By Todd A. Ritter, Director of Business Development and Product Development, Idaho Technology
SubscribeDetection and identification technology for chemical, biological and radiological/nuclear hazards require the fastest and most accurate result possible. These results need to be reliable across a broad spectrum of samples, situations and user skill levels.
Industry solution suppliers spend a great deal of time, effort and resources developing products for this rigorous testing environment. Early developments of product specifications are essential for market entry and market share. In this high risk-high return work environment, products need to work because the results are used for potentially life saving situations.
A key term used more and more by government and private sponsors is Total System Performance Responsibility. The TSPR system is a cradle-to-grave approach to the entire solution: it includes all aspects of hardware, software, consumables, logistics, training and system upgrades. Another key aspect of TSPR is that this approach fosters a team environment between suppliers and users that creates a stronger final product.
Early product development starts with a thorough understanding of the problem. This is an area where it is critically important to spend time and resources, including soliciting customer input, which is the first part of TSPR. Key components of this initial analysis include defining specifications for the product--such as specificity and sensitivity needs--the type of user and the type of sample. The solution must also fit into the Concept of Operations of the user.
Once the product is developed, tested, validated and deployed, the manufacturer's responsibility is still extensive. In the forefront are logistics support and product improvement. More long-term relationships between supplier and customer are solidified in these two key areas, and these relationships make the product stronger and ultimately more accurate.
The R.A.P.I.D. system and Idaho Technology’s freeze-dried reagents have been deployed to hundreds of locations throughout the world.
Logistics
Logistics support for products deployed to these types of users needs to be reliable and easily accessed. Within logistics, Idaho Technology lumps the obvious areas like product repair and resupply with customer support and training. Reliability should be a benchmark for any product in the CBRN space.
Products should be rugged with a minimal chance of breaking and easy-to-perform user maintenance routines. However, in this fairly austere environment, systems get damaged and need to be repaired by the manufacturer. It is critical that repairs be completed quickly using a Quality System that requires validating system performance and more importantly, reveals the cause of the problem.
Manufacturers must capture part failure data and must make every effort to remove suspect parts or change testing protocols. Idaho Technology uses a commercially available Customer Relationship Management program to track this important data. Several engineering changes have been done to our system based on part failure data, making our robust system even more reliable. We also use the data collected to work with our vendors to identify potential improvements in their products.
Resupplying poses many risks. Getting dated materials such as reagents to users all over the world within a reasonable time and at a reasonable cost is one significant challenge. For example, the U.S. Department of Defense has R.A.P.I.D.® (Ruggedized Advanced Pathogen Identification Device) systems throughout the world doing various missions from Force Health Protection to Contamination Avoidance.
Providing reagents that have a 6-12 month shelf life to certain remote areas takes coordinated efforts from both the user and the supplier. Another challenge is developing innovations for transportation containers, shipping methods and constant communication, key pillars to successfully resupplying our troops. Communication is the key component because of issues like volume discounts and supply scaling. Customers also want one-stop shopping for all support equipment.
Customer Support is the entry path for system repair and ordering additional supplies. Most manufacturers offer 24 hour/7 days a week access to customers. Idaho Technology's Customer Support function consists of technicians with skills in engineering, chemistry, product applications and logistics.
This team is managed by a field-tested veteran that has been deployed many times to real world events, including the anthrax attacks in New York City. The goal of this team is first to get the user's system operational, secondly to provide support to user supply efforts, and lastly, to capture the data of each customer contact, always looking for opportunities to make the system better.
Training
The single most important aspect of logistics and product support is training. Over the last several years, Idaho Technology has trained over a thousand users ranging from PhD molecular biologists to rookie police officers. We have documented cases that show that complaints of user problems dropped by 89% after the three-day training course was offered.
Training for two users is included in the purchase price of a R.A.P.I.D. System. The course offers some preliminary theory of the technology, instruction on the software and on-hands testing of unknown samples. Usually, the system used for training is the customer's own system, so they are able to take it home with them once training is completed. The following table shows the average class size and number of R.A.P.I.D. training classes taught for the years 2001-2004.
Within the CBRN community there are varied views on training and who is responsible. From a commercial supplier's point of view, it is ultimately the product provider's job. The fact is that no matter what the outcome of testing during an event be, an exercise or real world experience, there are always areas to improve the use of the testing platform.
The R.A.P.I.D.’s easy-to-use software has been perfected after input from of users.
The industry needs to take the time and effort to work with users to improve their products. Idaho Technology has made more than 45 changes to the R.A.P.I.D. System's software or testing process based on input from end users, particularly those dealing with the anthrax attacks in the United States. It is the manufacturer's responsibility because the results mean so much to so many.
A false positive or negative result is not just a data point that a scientist should consider when reviewing algorithms, it is a call for a complete system evaluation. Hand in hand with users, the experts that developed the system must look at the entirety of the process. Total System Performance Responsibility is a buzz phrase within contracting circles.
What it means to the contractor is greater risk, but more importantly greater reward. To have TSPR means training and product improvement is the contractor's responsibility. Through years of experience and hundreds of system deployments, Idaho Technology has developed a unique approach to training both end users and the subject matter experts that support most CBNR response teams.
