Lean Six Sigma Could Up Pharmaceutical Industry’s Process Improvements

According to a recent report from CPhI — a group devoted to supporting growth and innovation in the pharmaceutical supply chain — the pharmaceutical industry must do more to initiate improvements to its manufacturing processes and create efficiencies in order to drive down costs while improving profits and drug quality. These improvements, which include implementing Lean Six Sigma methodologies, will better serve the industry and its customers than process changes that are put in place through regulation will, the report stated.

Currently, CPhI noted, most pharmaceutical companies are utilizing some manufacturing process improvements, including 12 percent who use six sigma. However, with 70 percent of these companies investing in manufacturing this year, nearly half of the companies introducing three or more new products in the past year, and 59 percent hiring more staff, more must be done.

Overall, the industry is a healthy one, with only 4 percent of companies planning reductions in staff. CPhI stated that the industry’s biggest manufacturing goals should be increasing process efficiencies and safety, and it believes that if just one big pharmaceutical company begins reaping the benefits of process improvements, the other companies will follow.

Increasing efficiency is one of the main benefits to Lean Six Sigma, and it’s one of the cornerstones to cutting costs in business and improving customer satisfaction. The principles of Lean Six Sigma aren’t just for big pharmaceutical companies or for manufacturing plants, though they’re certainly helpful in those arenas. They can help your business too.