3rd Edition

Pharmaceutical Computer Systems Validation Volume 2 - Real Life Case Studies

Edited By Guy Wingate Copyright 2026
514 Pages 2 Color & 112 B/W Illustrations
by CRC Press

514 Pages 2 Color & 112 B/W Illustrations
by CRC Press

Computerized systems play a fundamental role in the development, manufacture and supply of medical treatments. This is the third and thoroughly updated edition of the best-selling book dealing with validation, compliance and software in the pharmaceutical, healthcare and medical device industries. The first volume provides a comprehensive walk-through of lifecycle and development methodologies... Read more

Foreword
Preface
List of Contributors
About The Editor
Abbreviations

Chapter 1: Case Study 1: Clinical Systems
Chris Clark, Guy Wingate

Chapter 2: Case Study 2: Computerized Analytical Laboratory Systems
Ludwig Huber

Chapter 3: Case Study 3: Chromatography Data Systems
Bob McDowall

Chapter 4: Case Study 4: Laboratory Information Management Systems
Christopher Evans

Chapter 5: Case Study 5: Process Instrumentation
Peter Coady, Tony de Claire

Chapter 6: Case Study 6: Process Control Systems (Operational Technologies: OT)
Mark Cherry

Chapter 7: Case Study 7: Process Analytical Technology
Guy Wingate

Chapter 8: Case Study 8: Manufacturing Execution Systems and Electronic Batch Records
Guy Wingate, Neil Wincup

Chapter 9: Case Study 9: Building Management Systems
John Andrews, Mark Foss

Chapter 10: Case Study 10: Spreadsheets
David Harrision

Chapter 11: Case Study 11: Database Applications
Thana Subramanian

Chapter 12: Case Study 12: Electronic Document Management Systems
Robert Stephenson

Chapter 13: Case Study 13: Enterprise Resource Planning Systems
Chris Reid, Guy Wingate

Chapter 14: Case Study 14: Marketing and Supply Applications
Louise Killa

Chapter 15: Case Study 15: IT Infrastructure and Associated Services
Chris Reid

Chapter 16: Case Study 16: Big Data Management
Guy Wingate, Neil Winkcup

Chapter 17: Case Study 17: Web-based Applications
Winnie Cappucci, Arthur (Randy) Perez

Chapter 18: Case Study 18: Blockchain
Sam Andrews

Chapter 19: Case Study 19: Mobile Devices
Guy Wingate

Chapter 20: Case Study 20: Medical Devices and Their Automated Manufacture
Guy Wingate, Tom Ryan

Chapter 21: Case Study 21: AI-enabled Computerized System
Tom Williams, David Cristinacce

Chapter 22: Case Study 22: Blood Establishment Computer Systems
Joan Evans

Glossary
Index

Biography

Guy Wingate, Ph.D., was Vice‑President of Compliance and before that Director of Global Computer Validation at GlaxoSmithKline until his recent retirement. A well‑known speaker on computer validation, he has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He has been a visiting lecturer at the University of Manchester’s M.Sc. in Pharmaceutical Engineering Advanced Training program and the Dublin Institute of Technology’s accredited M.Sc. in Validation Science program. He is an active member of the ISPE and served as Chair of the GAMP® Council for 10 years, which is responsible for the internationally recognized suite of GAMP® Guides on computer compliance. Guy led the teams who produced the original GAMP®5 Guide: A Risk Based Approach to Compliant GxP Computerized Systems and the GAMP® Good Practice Guide: A Risk-Based Approach to Compliant Electronic Records and Signatures. His extensive list of published work also includes the books Validating Automated Manufacturing and Laroratoty Applications, Validating Corporate Computer Systems and previous editions of this book, Pharmaceutical Computer Systems Validation.

This book’s strong emphasis on governance, management oversight, and maintaining control throughout the operational life cycle [of computer systems used in the pharmaceutical industry] is both timely and necessary.

A key challenge for today’s organizations today is the shift from validating systems at a point in time to assuring them continuously throughout their life. Modern development and delivery approaches, such as Agile and DevOps, can support this goal, but only when the supporting controls are designed deliberately and applied consistently. Clear intent of requirements, risk‐based decision‐making, appropriate testing strategies for high‐risk functions, robust release and configuration management, and effective supplier oversight remain essential. Several chapters in the book address these realities directly, focusing on the areas where compliance most often degrades: operation, maintenance, and change.

At the same time, the regulatory and compliance landscape continues to evolve. There is sustained global focus on data governance and data integrity, including expectations for effective investigation, remediation, and prevention of recurrence. Cybersecurity, data availability, and business continuity are receiving increased attention, reflecting their direct impact on product quality and patient safety. Regulators also increasingly expect organizations to understand, control, and justify the use of emerging technologies, particularly where these technologies influence GxP decisions, regulated records, or regulatory submissions.

What is particularly welcome about this book is its practical orientation. While regulations and guidance are widely available, many organizations struggle to translate high‐level principles into consistent execution across diverse system types and life cycle stages. This work helps to bridge that gap. Through its structured approach and breadth of examples, from laboratory and manufacturing systems to enterprise platforms, infrastructure, cloud services, and data‐intensive digital architectures, it provides practitioners with a coherent framework grounded in real operational experience.

I would encourage readers to approach this book not simply as a compliance manual, but as a guide to building organizational capability. Capability means being able to explain, with confidence, how and why controls are proportionate to risk; demonstrating that systems are fit for their intended use; evidencing that data remain complete, consistent, and trustworthy throughout the data life cycle; and showing that the organization learns through effective management review, meaningful metrics, and a culture that treats issues as opportunities for improvement rather than occasions for blame.

In an era of increasing digital dependence, this capability is not optional. It is fundamental to protecting patients, safeguarding product quality, and maintaining trust in the organizations responsible for both. I commend this book to practitioners, managers, and auditors alike, and I hope it serves as a practical companion in building the right environment, technical, procedural, and cultural, for robust computer compliance and data integrity.

Tracy Moore

Former Expert GMP Inspector, UK Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)