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A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics engaged Sketch to build an automated installer for updating the operating system and software of bacteria testing devices used in clinical applications.
The Company came to Sketch with a problem: the current process for updating their clinical testing devices is manual, requires many steps (mostly undocumented), and is inherently error-prone. Worse still, the only person who knows the manual installation process has taken another position.
Even if someone else were to be trained in the manual steps, the process still represents a single point of failure. Making matters worse, when something goes wrong (often) during the manual installation process, the entire process must start again from the beginning.
Even under the best circumstances, the existing
process for building the devices’ base
image takes two full days. It installs six different software packages, includes at least 10 reboots, and makes Windows configuration updates.
The manual process is necessary quarterly to accommodate major builds, plus another twenty more times a year to create hot fixes. The client has outgrown this part of its software ecosystem and needs a better way forward.
Knowing the key implementor’s departure was
imminent, the client attempted to automate
certain steps in the process. This exercise led the client to believe that automating the installation process end-to-end might not be feasible or even possible. At Sketch, we took this as “Challenge Accepted!”
The engagement kicked off with several days spent shadowing the individual implementing the manual steps. This allowed for us to build full documentation of the process. Once it was understood how the installation worked, Sketch developers were able to pinpoint steps that could be eliminated as well as to create discrete automations that significantly reduced the number of required system reboots.
Sketch was able to show progress by demonstrating working software in a virtual environment throughout the engagement, starting at the end of the second week. This iterative delivery created a tight feedback loop.
This high level of transparency helped Sketch and the client co-create a solution with two key benefits:
By the end of the brief engagement, a manual, error-prone, 100-step, multi-day process was reduced to a single button push. It no longer requires an individual to oversee (or run) a manual process.
The client shared that Sketch’s collaborative approach, fresh insights and curiosity helped them to see other ways of getting things done and felt their group improved as a direct result of our working together.
Thorough documentation for the new scripts, processes, and installation framework keeps this client completely in control of its software in the event that it needs maintenance or updates.
We hope these are the kinds of outcomes you were looking for. If you want to learn more about the work that went into this project, we're happy to answer your questions.
Better yet, let's talk about whichever project you were mulling over that brought you here. We love to talk shop, and the first few conversations are always free.
