Optical inspection in (sterile) fill-finish processes in the pharmaceutical industry is a highly complex matter, often characterized by hybrid ways of working: from fully automated to semi-automated and even fully manual. Its execution is governed by several rules and requires an unusually high degree of special case handling. At the same time, the documentation of results, in particular error codes, is complex and cumbersome. This is not an easy task for the operators of the manual parts of the process, who must constantly balance between correctness in execution and documentation with process efficiency.
Most “classic” MES solutions hit a barrier with this type of process due to its complex setup. Unfortunately, this is often at the expense of the operator, who has to handle an inflexible, complex, and non-user-friendly functional setup at the user interface level that is not adapted to the way of working in this specific environment.
This is the point where low-code solutions such as Tulip excel. Their strength lies in flexibility combined with ergonomic design patterns, along with a fast-track and streamlined deployment and validation approach. At the same time, modern low-code solutions offer a comprehensive range of functionality, meeting the expectations and requirements of any MES solution in the life sciences process space. Whether you use it as your main MES or to cover specific process steps such as optical inspection complementary to a mainstream MES platform, the solution will demonstrate its strengths:
- A full suite of interfaces and integration technologies allows for top-floor to shop-floor integration. With regard to level 1 and 2 automation systems, the solution is designed to capture all relevant data from automated and semi-automated processes.
- The solution's ergonomic and user-friendly design guides operators through all steps of the manual process, supporting all required special-case handling.
- The solution is part of our MES Batch Recording Application Suite, which is integrated with our standardized event capturing and handling, as well as review-by-exception processes.
- If not used as the main MES, but as a complementary process management solution, our app suite provides standard interface setup for integration with existing MES. This will enable you to delegate the execution of the optical inspection step to Tulip, and then receive all relevant batch record data post-process completion.
Low-code platforms, in our case here Tulip, are the solution for adapting digital solutions to specific processes and achieving a truly digitalized workflow in a user-friendly way. These platforms allow for rapid development and deployment of customized solutions, ensuring that the digital tools align perfectly with the unique needs of the manufacturing process.
Envision a scenario where your operators can streamline their optical inspection workflows on a screen like this (example screens only), rather than having to resort to a standard MES workflow GUI that is often perceived as cumbersome:
