The ROI of Automated Workflows in Biotech: Insights from Chris Birnie and Matt Brazil
How top biopharma teams are using automated workflows to cut costs, reduce errors, and accelerate production
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As the biotech world keeps advancing, one thing is clear – automation has moved beyond convenience, it’s now essential for driving scalability and efficiency. From reducing human error to unlocking new levels of process efficiency, automated workflows are now a cornerstone of biomanufacturing and R&D, they reduce risk while supporting long-term operational support.
To better understand the return on investment (ROI) that automation brings to biotech environments, we sat down with Chris Birnie, VP of Technical Solutions, and Matt Brazil, Sr. Automation Engineer at AES. Together, they’ve guided clients in implementing, optimizing, and scaling automated workflows. Their insights show how automation can deliver measurable results while also driving long-term operational improvements from biopharma R&D labs to large-scale production facilities
“Automation brings consistency, improves oversight, and minimizes errors—those three alone pay dividends in any biotech environment.”
Chris Birnie
VP of Technical Solutions
Q: What key metrics do biotech clients typically evaluate when assessing ROI?
When it comes to automation, many clients initially focus on hard metrics like time savings, yield improvements, and reduced labor costs. But as Chris and Matt explained, it’s often about targeting critical stages of the workflow where automation can do more than just save time but instead save entire batches.
Chris shared, “The biggest drivers we see are throughput and quality consistency. You might be trying to speed up the process, but more often, clients come to us because they’re dealing with failures, missed specs, product waste, or operator variability. Automation gives you the tools to eliminate that inconsistency.”
Matt echoed the importance of error reduction, especially where data is involved. “Manual processes are prone to mistakes, especially in documentation. Automating data capture through MES systems like Syncade, for example, cuts down on human error and ensures everything is logged in real-time, reducing compliance risk.”
While labour reduction is sometimes part of the discussion, both emphasized that it’s more about redistributing operator time to higher-value activities, such as oversight and troubleshooting.
Q: How do automated workflows help reduce operational costs or cost of goods sold (COGS)?
Reducing cost per gram of product is a common goal of well-implemented automation—but the pathway to that result is multi-layered. Chris pointed to better process control, sensor feedback, and data historization as foundational tools that reduce waste and optimize quality.
“If you have a valve slightly misaligned during a chromatography step, you might lose product down the drain. A sensor that detects precise valve positioning—and alarms when something’s off—can save tens of thousands in product loss annually.”
Matt added that exception-based reporting allows staff to focus on deviations rather than sifting through mountains of data. “It takes more upfront effort to configure, but once you’re there, it drastically reduces time spent on documentation reviews.”
Q: What efficiency gains can clients expect?
Automation accelerates process steps that were historically bottlenecks. Chris pointed to improvements in Clean-in-Place (CIP) cycles, which can traditionally take up to 15 hours. “We’ve worked with clients to shave that down by several hours—per cycle. That adds up fast across dozens of cycles per month.”
Matt emphasized that clients may not see immediate ROI after the first run, especially if they’re transitioning from a paper-based system. “By the time they reach the second commercial batch, operators are more familiar with the workflow, the automation stabilizes, and you start to see more consistent outcomes and fewer deviations. That’s when the time and quality benefits really start to show.”
Q: What benefits often get overlooked?
An often-overlooked benefit is safety. Matt pointed out that in facilities handling solvents or high-containment materials, automation significantly reduces the need for operators to enter uncomfortable or hazardous environments. “It’s not just about PPE fatigue. In some cases, automation allows operators to avoid these zones entirely.”
Chris also highlighted the impact on investigations and quality assurance. “Automated systems generate reliable, time-stamped data, which simplifies root-cause analysis. Instead of guessing what happened, you can pinpoint exactly where a process went off track. That helps the quality team do faster, more accurate reviews, and ultimately shortens product release timelines.”
Automation also improves the employee experience. Fewer manual tasks and safer conditions often lead to higher job satisfaction, less burnout, and better retention.
Real-world impact: AES automation in action
Chris pointed to several successful AES projects, including:
- A greenfield facility build where full automation design and implementation paid for itself within the first few years of production.
- A global biopharma manufacturer in California: AES streamlined CIP cycles to improve turnaround time, enhance batch consistency, and reduce failure rates.
- A leading biologics company: AES migrated their legacy fermentation system to DeltaV, unlocking greater automation oversight, multi-product flexibility, and reduced manual touchpoints.
Real-world impact: AES automation in action
The results can come fast, but implementation must be strategic. “If you do the change correctly and validate it well, you should start seeing benefits immediately,” Chris said. “For example, if you’ve optimized your CIP cycle and validated the new control logic, your next run should already be more efficient.”
However, both Matt and Chris stressed the importance of minimizing downtime during implementation. AES often uses development environments and simulation to test and debug systems before going live. “That way,” Chris said, “you’re not waiting weeks or months to see whether the change worked—it’s baked into your next production window.”
What challenges should teams anticipate?
“Change is hard,” Matt said. Transitioning from manual to automated systems requires significant training, and even small misunderstandings—like misreading a prompt—can derail an automated sequence.
Chris pointed out that SOP rewrites, user interfaces, and operator education are critical components of a successful rollout.
“You may have the most robust automation system in the world, but if your operators don’t trust it or don’t understand it, you won’t see the ROI you expected.”
Chris Birnie
VP of Technical Solutions
Unexpected bugs, edge cases, and real-world operating conditions often reveal gaps that weren’t apparent in development. AES plans for this by building in post-deployment optimization.
However, both Matt and Chris stressed the importance of minimizing downtime during implementation. AES often uses development environments and simulation to test and debug systems before going live. “That way,” Chris said, “you’re not waiting weeks or months to see whether the change worked—it’s baked into your next production window.”
What does AES do differently
“We don’t walk away after deployment. We’re not just contractors—we’re partners.”
Matt Brazil
Sr. Automation Engineer
AES provides:
- 24/7 operational support during the critical early months
- On-site engineering support to tweak, adjust, and troubleshoot in real-time
- Ongoing optimization to ensure systems evolve with client needs
“We’ve had engineers embedded for months after go-live,” Chris noted. “That’s how you ensure sustainable ROI.”
Chris pointed out that SOP rewrites, user interfaces, and operator education are critical components of a successful rollout. “You may have the most robust automation system in the world, but if your operators don’t trust it or don’t understand it, you won’t see the ROI you expected.”
Unexpected bugs, edge cases, and real-world operating conditions often reveal gaps that weren’t apparent in development. AES plans for this by building in post-deployment optimization.
However, both Matt and Chris stressed the importance of minimizing downtime during implementation. AES often uses development environments and simulation to test and debug systems before going live. “That way,” Chris said, “you’re not waiting weeks or months to see whether the change worked—it’s baked into your next production window.”
“You don’t automate for the sake of it. You automate where it counts—where it improves safety, consistency, and quality.”
Chris Birnie
VP of Technical Solutions
For Leaders Still on the Fence
“Automation isn’t about doing it for the sake of it,” said Chris. “It’s about identifying where your risks are—where you’re losing time, product, or people—and solving those problems with precision.”
“The value is measurable,” he added, “but more importantly, it’s transformational.”
For those unsure whether automation is worth the investment, Chris offered this advice: “Look at where your risks are. Look at the parts of your process where errors, downtime, or safety risks keep showing up. That’s where automation has the most impact.”