Reducing the variability of compound management delivery using visual management systems.

The globalization and externalization of a pharmaceutical company's research and development (R&D) places considerable demands on its underpinning compound management (CM) capability. More robust CM workflows are needed to support higher demands and cross-continent supply chains. The tracking and visibility of compound orders progressing through CM processes has become crucial to ensure prompt and reliable delivery to customers and project timelines worldwide. AstraZeneca at Alderley Park UK has successfully introduced and integrated a visual management system into its CM processes to support the company's global R&D strategy. A simple, low-cost approach has been employed to track solid processing and solubilization orders. This reduced variability and end-to-end cycle times by decreasing waiting time between processing steps. The visual tracking system has been quick to implement, adaptable to change, and able to be owned and run by delivery teams. Introduction of the visual tracking system has resulted in significant improvements in order processing, both in terms of variability and speed. The percentage of orders processed within 24 h rose from 81.5% to 92.5%, and reductions of 50% and 17.5% in the average processing time were seen for solid dispense and solubilization orders, respectively.