The Southem African Institute o[millillg and!i1etallurgy Diamonds - Source to Use 2007 Presenter's Name: Selby Winter Masllkll.

Transcription

1

2 The Southem African Institute o[millillg and!i1etallurgy Diamonds - Source to Use 2007 Presenter's Name: Selby Winter Masllkll LIMS Benefits Authors: Shohana Seeripat*, Selby Winter Masuku* * LabWare Africa (pty) Ltd The authors thank De Beers for permission to publish this paper. Synopsis De Beers, a world-class diamond company with unrivalled skills in mining, sorting, evaluation and marketing of diamonds required a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) to provide fast, reliable results on exploration samples processed in their global laboratories. LIMS replaced the multiple, disparate systems that existed across the global laboratories and eventually reduced the number of systems from 15 to 3. This standardisation resulted in decreased data manipulation demonstrating a savings of approximately 20 man-days per month on consolidated laboratory reporting. By facilitating global reporting across all the laboratories, critical results and sample data are now readily available to key decision-makers enabling them to make timely, informed decisions. Of equal importance was the requirement to track samples from the time they were received by the laboratory until they were finally exported and, given the precious nature of the samples, the ability to guarantee the integrity of the samples and ensure that they remained uncompromised at all times. LIMS provided a sample tracking solution that recorded a chain of custody from sample receipt to export. The multiple levels of data security required was handled by providing users with profiles that grant them access only to information they are authorised to view. This ensures that critical business information is not released to unauthorised individuals. Together with the customised, user-friendly front-ends, the process improvements that were a by-product of the implementation, and the knowledge transfer methodology that was employed during the implementation, the LIMS has succeeded in bringing benefit to De Beers. Background The investigation for a LIMS was driven by the need to find a top-class geological support system that would shorten the sample cycle and ensure faster turnaround times at laboratories while providing accurate and reliable results. While there were several systems in place at the various laboratories or facilities, with some facilities having multiple systems, there were no process and system application standards across the global De Beers' laboratories. Systems and data structures had been built to satisfy internal needs and did not support the global integrated approach that was required. Many man-hours had to be spent on system updates and improvements on the multiple systems which was a waste of valuable resources. There was no cohesion between ventures and laboratories and several divergent systems were developed. Sites like India and Botswana had "paper systems", i.e. no deployment of technology, making it almost Page 1

3 The Soutltern Africall IlIstitute of Milling alld Metallurgy Diamollds - Source to Use 2007 Presenter's Name: Selby Willter Masllkll impossible to get any infonnative data from these sites. These factors contributed greatly to the inability to report globally, to track samples or to perfonn capacity planning across the De Beers laboratories. In the search for a suitable system, 117 LIMS companies were short-listed to provide a solution to address the requirements. LabWare LIMS was selected as the preferred system and in April 2003 the pilot implementation began at Kimberley. LIMS was then rolled-out to facilities in Africa, India, Australia, Canada and Brazil. In areas where a roll-out was not appropriate due to the differences in operation, a scoping exercise was undertaken for the unique facility before configuration commenced. LIMS Benefits 1. Sample Tracking One of the key benefits LIMS has provided is the ability to track samples from the time of arrival in a shipping container or any other primary container with unprocessed material all the way through the various processes up to the final exported samples. More importantly, the chain of custody of every sample through the various processes is recorded making it possible to locate a sample and confinn its status at any point in time. This feature allows laboratory managers to prioritise and forecast the workload over a period of time and ultimately facilitates capacity planning in the long tenn. The sample tracking system also prevents samples being put through unnecessary/incorrect processes. In many laboratories the tracking system ensures that samples are processed according to the requirements stipulated in the Service Level Agreements eliminating the need for any manual intervention by the plant supervisors thus saving valuable time. 2. Sample Security At the macro diamond facility LIMS validates the container and seal on every single sample while simultaneously tracking its movement through the processes. All breaches are recorded and various key personnel are alel1ed at the time of the incident. LIMS prevents users from continuing with the sample until the alerted personnel have responded to the non-confonnance. Shipping containers and other primary containers such as trunks are sealed and the seals are tracked. On arrival at the laboratory, the integrity of the seals is verified and the seal number is validated against the sender's information. If there is a discrepancy or the seal has been tampered with, the sender is contacted before any samples are processed from the container. Diamond handling requires strict protocol due to the precious nature of the stones and the fact that they are very small particles. LIMS enforces the high security required in diamond handling and ensures that the samples are not tampered with by maintaining a mass and count at every process on all the diamonds. Page 2

