Performance metrics available for pharmaceutical gap analyses

Chapel Hill, NC—A new study, 'Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Cost, Staffing and Utilization Metrics,' by Best Practices LLC contains performance metrics drawn from interviews and surveys of 11 plants at nine pharmaceutical companies. These metrics enable companies to perform gap analyses to assess manufacturing performance and identify improvement opportunities.

By Control Engineering Staff September 9, 2003

Chapel Hill, NC— A new study by pharmaceutical research firm Best Practices LLC contains performance metrics that enable companies to perform gap analyses to assess manufacturing performance and identify improvement opportunities. The study, ‘Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Cost, Staffing & Utilization Metrics,’ is available at www3.best-in-class.com/rr175.htm .

This study contains operational metrics from several of North America’s top-performing pharmaceutical manufacturing plants. The leading practices, managerial insights and benchmark metrics in this study are drawn from interviews and surveys with 11 plants at nine pharmaceutical companies. Some of its findings include:

Capacity utilization is a key driver in cost management and production efficiency. Those facilities getting the most out of their equipment tend to perform better in most categories measured in this study; and

Too much variety in product types can lead to underutilized equipment and diluted management, maintenance, and quality focus. For most companies, focusing on one type of manufacturing process, or a limited line of products, yields significant efficiencies, economies of scale, and a fine-tuned operational excellence.

‘A solid understanding of manufacturing costs among world-class companies is the first step in evaluating a company’s own current practices,’ says Keith Symmers,

Control Engineering Daily News DeskJim Montague, news editorjmontague@reedbusiness.com