The pharmaceutical industry has seen a positive growth following the world crisis in 2020. An increase in the aging populations and unhealthy lifestyles followed by many has led to increase in demand from the pharmaceutical sector. There is no scope of any errors in the manufacturing of drugs as it can be lethal and deadly. Pharma companies carry a heavy burden in terms of regulatory affairs and are intensively audited. Hence, it becomes important to establish new & improved approaches such as Visual Management to sustain the industry.
Lean techniques are relatively new in the pharmaceutical industries and have seen a rapid growth in the recent years. The consistency of the medicine as well as the machines manufacturing them is essential so that the end result is consistent, predictable and reliable. The process consistency can be ensured by the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Process Control Charts which facilitate the reduction of setup time, deletion of non-value-adding activities & minimizing inventory.
Inappropriate & unnecessary production procedure, overproduction, rejection and rework must be controlled to reduce waste production. The concept of clean room makes sure that hygiene is maintained and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) are implemented as per the guidelines set by FDA, and satisfy the requirements of Standards such as ISO15378 and ISO13485. A safe working environment for the employees is necessary and adequate safety measures must be taken accordingly. Apart from this, Storage of drugs is also an important aspect to maintain the standards and consistency.
The effective visualization of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Work Instructions explaining good manufacturing practices (GMP) proves to be a more efficient way of communicating them. Informative Boards such as Process Control charts and performance monitoring boards consisting of the key performance indicators (KPI) helps in tracking the Performance and quality of work. Safety and hygiene instructions, Compliance boards, visuals on Do’s and Don’ts at the workplace, Traceability monitoring boards, Area identification boards, safety signs, floor signs, and various other visuals create a mistake-proof and safe environment.
The Scientific and professional approach of Visualmitra in Facility Visual Management (FVM) Project Execution at industries in the pharma sector through the use of visual tools has resulted in cultural upgrade and improvement in business performance of the organization.
