When a customer doing R&D for COVID-19 hit a roadblock to qualifying an ÄKTA pure™ chromatography instrument, our field service engineer KrishnaKumar Thiruthamarai had a creative solution. We’re glad the customer trusted us to give it a try.
Krishnakumar ThiruthamaraiField Service Engineer
A customer doing R&D for COVID-19 was just one step away from qualifying the new instrument. Normally this procedure would be done on site, but COVID restrictions made a site visit impossible. Field service engineer KrishnaKumar Thiruthamarai had a creative solution to avert an indefinite delay in the customer’s protein purification work.
“I had the idea to take up the activity remotely, since the qualification process was almost done,” says KrishnaKumar. He talked it over with regional service manager Bala Chelliahdhevar, and they agreed to put together a plan that would allow KrishnaKumar to guide the customer through the procedure remotely using our OptiRun™ Assist remote troubleshooting platform.
The customer liked the idea and was confident in our service team, so they sought internal approval for this unconventional remote process. We worked with them to make a plan for how to document the process and sign the paperwork (they decided to wait and sign the paperwork in person when it became possible). KrishnaKumar advised the customer in advance on how to prepare and make sure their system and software were ready for the procedure. He did his homework, too, gathering the soft copy and remote tools he would need during the session.
The preparation paid off — working together over the phone and via screensharing, KrishnaKumar and the customer completed the procedure over one and a half days. “Without the customer’s confidence and collaboration, this would not be possible,” says Bala. “It gives us the confidence to continue suggesting creative solutions when standard approaches aren’t possible.”
Want to learn more about how OptiRun™ Service Solutions can help you keep production on track? Visit our site.
