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Life science manufacturers must use digital tools to provide access to remote working during pandemic like COVID-19.

FREMONT, CA: The pharmaceutical and other life science products need some of the most precise, highly regulated, and complicated processes in manufacturing. Highly skilled workers have to coordinate by utilizing specialized and expensive equipment closely. Furthermore, it is also mandatory for the life science manufacturers to follow and document observation of the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and proper manufacturing protocols.

To contain the Covid-19 pandemic, social distancing has become a requirement due to which there is supply chain disruption. This situation has become a massive challenge for the life science manufacturing sector. Here are some of the methods in which digital tools can meet the increasing requirement of the industry.

Remote production support

Most of the manufacturers have to decrease their on-site reporting staff due to the pandemic-related shutdowns. It is necessary for the life science companies to accurately configure and manage the equipment and confirm the correct manufacturing processes with critical workers on-site. Therefore, to conduct such extensive tasks, the companies must increase their video conferencing usage along with artificial reality and virtual reality (AR & VR). 

Critical workers like hands-on technical staff can be trained to verify and gather data so that the clerical employees can work remotely.

Remote or distributed acceptance testing

Life science manufacturers can invest millions of dollars every year on new production equipment and facilities. However, the capital investment will increase because companies will start producing treatments related to COVID-19 and their present products. Furthermore, it is also necessary to increase the capacity of local manufacturing to reduce pandemic-related disruption. It will also increase the demand for accurately testing and configuring the equipment in the new facility.

Revised on-site protocols/work layouts

It is necessary to protect the critical workers from contaminating each other who are still on-site. This is because they make the efficient use of the expensive equipment in labs and production facilities, which were not constructed to provide social distancing.

The facilities can utilize thermal cameras to alert employees who have higher than average temperatures. Checking temperature will also help to deny these employees entry in the labs and request for further testing. Moreover, facial recognition and cameras will alert the managers about the workers who are not maintaining social distance or not wearing a mask.