The Customer
The GBA Laboratory Group is one of Europe's leading analytical laboratories and service providers. Its core competencies lie in the fields of environmental, food, consumer goods and pharmaceutical analysis. On behalf of industry, manufacturers, importers, engineering offices, municipal clients and waste management companies, the GBA Laboratory Group provides analytical-chemical services such as sampling and analysis of food and raw materials, soil, water, drinking water, recycling material, waste and air.“We had noticed some things about the Peakboard Designer. It didn't take two days, then one of the developers contacted us and let us know that he implemented our suggestion to the program. We were really surprised. There's no better way to imagine a collaboration between customers and developers.”
Kevin Jörgens, Systems Engineer of the GBA Laboratory Group
Challenge
The company is represented at 14 locations in Germany and Austria and employs around 600 people. In order to optimize project-related internal communication at the locations with its colleagues, the GBA Laboratory Group was looking for a modern IT solution beyond e-mails, electronic newsletters or company magazines. Easy to communicate, fast, direct and easy to consume, this is how the characteristics of process-relevant information should be in the future.
“Further discussions also revealed site-specific requirements”, says Sandra Schubert, Process Optimization, GBA Laboratory Group. “The Pinneberg site was looking for a way to transport information on both samples and equipment more quickly from the laboratory or site manager to the laboratory staff. It often happens, however, that we receive urgent samples that require faster or immediate processing. Previously, in such cases, the responsible employees had to be informed via different channels: Some of them in person, some by telephone, others by e-mail. Another example is information on laboratory equipment, for example in the event of a device failure that leads to process delays. In this case, various colleagues must also be informed as quickly as possible. We wanted to find an IT-based solution that would allow different types of information to be communicated visually faster, more directly and more reliably. As a pilot project, the laboratory information had to be visualized at the Pinneberg site.”
Solution at a Glance
Challenge
Digital visualization of cross-laboratory and cross-company information at different company locations
Solution
Introduction of Peakboard at Pinneberg site and provision of boards with laboratory information via four monitors at central locations
Advantages
- Quickly provision of transparent information directly where it is needed and seen
- Greater process efficiency through direct availability of work-relevant information
Time to Value
Few days for the creation of first boardsContact
Location Hamburg
GBA Gesellschaft für Bioanalytik mbH
Goldtschmidtstrasse 5
21073 Hamburg
Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 40 797172-0
Fax: +49 (0) 40 797172-27
Email: service@gba-group.de
Website: www.gba-group.de
The Solution
Schubert found what he was looking for at the Hannover Messe: “I was at Peakboard's booth and knew that this was the solution for us”. The all-in-one solution for simple corporate digital signage enables the visualization of any data and processes on any monitor. Peakboard contains all necessary components for data aggregation from various sources, such as laboratory information and management systems (LIMS) and real-time visualization. As each Peakboard visualizes the data independently, a central server is not required. The complete Peakboard technology is housed in a smartphone-sized aluminum box – a combination of hardware and software with an integrated Wi-Fi module.
Application and Benefits
Four Peakboard Boxes with monitors are in use at the Pinneberg site. They are used by around 70 employees. The monitors are installed on the three floors of the company building. “We installed a board in the sample preparation area. This is where the samples are controlled,” explains Jörgens. A further Peakboard was installed at the electronic time recording terminal. “Every employee has to pass by here several times a day, so the place is ideal for picking up information in passing by,” explains Schubert. Two additional boards are attached to the measuring devices on two different floors.
Site-specific information that is relevant for the control of work processes is displayed: This includes device failures and notified repair time windows, or urgent notifications if there is a change in the machining process for an order. In addition, general information is communicated, such as visits by clients or other external parties. Three colleagues from the laboratory organization and management have installed the Peakboard Designer on their workstations. They fill the boards manually via a defined input mask with required information such as order numbers, order parameters and order delivery data etc.
“With Peakboard, information is now
quickly and transparently available
where it is needed and seen.”
Sandra Schubert, Process Optimization, GBA Laboratory Group
