Transforming quality management at a pharmaceutical company: a digital leap forward

By Aneja Orlic, Henrik Gadegaard and Shanti Abelha

Situation

In the ever-evolving landscape of the pharmaceutical industry, the intersection of quality and efficiency remains a cornerstone of success. Valcon was presented with the opportunity to partner with a pharmaceutical company facing the typical challenge: their quality department was based on manual documentation processes that were not only labour-intensive but also susceptible to human error. Thus, the quality department has decided to embark on a transitioning journey from a predominantly manual and reactive way of working to ones that leverage digital innovation for proactive issue resolution. Despite the robustness of its existing processes, the company recognised the need for modernisation to minimise manual documentation, curb the inherent risk of errors and optimise its response to quality issues.

Approach

Valcon adopted a two-phased approach, progressing from identifying digitalisation potential to establishing a technical Proof-of-Concept (PoC).

During phase 1, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the department’s workflow, which revealed numerous challenges and identified repetitive tasks suitable for innovation. By harnessing our expertise in digitalisation and artificial intelligence, we meticulously uncovered over 25 significant opportunities for technological innovation. Each opportunity underwent rigorous and methodical evaluation with an emphasis on evaluating technical feasibility against the backdrop of available resources. Through this evaluative lens, a single initiative was selected for further development, its significant business impact and efficiency improvement potential.

In phase 2, we have custom-developed a PoC-developed tool providing real-time visibility into the whereabouts and status of batches within the manufacturing and procurement process. The tool, which was developed in just six weeks, increased the efficiency of quality release and enabled the quality organisation to gain a more accurate understanding of their data-based KPIs and introduce data-driven operational excellence. This involved conducting a technical feasibility assessment and developing the PoC. The PoC-developed solution was designed with simplicity and user-friendliness in mind.

Results

The phased approach successfully transitioned from identifying digitalisation potential to implementing a technical Proof-of-Concept solution that delivered:

  • Comprehensive batch tracking overview
  • User-driven functionality
  • Increased efficiency of quality release
  • A more accurate understanding of data-based KPIs
  • Introduction of data-driven operational excellence

We are now looking to further develop the solution.

Contact

For further insights on how our solutions can revolutionise your quality management processes, contact us today.

Aneja Orlic
[email protected]
+45 71 35 28 22

Henrik Gadegaard
[email protected]
+45 61 26 60 92

Shanti Abelha
[email protected]
+4520735795

Case Studies