4 The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Diamonds - Source to Use 2007 Presenter's Name: Se/by Winter Masuku 3. Data Security There are two ways in which security is enforced: l!i Usernames and passwords are used to validate users logging into the system l!i User roles have been designed to allow approved users access to certain samples, processes, tasks, functions and privileges. All sample events such as the movement of samples between locations, the entering of results and the cancelling of samples or tests, etc, that take place are audited and the audit trail of these events can be reviewed. The user who performed the event, the date and time it occurred and the change that was made is recorded. The audit trail data is encrypted and cannot be changed. 4. Improved Laboratory Efficiency To ensure the integrity of the data several measures have been put in place: /11 The majority of instruments (mostly balances) have been interfaced with LIMS eliminating the need to manually transcribe results into the system, saving time and ensuring accurate data entry. e Barcode scanners and bar-coded labels have been implemented to enter all sample information reducing the possibility of typing errors Figure 1: User scanning a sample e e El All calculations are performed by LIMS ensuring that they are accurate. All specifications and business rules have been built into LIMS guaranteeing that laboratory procedures are strictly adhered to. Non-conformances are raised and the necessary laboratory staff alerted if there is a breach in a high-level business rule. Only on closure of the non-conformance is the user allowed to continue with the process. The automation of some of the complex tasks such as bundle creation, allocation and combining has eliminated human errors and saved time. Page 3

5 The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy" Diamonds - Source to Use 2007 Presenter's Name: Selby Willter Masuku The measures described above have resulted in valuable time savings for operators, supervisors and laboratory managers because the need to perform further checks has been minimized. This allows supervisors and managers to focus on business-related activities but still ensures that they maintain control over the laboratory due to the alerts generated by LIMS when there is a problem that requires their attention. 5. Ease of Improvement The system was designed so that it would be easy to make improvements or introduce new processes. The LabWare's (De Beers LIMS provider) GOLD (Goal Oriented LIMS Delivery) methodology was used during the implementation phase. Key De Beers LIMS support staff configured processes together with the Lab Ware Consultants to ensure knowledge transfer thus building capacity within De Beers and ensuring sustainability. The configuration was documented to ensure that, in the event of staff turnover, the knowledge would continue to be propagated within De Beers. 6. Process Improvements During the LIMS implementation production reports were introduced that facilitated the sample movement between processes. This benefited managers, supervisors and users alike by affording better control over sample processing and plant capacity planning. Several laboratory processes were simplified making the tasks easier for the users thus reducing the amount of training and supervision required. Some treatment processes were automated to reduce sample handling which ultimately resulted in relieving the bottle-neck further downstream in sorting. 7. Visual Workflows To address the language issues across the global laboratories and the varying computer literacy levels of the users, LIMS was simplified by using Visual Workflows. These HTML-based front screens are custom-made to simplify each process providing the user with only the necessary buttons required for the steps in a single process that they are authorised to perform. Page 4

6 The Southern Al!ican Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Diamonds - Source to Use 2007 Presenter's Name: Se/by Winter Milsuku l..1msi.s r.1(jf ~vi1ryqnn Figure 2: Visual Workflow One of the principal benefits of implementing Visual Workflows was the significant reduction in the time required for user training. User training and change management is usually one of the most difficult phases when implementing new software in any organisation. With Visual Workflows, training was literally involved a few clicks of a button and because of the simplified approach, users were eager to use the system. The varying computer skills levels were quickly eradicated as users realised. the ease of using the system. 8. Reporting While the tracking of samples, data and sample security, ease-of-use and process improvements all contribute to a high quality information system, one of the biggest benefits derived is the ability to create knowledge from the information generated and to successfully leverage that knowledge to make strategic business decisions. To provide key decision-makers easy access to data, specific management reports were designed at each of the LIMS sites and, in addition, a central reporting system that contained information from multiple LIMS sites was created. The data from many of these reports are exported to complement other business reports. The scope of reports generated by LIMS also include final reports submitted to clients, the diamond board export requirements reports and many production reports that facilitate sample processing. In addition, ad-hoc queries can be easily handled through LIMS should there be a once-off request for information. With the ability to guarantee quality data and generate reports quickly, customer service is dramatically improved. This is further facilitated by the ease in which LIMS handles the different levels of approval required for final client reports. LIMS allows a designated person from each section to run the report to approve the data generated by the section. This process is tracked in LIMS. After approval from the sections, the final approval is undertaken by the laboratory manager at which point an electronic signature is automatically placed onto the report and any comment is included in the report. The report can then be ed to the client. This process ensures that final reports submitted to clients have undergone the necessary approval routing and that the report can only be Page 5

7 The Southern Africall IlIstitute of Millillg and Metallurgy Diamonds - Source to Use 2007 Presenter/s Name: Se/by Winter Masukll ed after the final approval by th~ l~boratory manager, once again guaranteeing the integrity of the results. 9. Conclusion Four years later (July 2007), the Luanda laboratory in Angola marks the latest site to go live with LIMS highlighting the multiple benefits that LIMS has brought to De Beers. The implementation was undertaken entirely by the De Beers LIMS support team and is testimony to the sustainability of the system within the company. The successful sample tracking system, sample integrity validation, data security, global reporting, process automation and improvements, user-friendly front-ends and improved laboratory efficiency have all successfully been implemented globally and will continue to provide critical information to key decision-makers within De Beers. Page 6