Case study: Steadily growing biotech firm ramps up for rapid increase in product volume through supply chain business process improvements
Problem: Biotech firm’s supply chain stretched to capacity and beyond by rapidly growing product sales and volume
A biotech firm was growing steadily. Because product volume was increasing rapidly, and supply chain complexity was growing, too. Soon processes that had worked in the past to ensure excellent product quality and consistent product availability were not going to be adequate to handle the continuing challenges of high growth.
Solution: Create a business process improvement team to identify and lead improvement and capacity increases for all major supply chain processes
Design a group to lead business process improvement in the supply chain, using process design, improvement and effective process management practices. I was asked to take this project because I had created business process improvement groups inside other organizations in an “entrepreneur for hire” role. The initial phases of this project included choosing the methodology they would use and teach through their work with client teams, and helping the leadership team prepare for and then hire the full business process improvement team. I was also responsible for creating the training strategy and materials for the team, while overseeing their work for the first few months. I helped create a website they would use to provide process improvement tools and resources for clients.
The first challenge and deliverable of this project was to create a vision and strategy for the team, one that would take early ideas to full fruition. These dreams, progressively, became full-fledged concepts that enabled them to have consistent, high-impact success as a group. Next, the vision needed to be “grounded,” taking shape through specific plans and actions. Beginning with benchmarking and research, we chose the Lean Six Sigma management strategy and tools to prepare for hiring the full team who would fill the newly-created roles within the department and division.
We armed the leadership team with hiring tools to make the hiring process as easy, yet as comprehensive and effective as possible. With specialized plans and questions, we were able to choose the most qualified candidates to meet the needs of the new department’s many customers who worked at all levels of the supply chain organization. As members of the new team came onboard, I refined the training to respond to the needs of the new hires, based on their prior experience and existing skills.
Although the team was taking shape nicely with fine-tuned planning, training, and advising, they were a team without a permanent coach. Since the perfect director was yet to be found, we didn’t want to leave the new, eager employees in a potentially lengthy holding pattern. Therefore, we planned a weeklong team training and kickoff event. This training and teambuilding experience enabled the team to get started with improvements in the supply chain organization right away. The team took charge of their first process improvement projects while the search for the permanent leader continued.
In light of the team launch sequence as it actually developed compared to how we thought it would, we proceeded to create the team structure, processes, methodology, project tools, and training that would prepare the new leader and team for long-term success. The goal was to allow the new director to step right in, with little need to back up and “redo” details of the launch. In this manner, the team would be able to move and grow naturally, succinctly. We carefully considered the future leader, whomever he or she might be, and this specific team as we made each strategic design and implementation decision.
With the team now up and running, I was asked to guide them, as need be, until a permanent hire was made. We planned and created the initial department website, full of process improvement tools, various online training materials, and templates for each phase of the Lean Six Sigma process. The site also included a process and tools to capture information about each project, including what was planned, what was done, what was learned and what was improved. This information became valuable for future projects, clients, and teams. It also helped the business process improvement team to model the continuous improvement process for others, through the work they were doing, themselves.
Finally, I helped the team to transition to the new director's leadership, once he was hired. Very soon they were off and running productively, as a full team, on their own, and the project was complete.
Results: Team startup success leads to significant supply chain improvements and becomes a model others emulate as they strive to increase capacity and ensure consistent quality through process improvements
The new group quickly became a strong force for positive process change and management within different levels of the organization. The business process improvement group, and the results they helped the supply chain organization achieve, became a model that others emulated.
When I asked the senior director how the group was doing two years later, she said, with a big smile on her face, “The process improvement group, and the way we set it up, was one of the best things we ever did!”
Although team members eventually moved on to other jobs within a few years, the positive impact of our reorganization was extended to other divisions of the organization. This company used the Lean Six Sigma business process improvement methodology, tools and practices very successfully.