Business Process Improvement
Our Approach
We apply a data/fact-driven, customer focused, end-to-end approach which utilizes proven continuous improvement methodologies including Lean Process Mapping and Transactional Six-Sigma controls to drive effective, reliable, and repeatable business processes.
Case Examples
- Export shipments of biological products manufactured with raw materials of animal origin were being delayed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, negatively impacting sales to key biopharmaceutical customers in China, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. A Lean Value Stream flow diagram was used to identify all end-to-end process steps, required data inputs and outputs, decision points, and functional hand-offs, including all export/import regulatory and reporting requirements. With the new compliant and streamlined process in place, biological product exports were no longer impacted due to regulatory approval delays.
- T-minus six months to a major implementation of SAP, a business unit leadership team was informed by the lead project consultant that go-live risk was being identified as High (“Red”) due to physical inventory inaccuracy. This included raw material (RM) and work-in-process (WIP) inventories in all manufacturing work centers as well as finished goods (FG) in the central distribution center. A minimum 95% inventory accuracy threshold was set for the go/no-go decision. A team was quickly formed with representation from finance and operations, including remote manufacturing sites, to define and implement a structured, audit-ready, and sustainable inventory cycle counting program. The diverse scope ranged from discrete equipment and spare parts to weighed powders, microliters of expensive controlled-drug aliquots, perishable materials with two turns per day, and thousands of finished catalog items. With the cycle counting program in place, six months later both the 95% minimum accuracy goal and SAP go-live implementation were successfully achieved.
Additional Resources
Our extended team of highly experienced professionals offers additional expertise in Strategic Planning, Business Development, Channel Partner Contracting, Marketing, and Key Account Sales — further accelerating your company's ability to succeed.