How Mobile Workstations Completed a Pharma DCS and MES Upgrade
How ID-Flow 5 mobile workstations put batch and process data at the point of work in pharma cleanrooms.
A pharma manufacturer’s DCS and MES upgrade left operators walking to fixed terminals. ID-Flow 5 mobile workstations brought batch data into the cleanroom.
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A pharmaceutical manufacturer was rolling out a new DCS and MES platform across multiple production sites. The upgrade put more data and more system interactions in operators’ hands, but the access points hadn’t changed, so operators were still walking to fixed terminals at the edge of the cleanroom to do work the new system expected them to do in real time. Kinetic-ID ID-Flow 5 mobile workstations were deployed across production lines to close that gap.
The Challenge
The move to the new DCS and MES platform meant more operator interaction with the system, as batch records, process parameters, in-process checks and corrective actions all now ran through the MES.
The problem was where operators accessed it. The terminals were fixed to walls at the edges of the cleanroom areas while the work happened in the middle of the room, so every time an operator needed to check a batch parameter, confirm a process step or respond to a flag, they had to walk away from the line and the product to do it.
The automation programme was built to put information in the hands of operators in real time, and the fixed terminals made that impossible.
“We were investing in a digital platform but operators were still walking to the wall to use it. That gap had to close.” Automation Programme Lead, pharmaceutical manufacturing site
The Solution
An Emerson Impact Partner delivering the automation programme identified the need for cleanroom-specific mobile carts that would give operators access to batch and process information wherever they were in the cleanroom.
ID-Flow 5 mobile workstations by Kinetic-ID were deployed across production lines at multiple sites. They connected directly into the existing DCS and MES interfaces, with no changes to the automation layer and no new software. Operators kept the same screens, the same workflows and the same system, which was now in front of them instead of across the room.
“The carts came in as part of the automation rollout. They weren't an add-on. They were part of the plan.” Site Operations Manager, pharmaceutical manufacturing site
Before and After
The Outcome
With mobile workstations on the floor, operators had batch and process information wherever they were in the cleanroom. When an issue or flag was raised, they could see it and act on it straight away, without first walking to a terminal.
Putting operations in the hands of operators was the point of the automation programme, and the mobile workstations are what made that work on the production floor.
"By deploying Kinetic-ID carts, our operators now have the batch information available to them wherever they are. When deviations or flags rise, the operators are able to act on those real-time. That improves our production and reduces waste." Production Supervisor, pharmaceutical manufacturing site
Running a DCS or MES automation upgrade?
If your operators are still walking to fixed terminals after the upgrade, the upgrade isn't finished. Talk to the Kinetic-ID life sciences team about bringing the system to the point of work.
Talk to the team
About Kinetic-ID
Kinetic-ID Ltd is a fast-growing Med-Tech company specialising in the design and manufacture of mobile workstations and other powered devices.
Bespoke workstations are built around the realities of your clinical environment, not the other way round. Custom footprints replace existing furniture without adding clutter to crowded bays. Lockable, non-lockable and compact configurations suit every department. Prototyped on site and refined with your staff before manufacture.
