background

A contract chemical manufacturer synthesizes halogenated aromatic reference standards for use

in environmental analysis and toxicological research; compound types include chlorinated dioxins

(PCDDs), chlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

In its more than 20 years of operation, the company has become well-known and respected within

the environmental industry, participating in the validation of U.S. EPA and Environment Canada

analytical testing methods as well as analyzing and certifying reference matrices for the NRCC,

Environment Canada and NBS/NIST. The company’s products are sold worldwide through specialty

chemical distributors.

cHaLLEngE

The company produces hundreds of chemicals that are used in a variety of solutions and calibra-

tion sets. Prior to the production and distribution of the final product, all compounds must be

rigorously tested for chemical and isotopic purity. To this end, the company employs a number of

different analytical instruments, including high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and

mass spectrometry (MS).

To improve the quality of sample testing, the company sought a new LC/MS solution that would

provide enhanced data resolution. Given a sample turnaround schedule that involves performing

hundreds of analyses on a weekly basis, it was critical that the solution be robust, experiencing

little or no downtime. In addition to innovative instrument technology, the company required

world-class service and support to ensure that utility of this new instrumentation was maximized.

T HE SoLuT Ion

To improve data resolution, the company chose the Waters ACQUITY UPLC® System and the

Waters Quattro micro™ API Mass Spectrometer. The ACQUITY UPLC System synergistically com-

bines unique instrumentation capabilities, column chemistries and software to yield dramatically

improved analytical resolution, sensitivity and speed. Combined with the Quattro micro API, a

tandem quadrupole instrument, the ACQUITY UPLC System has allowed the company to generate

better-resolved sample data in less time.

To ensure the highest instrument utilization, the ACQUITY UPLC System was installed with

Waters Connections INSIGHT®, an intelligent service delivery platform that provides continuous

monitoring and instant-alert notifications for faster, proactive support that prevents problems

from occurring. Specific information such as system usage, operational parameters and diagnostic

information is securely transmitted to Waters Technical Support.

co nn ec t io ns ins ig h t

reducing instrument down-time in an analytical laboratoryThe client: Contract manufacturer of environmental testing standards

“Without Connections INSIGHT

software, I would have lost an

entire day’s worth of work.”

–QCchemist

[ business solution ]

Three levels of reporting are provided:

n Periodic Status Log (Level 1): Provides basic system performance

information, including lamp hours, injection counters, ambient

temperature, pressure and fluid volume delivered. This

information is used to proactively determine the maintenance

schedule for the instrument.

n System Alert (Level 2): At this level, an automatic notification

of system failures is sent directly to Waters Technical Support.

System alerts are generated when the Connections INSIGHT

Agent encounters a significant system performance parameter.

This automatically triggers an email alert that is delivered via

a secure Internet connection to the Technical Support team, who

analyzes the information. The local Field Service Engineer is

notified and contacts the customer to take the appropriate action.

If necessary, parts are ordered for next-day delivery and the

engineer is proactively dispatched to the customer site.

n Customer Initiated Request (Level 3): With a push of a button,

the customer can ask for help via “Submit Connections INSIGHT

Request” functionality. When selected, it zips the service profile

file – containing detailed troubleshooting information – and

automatically sends an email alert to Waters Technical Support.

The file is reviewed and the appropriate action is initiated: the

customer receives either a call from Technical Support or a visit

from the Field Service Engineer.

buSInESS bEnEFIT

Since installation of the ACQUITY UPLC System in the customer’s

laboratory, Connections INSIGHT has detected two system errors.

In each case, within 15 minutes of the incident, Waters Technical

Support notified the customer of the system error and provided a

solution. No service call was needed, and the customer was able to

make necessary corrections.

“ Without Connections INSIGHT software, I would have lost an entire

day’s worth of work. The value of Connections INSIGHT technology

is that it provides early warning of system issues that can be fixed

quickly – and in most cases, eliminates the need for an on-site

visit that reduces unplanned downtime so that our laboratories can

maintain system uptime,” said the lab’s QC chemist.

The proactive alert system prevented the contract chemical manu-

facturer from losing valuable instrument time, which would have

negatively impacted product delivery schedules and their customers’

satisfaction. The company has seen additional benefits from using

Connections INSIGHT, including:

n A reduction in the time spent assessing and diagnosing the

problem with Waters Technical Support – and more time for

analyses

n Connections INSIGHT’s request option allows them to directly

access Waters Technical Support for faster problem resolution

n The ability to predict potential problems by monitoring component

and consumable usage – saving time and money, and maintaining

uptime

n Greater laboratory productivity and lower instrument support costs

n Reporting to document instrument history for auditing requirements

The Connections INSIGHT service and support program is available

for Waters customers who are covered under an ACQUITY UPLC

System Warranty or Total Assurance Plan, at no additional cost.

co nn ec t io ns ins ig h t

[ business solution ]

Waters corporation 34 Maple Street Milford, MA 01757 U.S.A. T: 1 508 478 2000 F: 1 508 872 1990 www.waters.com

Waters, ACQUITY UPLC and Connections INSIGHT are registered trademarks of Waters Corporation. Quattro micro and The Science of What’s Possible are trademarks of Waters Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

©2006-2007 Waters Corporation. Printed in the U.S.A.January 2007 720001602EN JDH-CP