approval of the measure.
In summary, we can imagine the benefits of the possibility to carry out all the measurements without having to manipulate receipts, to consult measurements, metadata and related data (such as daily checks and instrument diaries) from any kind of locations and through authomatic research in a decentralized database. Mantaining a system with the same credentials for accessing the network, with backup by IT, date and time synchronized with the network.
The alternatives
Some middleware alternatives are available, but they’re usually proprietary: it means that they interface only with the tools of the supplier that developed them. So to cover all the tools it would be necessary to implement different middleware, each with its own set of usage procedures, data backup, user administration and related training.
Ioi has no instrumet’s brand or model limits, as long as the instruments are able to generate a receipt.
Our suggestion
If you have any savings in this year’s budget, get Ioi approved for the tools that have Data Integrity gaps. You will have the elements to estimate the number of receipts saved, the time saved for each receipt and the other benefits of digitization.
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