Purpose: The current system was labor intensive and required that all processes be re-checked for accuracy prior to data release. Automation reduces transcription errors, increases productivity, enhancing data quality and accelerates result delivery. Faster turnaround translates into faster product release, longer shelf-life and cost savings.
Methods: The microbiology laboratory leveraged the automated VIDAS system to test for Listeria spp., Salmonella spp. and E. coli 0157:H7 on various sample types. Prior to the automation, the manual steps of loading the sample IDs, scanning the print outs from the instruments and then entering the data into reports with secondary review required 40-45 min per batch of 60 samples. This time has been reduced to only 5 min for report review. Since the plants now email sample submittal forms, the data is received by the laboratory data management system called TITAN® (Accelerated Technology Laboratories, Inc., West End, NC.) and parsed and ready to receive the samples. Once the samples are loaded on the VIDAS instrument to match the worklist from TITAN®, they are run, the data is sent back to the data management solution and the final analysis report is completed automatically.
Results: The primary enhancements are enhanced data quality and significant time savings. The automation has saved 35-40 min of work per batch (a batch contains 60 samples), and a typical day includes 10-12 batches or up to 720 test results/day. Conservatively, if we use 35 min per batch, and 10 batches per day, the time savings are in the range of 5.83 hours/day.
Significance: The major significance of this automation project is the unrivaled speed, accuracy and cost savings of the integrated automation solution.