CDMO Employs Cloud-Based Digital Factory Technology

A “top-10” Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) is implementing Supply Chain Wizard’s (SCW) OEE Tracker, an analytics-based IoT cloud application designed to improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) for pharmaceutical packaging and manufacturing lines in a cost-effective, easy-to-deploy fashion.

The CDMO is involved in the development and manufacturing life cycle serving hundreds of pharmaceutical and biotech companies of all sizes around the world. It conducted a thorough evaluation and competitive pilot process before deciding to initiate SCW’s OEE Tracker in 2017 at two facilities in North America, on both manufacturing and packaging lines. Implementation at other sites is planned for the near future.

“Supply Chain Wizard’s OEE Tracker is a smart tool that helps improve communication between our line operators, engineers and managers—and allows us to make data-driven decisions that enhance efficiency and productivity,” says the CDMO’s Head of Global Engineering & Technology. “We view implementation of the OEE Tracker as a first step toward the journey of full digital factory transformation and appreciate the technology and thought partnership of Supply Chain Wizard.”

The CDMO’s use of the line efficiency monitoring and analytics product follows its installation and implementation of a system-wide serialization platform for compliance with upcoming track-and-trace mandates, primarily in the U.S. and E.U.

As a contract manufacturer with a global network of more than two dozen facilities and offices, the CDMO is positioning itself not only for compliance, but also for future digital transformation to set itself apart amid ever-evolving customer demands for cost efficiency, service and innovation.

OEE Tracker is designed to replace the Excel files and manual recordkeeping still prevalent on many production sites. It enhances productivity by relieving managers of laborious data gathering, reporting and analysis by digitally exposing root causes of down times. For example, site managers can use OEE Tracker to encourage regular meetings with production teams regarding live results or exceptions (i.e., deviations from standards performance metrics); compare line and site performance; visualize key performance indicators, and track work orders and schedules. In doing so, they support operators and supervisors in targeting the root causes of bottlenecks and downtime to boost overall efficiency.