What is our primary use case?
TetraScience is a platform that integrates instruments into a laboratory environment into other software applications that can help leverage the data. In most pharma companies, the application is used to automate large-scale projects within labs that use either GXP or GMP. We have used it mainly to create projects to categorize data, extract metadata from instruments like LCMSs, HPLC, ILITs, and genomic sequencing, and link that to a variety of applications like ELN, LIMS, and archival applications.
How has it helped my organization?
It helps the company get data off of instruments without having to really touch anything. It provides more FAIR capabilities: findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. This results in less hands-on and more automated features that really help in a lab setting.
What is most valuable?
TetraScience has connectors that allow for data to be moved from server to TetraScience's AWS backend, which has been extremely helpful. The crawler agents they provide, as well as TetraScience exclusive parsers, allow for specific instruments that we use in our labs with proprietary formats to extract data and put it into more standard formats for various purposes.
What needs improvement?
The application has a difficult-to-use parsing capability, which requires a lot of reengineering when the use case isn't specifically met. The application also lacks capabilities within its terminal commands that are not available in their GUI. It requires a lot of configurability, which could be streamlined for an enterprise application user.
For how long have I used the solution?
The company has been using TetraScience for about five years, and I have been using it in my role for about two years. In a previous company, I used it for an evaluation for about four or five months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven't had too many issues with stability. We are within the scope of the application usage.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very scalable with a lot of capabilities for scaling to other instruments and labs. However, there is a huge learning curve, which limits the timelines for scaling.
How are customer service and support?
We work hand in hand with their support and customer service. They are good, responsive, and help us get things done.
How would you rate customer service and support?
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was a little difficult to do with AWS infrastructure, but it was mainly longer than expected due to our organization's slower timelines.
What other advice do I have?
I would approach with caution. The platform has a high knowledge gap and the proprietary nature of its parsers and crawling agents. Before approaching TetraScience, have your use case in hand and understand the scope of the lab, instruments, data importation, and connectivity. Go to them with a solid project plan before implementation, as they are not a one-stop shop but rather a niche type of company with both benefits and challenges in automation.
I'd rate the solution six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
*Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
