Gilead Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative therapeutics in areas of unmet medical need. The company’s mission is to advance the care of patients suffering from life-threatening diseases worldwide.

Gilead Sciences manufacture solid oral dose medicines.  These products (for the treatment of hepatitis and HIV) are tested, packaged and distributed in the EMEA region.  Bulk tablets are shipped to the U.S. to be packaged for the U.S. market.

Company Name
Gilead SciencesIreland (UC)

Address

IDA Business & Technology Park, Carrigtohill, Co. Cork

Website

www.gilead.com

Consultant

Leading Edge Group

Lean Plus Project Objectives

Gilead is a growing company with a substantial new product introduction portfolio.  In order to position itself to take advantage of this growth it is vital that GSIUC focuses on improving the capability of the workforce to problem-solve and improve processes in a structured fashion.

  1. Improve on-time-in-full performance for non-direct, make-to-order customers in the EMEA region, from 40% to 95%. These customers are based in growing markets, thus it is strategically important that a step-change in performance is obtained.
  2. Improve the ability of the workforce to successfully and efeciently solve problems and improve processes thus enabling the sustainability of this improvement.
Key Challenges
  1. Changing the mind-set that such a dramatic step-change in performance can be achieved.
  2. Making the time to improve processes at a time when the company is experiencing a strong level of growth, launching new products.
Key Changes
  1. Introduction of a fixed repeating schedule in secondary packaging, based on customer demand.
  2. Standard work for the Supply Chain Planning Team, ensuring that all orders are processed in a timely fashion.
  3. Introduction of customer service level agreements, standardising agreed order lead times.
Results
  1. Non-direct OTIF of 100% achieved by April 2017 and maintained for May 2017 also, demonstrating a step-=change that is being maintained.
Quote

“We didn’t think we could get such a dramatic improvement in the timeframe we did.  Operational Excellence was at the heart of this improvement.”