Lean Six Sigma in R&D

Posted by: meikah | 23 July 2009 | 7:56 pm

An article on PharmExec shows us how Lean Six Sigma can be applied to research and development (R&D). First let’s consider these questions:

• What would happen to the productivity of your researchers if they could eliminate 50 percent of their non–value-added activities?
• How much would your company benefit by reducing cycle time of first-phase clinical trials by 20 percent? What would you gain if late-stage clinical trial data also could be obtained 20 percent faster?
• How much would utilization rise if your company could dramatically speed access to lab results and clinical supplies?

And according to the article, this is how Lean Six Sigma can help:

Integrating these two proven methodologies—Lean (speed) and Six Sigma (quality)— Lean Six Sigma draws on a wide range of tools and techniques from both methodologies. Pharmaceutical firms that use this management discipline are seeing results in terms of increased operational speed, improved quality, reduced costs, and enhanced customer satisfaction. By automating manual activities, driving out non–value-added activities, and streamlining complex process flows, Lean Six Sigma projects can free scientists from routine administrative and compliance tasks, allowing them to focus on innovation. That could be a potent prescription for R&D.

An estimated two-thirds of top pharmaceutical companies have already implemented Lean Six Sigma programs, with Eli Lilly and Johnson & Johnson having launched some of the industry’s earliest projects. Other branded companies followed in recent years with programs on the technical operations side, and some on the commercial side, with a much lower percentage of projects in R&D.

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