Client: DuPont Crop Protection Challenge: DuPont's R&D data was stored on more than 70 separate database applications that didn't integrate well with each other. DuPont sought a technology solution that would allow researchers fast and easy access to the data through one, integrated database. Solution: CSC designed and implemented an information management system that successfully integrates millions of research data points, helping essential crop protection products reach the market faster. Results: The Discovery Data Warehouse solution enables DuPont researchers to identify hits and leads more quickly, rapidly eliminate compounds not likely to become products, and allow for cost savings through efficient data integration and standardization. Related Information Learn more about CSC's Leading Edge Forum and the CSC Award for Technical Excellence by clicking here. Read more about CSC's Chemical & Energy business. Contact us and let our experience help you produce results.

As the world's population continues to grow, protecting the precious food supply from destructive fungus, insects and weeds is more important than ever. Working closely with DuPont's Crop Protection Discovery unit, CSC designed and implemented an information management system that successfully integrates millions of research data points, helping essential crop protection products reach the market faster.

Using Advanced Technology to Protect the Food Supply

Based in Newark, Del. with offices in more than 40 countries, DuPont's Crop Protection operation serves the agriculture industry by offering an extensive range of products for the grain and specialty crop sectors. The group develops, tests and manufactures more than 50 brands of herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides, such as DuPont Escort, an herbicide used to control noxious weeds.

In the crop protection business, a chief goal during the discovery process – when compounds are screened and identified as good candidates for product development – is to efficiently mergemassive amounts of data and provide users with an integrated flow of information. This goal is accomplished through the use of a data warehouse.

A data warehouse serves as a collection of transaction data from disparate sources that can be structured for querying, analysis and reporting. Raw data serves as the lifeblood of any enterprise focused on research and development, and DuPont scientists are continually on the lookout for just the right mix of chemical compounds that will be effective in killing bad bugs, weeds and fungus, without harming the environment.

But a key challenge was that the applications necessary to the discovery process were segregated – there were more than 70 separate database applications and each didn't integrate well with the others. Researchers needed to go to great lengths to access the applications to gather information for decision making. DuPont wanted to bring all the information together in one spot.

DuPont and CSC Collaboration Develops a One-Stop Solution

One of the major technical challenges of developing a one-stop warehouse solution was to integrate a commercially available relational online analytical processing (ROLAP) engine for chemical and biological inquiries with DuPont's custom application components.

To meet these challenges, a DuPont/CSC team held many meetings with DuPont scientists and used their expertise in biology and chemistry to help understand the data they required for decision making. The team, with CSC as the system architect, began development of a one-stop solution, the Discovery Data Warehouse.

The result was an information system that is believed to be the first significant R&D data warehouse implementation that integrates data from a broad range of scientific disciplines.


Leveraging Technology to Enhance Business Value

The ultimate goal of the project was to greatly reduce the amount of time it takes for a chemical compound to go from discovery into development. As an example of the new efficiencies created, the data warehouse gives people a huge amount of flexibility to filter data and drill down to find what they want instead of having to print hard copy reports.

Today, the Discovery Data Warehouse solution enables DuPont researchers to identify hits and leads more quickly, rapidly eliminate compounds not likely to become products, and allow for cost savings through efficient data integration and standardization. A key benefit of the data warehouse is its ability to allow researchers to obtain answers to questions they could not address previously.