Streamlined design: McLaren advice spurs lean thinking at GlaxoSmithKline GlaxoSmithKline launched an initiative to improve manufacturing efficiency at its plants around the world last month and looks set to extend a technology partnership with McLaren Applied Technologies.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has worked with McLaren since 2011 as part of a partnership that has seen the Formula One racing car maker provide advice and support to the pharmaceutical giant’s engineers and workers at UK manufacturing sites. This support has ranged from helping to solve manufacturing problems using simulation and rapid prototyping to encouraging ‘winning cultures’ within teams of workers.
The GSK Production System (GPS) is based on the application of lean thinking and approaches to the manufacturing process and has been influenced by work that the company has done with McLaren. Following the system’s success at UK plants, it is being rolled out at GSK’s 77 manufacturing sites in 32 countries, in which more than 27,000 people work.
David Lynch, head of engineering and environment for GSK, said the GPS was a result of internal development and learning from McLaren on supply chain management. “Its supply chain is set up to turn around parts, so they are on the race car every two weeks. The responsiveness we had in our supply chain was much longer. We realised we need to shape the partnerships with our suppliers to get the performance we need,” he said.
Lynch said there were clear gains to be had in improving GSK’s operations and that pharmaceutical manufacturing was typically “over-capacity, with lower performance thresholds” than manufacturing in other sectors. Pharmaceutical manufacturing is also heavily regulated, restricting what engineers can do.He said: “We looked at Toyota and sent people out there. But one of the things Toyota say is that you need to find your own production system. Our work with McLaren has been part of the journey to do just that – to define GSK’s production system.”
The partnership between GSK and McLaren is scheduled to end in 2016, but the company said that it would likely keep running owing to its ongoing success.
Geoff McGrath, vice-president at McLaren Applied Technologies, said: “This is a strategic partnership – two British companies helping each other. You will see more relationships of this nature, where the partner is a pioneer and brings us into its market.
“In two years’ time it could be in health, energy, automotive, transport. We’re working with some of the world’s biggest consumer brands,
but they are protective about saying who they are.”