Orchid Bioscience

Single project

Orchid Bioscience wanted to extend its business beyond its traditional forensic testing services. They won a contract to perform high volume DNA testing for livestock under a DEFRA initiative

The Problem

Creating new, dedicated laboratories and a production line ethos with automation to improve efficiency with limited resources and critical need to deliver real improvements quickly.

Our Part

After creating a baseline architecture and capability model it was clear that there was a significant gap between the organisational abilities and business vision. Working with the Chief Scientist, IT Director and Business Development Director, we presented a 2-year roadmap which would deliver a high throughput, reliable, highly automated laboratory IT system.

A key strategy in both selling the concepts and delivering the solution was to abstract the problem. Persuading the stakeholders to think beyond the immediate problem of the new contract and focus upon an idealised laboratory process capable of supporting a wide range of DNA testing regimes and individual projects within a single laboratory environment.

After providing the architectural goals, OpecSystem provided skills and experience working with Orchid Bioscience over the next two years to deliver continual improvement with a simplified agile framework. We were able to provide detailed design solutions, project management and governance for internal and contract staff as well as third party providers. Working with Orchid BioScience customers we defined information interfaces for the exchange quality, audit and result information directly to their data systems.

As projects go this was both challenging and wonderfully stimulating. Orchid was a great client, both open-minded and innovative; a good example of what can be achieved with small, motivated teams with cohesive, strong belief in the vision and goals of the transformation.