Creating a truly paperless laboratory

Solutia Pharmaceutical Services Division has achieved the much talked of but rarely achieved paperless environment for the analytical laboratories of its subsidiary company, CarboGen, which are based in three different locations in Switzerland.

The whole process was completed remarkably quickly, according to Ulf Fuchslueger, group manager for Analytical Services at CarboGen. "The decision to create a paperless Lims was made in June 2001 and, once the finances were approved, the project began in earnest in September 2001 and finished in June 2002".

The Lims is based largely on Applied Biosystems' SQL*Lims software, chosen after a lengthy evaluation process as the best solution for CarboGen's requirements.

Fuchslueger explained: "The most important factor for us was flexibility because we work in the early phases of pharmaceutical development where compounds and materials are changing all the time. "Secondly, we must comply with many regulatory requirements in this field and they are dealt with very easily by SQL*Lims software".

The three different sites all run from one server, allowing easy access and transfer of projects and information between colleagues.

All analytical instruments, from balances to chromatographic datasystems and NMR systems, are fully integrated so that all analytical data generated is automatically imported into the system.

However, for CarboGen's customers there is an even greater advantage because the new system allows direct and secured internet access to the analytical data generated for them by CarboGen. Fuchslueger concluded: "Training was a big issue and good functional support, both from Applied Biosystems and our own internal group, was essential.

"Some people had reservations but everyone was willing to learn - even though some were quicker than others.

Overall, I think most people have been amazed at what we have achieved in such a short time."