Demystifying Process Improvement
In this article we focus on the innovation/NPD process and discuss how lean thinking can be used to simplify the process, accelerate time to market and drive increased profitability.
In this white paper we share our process improvement methods for successfully navigating business growing pains.
In this white paper we share our learning from working with several pharma and biotech companies in order to illustrate the best approach OPEX and continuous improvement in their highly regulated environment.
Insulin Pen assembly and packaging operation with throughput of 115 million pens per year. High error rate in batch records resulting in significant (weeks) delays, inventory build up awaiting release, and high level of QC effort spent resolving issues (4 hours per day)
56% error rate due to missing signatures, missing data, incorrect times and dates.
Unclear explanations for line stoppage and quality events.
Goal – Right First Time (RFT) for batch records of 75% by end 2013
Problem tackled using Rapid Improvement Kaizen approach.
50 improvements proposed.
15 improvements implemented during the event including:
Further 30 improvements actioned post the event since required validation for
compliance.
Assembly – RFT increased from 39% – >50%.
Packaging – RFT increased from 44% – >51%.
Trends suggest RFT target will be achieved by mid 2013 (6 months ahead of schedule).
Reduced QC workload allows 3 QC technicians to be transferred to new production
line.
Inventory reduced.
Estimated annual savings overall of 400,000 Eur.
The challenge was to find a way of dramatically reducing the inventory to provide space for the installation of a new coater and allow the sale of surplus land to pay for it. An across the board percentage inventory reduction was unlikely to succeed – previous stock reduction efforts had resulted in temporary reductions followed by unexpected stock outs and then a gradual drift back to high stocking levels.
A longer version of this case study appeared in UK Excellence Magazine
To establish process management structure and process excellence programme in
order to:
Standard Life wanted to run an in-house programme to build skills and
capability within the organisation.
Process Insight helped them in a number of ways:
Standard Life have run a very successful process excellence programme which won the ‘Best Start-up Programme’ at the European IQPC awards 2010.
They supported it by building their in-house process excellence skills and capability and now have strength and depth with well over 100 GBs, 30 BBs and 5 MBBs.
Process Insight have provided the in-house team with expert guidance and mentoring to build their skills allow the programme to flourish.
FujiFilm Diosynth Biotechnology have used Lean Sigma as the basis for driving strategic transformation. Learn more about the innovative approach they have used to take process excellence from ‘backroom to boardroom’ and adapt and tailor the Lean Sigma methods to suit different aspects of the business.
Rapidly growing in a dynamic and emerging market, the business is founded on high quality R and D and flexible and responsive manufacturing.
The main focus of the FujiFilm transformation has been to shift the organization’s ‘mindset’ to that of a service business. This has required a shift from traditional large corporate manufacturing thinking into a highly innovative, agile, customer-centric approach.
Key strategic challenges essential to drive growth and increase profitability have been addressed.
Saint Gobain Glass needed support to design and implement a programme to drive productivity improvement and share best practices between 37 float lines and 17 coating plants around the World. Lean Sigma was selected as the improvement method.
The objectives of the global programme were to:
Business impact over a 3 year period:
