Supporting R&D in the Packaging Industry with an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN)

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1 Case Study Supporting R&D in the Packaging Industry with an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) The global packaging industry is under increasing pressure to innovate, and is turning to software as a lever to increase R&D productivity and reduce costs. Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELNs) have been used extensively in R&D in the Life Sciences industry and are now being developed for a wide range of other industries. The KineMatik clients in this case study were eager to support R&D collaboration and increase speed to market. They also generated a large number of patents and needed an efficient way to manage their intellectual property. Packaging companies are investing in ELNs to save time in R&D and reduce costs. In recent years ELNs have been developed to support a wide range of industries and different types of research. In parallel, industries such as Packaging, Chemicals and Food & Beverage have been exploring ways to increase R&D efficiency and protect intellectual property. There has been significant interest in ELNs as a tool for saving research time in designing experiments and sharing knowledge across global research sites or generations of researchers. As regulations have also increased, the value of ELNs as a tool for ensuring compliance has also been recognised. Although there are ELNs that are designed for heavily regulated industries like Life Sciences, one of the challenges for the Packaging Industry was to find an ELN that worked the way their research teams do in a highly competitive and fast moving industry.

2 For Packaging Industry clients, it was essential that the ELN would quickly make a difference to their everyday research tasks. Although we were trying to standardize our processes and knew that the ELN could help with process standardization, the ELN s core role was to help us get products to market faster and get the research right first time explained one client. W e don t have years to develop products. Our customers in Consumer Packaged Goods expect innovations in months. Most ELN customers decided to invest time up front defining what they really need rather than looking at what is on offer. We figured we d get distracted by all the bells and whistles and what we really needed were a few key functions noted another ELN customer. During the implementation phase, this focus on key functions proved an advantage again as explaining how the ELN would work and getting user buy in was easier than expected. ELN Project Teams - picking the ELN functions that mattered: Having explored the standard benefits offered by ELNs and how they are used in other industries, the ELN project teams then defined what was key for their ELN. Typically the key features on their lists included: Straightforward tools the whole team could use e.g. R&D, Analytical Sciences, Polymer scientists & engineers, Pilot and Manufacturing plants, IP & Legal etc. Option to extend the ELN for specific functions as needed e.g. addition of a chemistry or biology module for select users only Focus on gaining time on their most time consuming tasks: designing experiments and writing up experiments, searching for similar research and knowledge sharing Ability to be used by overseas colleagues and have real-time data for collaborating and reporting Capacity to roll it out quickly i.e. within months due to the fast moving nature of the business. Needed training to be staged so most users could get started quickly The need for an ELN that the business could work with, not just for R&D colleagues, was a re-current theme. For example, for a client making significant investments in metal replacement, it s essential that the Engineering team

3 are as enthusiastic about the ELN as a tool for collaboration. For another organization, it was essential that Analytical colleagues were able to work with R&D s database of more sophisticated Melt Flow tests on recycled materials. Across many industries, this time saved on documentation and witnessing is consistently highlighted as one the big gains from In the competitive Packaging industry, intellectual property protection is vital having the ELN. and in such a fast moving environment, it was critical that the ELN had the tools for researchers to quickly document and witness their work. We realized how much time it was taking to sign and witness. We could see what our competitors were launching and we knew we had to protect our work as early as possible. This was a big reason for accepting the ELN we could all see how much time it would save with documentation, witnessing and signing said one manager of a research team. Across many industries, this time saved on documentation and witnessing is consistently highlighted as one the big gains from having the ELN. In addition, several clients identified a clear need to have a collaborative tool for review of data when several teams were working together on a research project. They needed a system and workflows that could enable and automatically manage all of these interactions. Another factor that the ELN has helped them handle is the increase in regulations, whether it s on approved raw materials or corporate sustainability targets. With different regulations in place in key markets, researchers benefit from the ELN s ability to highlight for example, which materials or tolerances are permitted for barrier packaging in which markets. Fast implementation matters W e could see the complexity increasing in key markets and there s no doubt the ELN has been a huge help to us said one client. However, I think we also worked hard getting it right so that it would adapt to what we needed. The client focused on the implementation phase as one where a lot of work would be required from their team and they wanted to get it right from the start. However business as usual needed to keep pace and they didn t have months

4 to invest in getting the ELN installed. Their solution was to target a rapid rollout by keeping familiar tasks, form layouts and workflows and then doing small doses of follow up training as users became more experienced. Having worked with the ELN now for periods ranging from 12 months to 4 years, these clients find it hard to go back to previous spreadsheet and word processing packages, manually signing and scanning experiments. The days of searching through numerous storage areas and dealing with inconsistent naming and classification are over. I don t know how we managed it before said one client, we ve saved a huge amount of time with the ELN and I ve no doubt our data is more secure than it was before. What impact can ELNs have on the Packaging industry? In practice, the ELNs have saved clients more time than expected but a major benefit has been knowledge sharing and collaboration, being able to search for similar research and then discuss and re-use it. Examples of the benefits of ELNs include: Time saved by having a searchable database and re-using experimental data Time saved on experiment signing and witnessing Knowledge sharing and retention across global research groups and over time as researchers join and leave the organization Compliance with regulations and Intellectual Property guidelines Audit trails, version control and automatic back ups Improved visibility of projects and budgets Faster and easier reporting Improved quality and legibility of documentation Examples of the benefits o f E L N s i n c l u d e knowledge sharing across global research groups and over time as researchers join and leave the organization. For researchers and the cross functional teams that work with them, today s ELNs are an essential tool for developing products faster and more cost effec-

5 the non quantifiable business benefits include better collaboration, better understanding and probably better science. Case Study: Packaging About KineMatik: With almost 15 years experience in the ELN industry, KineMatik understands how research is evolving and the challenges facing researchers. The KineMatik ELN has been designed for the way researchers work today and is trusted by clients in a wide range of global industries, including the Packaging Industry. If you would like more information on KineMatik solutions for your business or to discuss how we can help you please contact us at