Improving shop floor visualization and metrics

Within the Technical Operations division of Novartis Pharmaceuticals, there is an aggressive vision to be the "Toyota" of the Pharma Industry by 2010. To accomplish this, PharmOps Switzerland has embraced operational excellence, IQP (Innovation, Quality, and Productivity). Still, there is more that the site, and more specifically manufacturing, can do to fully realize the benefits of adopting all aspects of IQP. Currently, there is a lack of adequate visualization on the shop floor. The current status and schedule of production cannot be quickly seen at the tools where the work is being performed. This thesis focuses is on improving the visualization and creating a set of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and visual displays that will improve performance Change, especially cultural, is difficult and takes considerable time and effort. Even when changes are implemented slowly with small iterations, it might not be well received. Without a strong culture of continuous improvement, teams may not perceive that there are things that can be improved. Historical metrics are comfortable and useful to the shop floor. Visual metrics have improved communication.

Department dc:contributor.department

Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Lawler, Maureen E. (Maureen Elizabeth)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Roy Welsch and Charles Cooney.

• Sloan School of Management.
• Mechanical Engineering.
• Leaders for Global Operations Program.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/59163

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/59163