Genzyme Inc.: Process Improvement

Lead time reduction- reducing the time between process initiation and process execution.

Adoption of cost effective production methods- the company will reduce its production costs significantly.

The pharmaceutical industry primarily deals with the manufacture and sale of drugs. Although not in all cases, manufacture of drugs usually employs the use of tissues and organs from living organisms. Process improvement is an important aspect when it comes to activities within the pharmaceutical industry. This is attributable to the fact that process improvement will directly translate to enhanced capacity for the various industry players to produce high quality drugs that have a higher capacity to tackle various diseases that normally affect the human body. There are various opportunities for process improvement within the pharmaceutical industry and the reduction of lead times is one of them. Lead-time is a terminology that basically refers to the time between process initiation and process execution. If this time is reduced, more drugs can be produced at any one single time and, thus, serve to increase the overall efficiency of the industry. Secondly, the manufacturing process can also be improved through adoption of cost effective but efficient production methods that will ensure a reduction in the cost of producing and purchasing drugs.

Process Improvement Opportunities for Genzyme Inc.

Reducing turnaround process from eight to six days.

Adopting cost cutting measures across the board.

Genzyme’s Inc. is a pharmaceutical organization that manufactures critical life extending drugs. Genzyme can improve its process by reducing the turnaround process from 8 to 6 days.

Genzyme can also reduce the cost that goes into producing the drugs by considering alternative but effective components that can be used for the manufacture of drugs.

• Prioritization
  • Critical processes
    • Critical processes accorded a higher priority than non-critical processes
  • Least critical Processes
    • Least Critical processes accorded the lowest priority

It is important for organizations’ top management to have an appropriate method of prioritizing their process improvement activities. Those processes that are considered as the most critical should be given the first priority and those that are considered as the least critical should be accorded the least priority.

First and foremost, Genzyme should put in place measures to reduce the lead time. Processes that are considered critical for informing the lead time should be examined first and measures taken to see how these processes can be reduced. Processes that are considered least critical should be examined last. Secondly, the company should research on various ways through which the overall cost of production can be reduced.

Genzyme Process improvement prioritization

• Lead time reduction.
  • Company adopt measures to reduce lead time.
• Cost reduction.
  • Company adopt measures to reduce overall production costs.