When life science organizations adopt new technologies for their laboratories, there are many challenges to address. Different department leaders from IT, facilities, and lab operations must reach compromises to meet varying requirements. As departments deliberate, they take time and resources away from primary job functions. In addition, implementing, learning and managing a new technology often creates ongoing obstacles to address, resulting in the system being abandoned by end users. In any event, companies that want to remain innovative and competitive must look to digital transformation to ensure they do not fall behind.

XiltriX implements and proactively maintains a robust, real-time laboratory monitoring solution for life science organizations. Utilizing state-of-the-art sensors, industrial grade hardware, and secure cloud-based software, XiltriX provides 24/7 monitoring for all laboratory equipment, environmental parameters and pertinent building systems. The XiltriX Safety Net team of monitoring experts work side by side with customers every step of the way to alleviate the burden of implementing and maintaining a robust monitoring system, enabling employees to focus on important, science-based tasks.

Implementation Roadmap

Prior to implementing a new technology solution, it is important to determine whether there will be any downtime to existing operations due to installation and implementation. Additionally, any internal support that must be allocated to the implementation, as well as any ongoing management of a system, can consume significant resources over time and create hidden costs.  It is important to take these operational expenditures into consideration when initially vetting solutions to determine a reasonable return on investment (ROI) over a 3 to 5 year period.

Integration with existing systems and processes requires focused consideration when choosing a new technology solution. Flexible solutions that seamlessly integrate with current systems and grow with future needs provide significantly more value over time than solutions that are decentralized and difficult to integrate, configure, and customize. In order to ensure that all aspects prior to implementation are covered and accounted for, it is important to identify service or solution providers that assist in the creation of an implementation roadmap. Developing an implementation strategy prior to an install is a value-added benefit that helps organize the disparate departments involved and establishes accountability for deliverables between providers and customers.

With no operational downtime, installing and implementing XiltriX is an easy process to safeguard laboratory assets and equipment. XiltriX is designed with an open API architecture that allows for complete customization and integration with the latest technologies. The XiltriX implementation team is available to assist in every step of the process. They help ensure that any necessary integrations are properly addressed and all system configurations: alarm limits, user-based access, automated reporting, etc. are managed prior to implementation.  In addition, the XiltriX Safety Net team works with customers to customize and optimize the lab monitoring system as an organization’s needs evolve.

Implementation

Implementing monitoring hardware on existing lab devices and other facility areas requires attention to detail and consideration of best practices. Different devices need various sensors and probes installed in specific areas. Most monitoring hardware and sensors either need to be mounted or installed directly on devices, inside devices, or on nearby walls. A professional installation will ensure that best practices are followed and each device is properly monitored without interfering with daily operations.

Since every laboratory facility is different, the XiltriX solution’s modular and scalable design has many options for implementation and system configuration. XiltriX helps determine the best possible implementation option based on laboratory layouts, designs, and operations, as well as the availability of different communication or network ports. XiltriX substation communications can be through a serial RS-485, a wireless 915 MHz radio frequency or directly via a TCP/IP network port. All communication options can be integrated to create hybrid systems in order to offer the best option for every area of a facility.

Information Technology (IT)

Due to the fact that the IT department at most organizations carries significant responsibility when implementing new technology solutions, it is important to ensure that all areas for a successful implementation are accounted for. Detailed diagrams of architectural overviews and IT questionnaires help organize processes and procedures. These preliminary steps serve to ensure that there are no glaring oversights and help cover all aspects of IT implementations.

Since it is increasingly more common for organizations to have less interest in operating and maintaining on-site servers and databases for lab monitoring, XiltriX offers full-service management of a flexible lab monitoring system and secure, cloud-based software. XiltriX installs, configures, and manages the system to alleviate the burden of allocating internal employee’s time spent monitoring lab equipment and facility conditions.

XiltriX can provide custom, high-level architecture overview diagrams, process flow charts, and any other necessary documentation for total transparency with an organization’s IT department. The XiltriX solution does not require complex configuration or dedicated internal support from IT operations.

Security

Monitoring is meant to provide an added layer of security for valuable assets, equipment and samples, and since protecting Intellectual Property (IP) is one of the most important aspects for any organization, security measures and failover capabilities are necessary for equipment and facility monitoring systems. Monitoring solutions that have detailed security measures, failover capabilities and disaster recovery plans are vital to ensure that the system will continue to provide entrusted protection when any adverse issues occur.

XiltriX servers are stored in a Tier III data center equipped with fully redundant power and internet connectivity, as well as automatic failover capabilities in case of any catastrophes. In the event of local VPN/firewall issues, a secondary VPN/firewall is installed to automatically take over. If there is a catastrophic server failure, there are pre-installed servers in place ready to take control. The application continuously backs up data to multiple network locations and all data is easily recovered to ensure the complete solution is up and running.

XiltriX Saturn software is developed with “security by design” and includes testing for common security vulnerabilities. The system is designed with multiple layers of redundancy for added security. All XiltriX hardware substations are equipped with a built-in, 48-hour backup battery to protect against power outages and continue to securely gather data in any event. This flexibility, scalability, and reliability makes the XiltriX monitoring solution a superior option when considering overall security with a monitoring system.

To learn more about how XiltriX can ensure your critical assets and equipment are protected 24/7/365, schedule a free lab consultation with one of our experts.