Operational Excellence plays an important role not only in Pharmaceutical sector and also in all other sectors. Whether one produces a Car or a Carrot, in today’s world, without Operational Excellence it is difficult to sustain in the market considering the serious competition.
The Pharmaceutical companies in India have realised that they have to strive beyond Compliance and aim for Operational Excellence. Their internal quality systems have to be designed to achieve Continual Improvement. Operational Excellence is recognized as the only competitive advantage since Quality has replaced costs as the differentiator. International pharma companies have recognized Indian companies and are treating them as their reliable partners in manufacturing. As to achieve Operational Excellence, pharma companies are increasingly turning to practice KAIZEN™ principles. This Article aims to shed light on how these strategies can optimize operations and ensure sustained growth and innovation.
Teamwork & Leadership
Each Organisation has a goal and they have teams to achieve their goals. It is the Leaders who ensure that they produce the results by following the right processes. Teamwork is the essential ingredient in achieving the Operational Excellence. All these teams work with one single objective of meeting their customer’s demands.
Leaders have to lead by example. They create the right paradigms and shift in the paradigms of their peers to practice Operational Excellence. Leaders as Coaches, groom their team and develop their capabilities as to achieve even better results. Leaders set the direction in Strat KAIZEN™ and the middle management use Value stream projects to transform the business processes and the Value adders adhere to this in Daily KAIZEN™.
KAIZEN™ Methodologies and Implementation:
Implementing KAIZEN™ in the pharmaceutical industry involves leveraging various methods and resources to achieve operational excellence:
- Facilitating Flow: Customers wants only 3 things – Products On time, In Full, and Error-Free. If we have to cater these 3 demands, we need to increase the Flow Efficiency in all the processes we do. This will happen by minimizing/ mitigating the non-value adding activities, pull-based production and efficient internal logistics
- Process excellence: We cannot change the results but we can change the processes that gets us the results. KAIZEN™ practices enable us seeking perfection in all the processes we do. Employing techniques to streamline processes, reduce cycle times, and boost productivity. This involves mapping out each step in the production process and identifying areas for improvement.
- Workplace Organisation: This is the DNA of any Continual Improvement initiative. This will enable us see the non-value adding activities at a glance. This will be applied as a problem solving initiative than a house-keeping initiative.
- Productive Maintenance: Resource Efficiency is the next in line. Using simple concepts like Autonomous Maintenance and Planned Maintenance, we will shift ourselves from Time Based Maintenance to Condition Based Maintenance. This will later get shifted to Predictive and Reliability Centered Maintenance
- Employee Training Programs: We are living in the world of exponential changes and hence upgrading our competencies and skills on a continuous basis is a must. KAIZEN™ encourages this. If we have to empower our employees, we have to educate them and if we have to educate, we have to engage them
- Visual Management: Effective Communications is the key. What else other than Visual Management ensures effective communication. Entire processes of the organisation are visually managed in a transparent manner that ensures the guarantee of achieving their goals on an hourly-basis.
Inputs Required
STRAT KAIZEN™
Every journey starts with the destination in mind. Strat KAIZEN™ sets the direction the organisation has to grow and by practicing Strat to Action, organisations not only achieve their goals but also the excellence in the process of seeking perfection in all the processes. Having set the directions, Goals are cascaded across all Tiers and individuals so that activities accomplished on a daily basis contributes to the goal. Real-time monitoring and review of Right Measures, Measures right ensures achieving Excellence
LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT
Leaders provide the requisite shift in the paradigms. They act as Coaches in grooming their teams and also lead by Example
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Actively involving employees at all levels in the KAIZEN™ process to harness their insights and foster a sense of ownership and commitment.
STANDARDISED PROCESSES
Establishing clear, standardized processes to ensure consistency, efficiency, and quality across all operations.
CONTINUAL TRAINING
Providing ongoing education and training for employees to develop their skills in KAIZEN™ methodologies and tools.
DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS
Utilizing data analytics to monitor performance, identify areas for improvement, and measure the impact of KAIZEN™ initiatives.
RESOURCE ALLOCATION
Ensuring that the necessary resources (time, budget, and personnel) are allocated to support continual improvement efforts.
FEEDBACK LOOP
Creating mechanisms for regular feedback and communication to ensure continual learning and adaptation.
Conclusion
The integration of KAIZEN™ principles and a focus on Opex optimization offer substantial benefits for the pharmaceutical industry, including cost reduction, improved quality control, increased efficiency, and enhanced innovation.
By embracing these strategies, pharma companies can achieve operational excellence and contribute to better healthcare outcomes. KAIZEN™ Institute is committed to supporting the pharmaceutical industry on this journey, providing the expertise and innovative approaches needed for success.
