With the advent of cloud technology and increased connectivity of internet-connected devices, the usage model for IT applications and resources has also changed in order to make the most of all the facilities brought by these new technologies. Software that is hosted in the cloud allows its users to benefit from all the advantages that the internet offers.
Of course, there are many benefits that could be listed here. But among the main ones, it is worth mentioning the increased scalability, security, cost efficiency, agility, and mobility. For a better management of laboratories and, in the case of companies, areas responsible for quality control, ensuring a work tool that brings these facilities means creating a strategic vision of quality as a determining factor and essential to the operation.
But first of all, have you heard about the concept of cloud computing?
Cloud computing is a technology for delivering IT services and resources over the Internet, accessible anytime, from anywhere. In other words, these services are hosted in the cloud, managed by cloud service providers, and accessed by users via a network-connected device. This differs from the traditional computing model, the so-called on-premise services (with their own infrastructure), which require the installation, management, and maintenance of software and hardware applications by the user himself (either on his computer or on a local server)
We can say, then, that in cloud-based services, the infrastructure required and the configuration of the application environment are on the solution provider’s side, and not on the enterprise’s side. And as we have already mentioned, by hosting these services on the network, and thus making use of the connectivity and large scale of the Internet, cloud computing allows the user to access this system from any device connected to the network, without having to worry about a specific device or type of operating system installed.
You have probably used or at least know about these types of cloud-hosted services. Some of the most popular are Google services (Gmail, Google Drive, etc.), Netflix and Spotify, among many others. These are services that are accessed over the internet, without the need for installation in a local directory. This is because the services are hosted virtually in the cloud – which in reality means that they are physically hosted in the servers and data centers (datacenters) of large cloud providers such as Microsoft Azure. Thus, the services are made available over the Internet in a way that is easy and straightforward for users.
Well, given this introduction, then comes the question…
How can cloud-hosted software benefit lab operations and quality control areas?
The use of cloud-hosted software actually benefits enterprises and businesses of all kinds, from all industries. For these users, using a cloud-based program means enjoying the facilities offered by networking, i.e., the digital, pervasive nature of the Internet. The same is true for laboratories and quality control areas if they opt for cloud-hosted software such as Labinfy. To understand these benefits in more concrete terms, we have listed 5 key advantages below:
1) Greater SCALABILITY, to expand usage as your operations grow
This is because you do not have to worry about installing, managing and maintaining software that is hosted in the cloud. This means that users of these services only need a network-connected device to be able to access such software online, which makes the whole usage process much easier. You can have 1, 10 or 1000 users accessing the tool remotely and simultaneously, without having to invest in large hardware structures (infrastructure) and offering a better experience to the end user.
Laboratories and quality control departments that are expanding their operations don’t have to worry about increasing their infrastructure at the same time. For example, companies that use Labinfy and want to increase the number of samples and analyses can do so in a few clicks. Your investment will therefore be in adapting the platform to your main needs. In other words, it is much easier for labs and quality areas to grow, making the process more scalable
2) Increased data SECURITY for your analyses and reports
For those who have ever used on-premise software, installed on the computer or local server itself, you’ve probably had to worry about performing a backup of your data on an external HD or even in the cloud, to avoid the unpleasant situation of data loss due to hardware problems. And when it happens that you lose your data without having an up-to-date backup, the problem often becomes irreversible. With the use of cloud-hosted software, this concern is considerably reduced.
This is because the leading cloud providers in the market are also among the largest technology and IT service providers in the world, offering effective security, backup, and data protection mechanisms that give their users greater reliability. Moreover, these mechanisms also meet official regulatory standards, such as the General Law of Personal Data Protection (LGPD) and ISO guidelines, which directly impact this issue. For laboratories and quality areas, this means greater security for their information on analyses and reports performed daily.
3) Greater cost-efficiency for your company
As we said earlier, when making use of cloud-hosted software, you do not have to worry directly about its installation, management, and maintenance, since this is offered by the server providers. This means that users of these systems only access the service through a device that connects to the Internet, not having to invest in a large infrastructure that supports such software (servers, memory space, etc.). So your technical IT and support teams can focus on other strategic, non-operational issues.
You won’t have to spend as much time on operations such as software updates, since they are done by the solution provider and automatically made available to all users. For laboratories and quality control areas, this reduces the investment in hardware infrastructure and also the maintenance costs of internal management – in other words, it increases your company’s cost efficiency.
4) Greater MOBILITY in process management and execution
One of the main advantages of adopting cloud-hosted software such as Labinfy is that it can be accessed via an Internet connection. This means that the user does not need to make use of a specific computer, or have to be physically close to a local server. Instead, all he needs is an internet browser through which he can access the link that directs him to the web page of the service he is using. This web browser (e.g. Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) can be installed on your computer, laptop, cell phone, tablet or any network connected device
For laboratories and quality areas, this is a key advantage, as it provides greater mobility to your operation, since you can access the system anytime, anywhere, from any web-connected device. In practical terms, this allows you to digitize processes, automate routines, and reduce the need for manual labor. Many modern laboratories already access tablet systems to register analysis requests, decrease response time to customers, and make the receipt of raw materials into the yard more efficient with more effective communication of the sampling process.
5) Increased AGILITY and SPEED of information
The last benefit we would like to highlight here is closely linked to the previous one. In this case, the greater mobility of operations offered by using cloud-hosted software also results in greater agility and speed of information. This is because the user has much faster access to the system, since he can access it immediately from his cell phone or tablet, for example, wherever he is, and not having to resort to a specific computer. Thus, decision making also ends up becoming much faster and more effective, since it accompanies the actions and occurrences of a laboratory or factory in real time. This is also fundamental for this type of industry, since agility is fundamental to respect the safety of chemical and nutritional samples, and thus ensure their validity and quality.
- Additionally, the greater mobility and agility in the use of these cloud systems similar to Labinfy also lead to another major advantage that deserves to be highlighted: that of greater collaboration and integration between areas of the company. This is because employees from different sectors, once granted access, can check and inform themselves about analyses made and reports issued, always seeing their most updated versions, from any device connected to the network. Thus, laboratories and quality control areas ensure that all their departments are aligned and on the same page regarding the company’s operations and products, avoiding mismatches of information. All this contributes to the company’s growth and, consequently, to its increased profits
But then, a question may arise:
How do I migrate from my current system to cloud-hosted software?
For many laboratories and companies, this is perhaps one of the biggest fears and doubts when they encounter a quality management system different from the one they are used to using. In fact, worrying about the transition process from a legacy system to a cloud system is pertinent for users and operators of this service. There are many factors to consider in this process, some that go beyond the software in question. It is also about checking how the current data is organized, how much time would be available to make such a transition, evaluating the preparedness of the staff to ensure that everyone would know how to use the new system, among many other reasons.
But with all these points in mind, and aware that any transition process between systems requires preparation and organization, what we do know is that cloud solutions give the flexibility for better data management. Solutions like Labinfy allow you to import your entire laboratory environment and analytical processes to speed up the initial use and have no operational interruptions. This is done by mechanisms that facilitate this process of importing information from more traditional models to the cloud software (for example, by an Excel spreadsheet import mechanism or even via API). Equally possible is the export of this information from the cloud software through these same mechanisms. Moreover, in Optimal’s case, our customers have a customer success team that helps in this transition and participates in the whole migration process, making the process as smooth as possible
Get more scalability, security, cost efficiency, agility, and mobility in your quality control process
Today, more than ever, it is known the fundamental and indispensable importance of the quality control process for the production chain. More aware consumers and an increasingly competitive market make this stage one of the most demanded from the point of view of quality and efficiency. The advent of cloud technology and the greater connectivity of internet-connected devices have brought new possibilities and facilities to the industry, one of them being the use of cloud-hosted software like Labinfy. Since this software can be accessed from any network-connected device at any time, easily and directly to users, the process of sample analysis and quality control becomes much easier and more complete. For laboratories and quality areas, this translates into increased scalability, security, cost efficiency, agility, and mobility of their operations.
