ProModel hosted the 2nd Annual Conference for Capacity and Productivity Improvement in the Pharmaceutical Industry on October 10th and 11th at the Loews Hotel and Conference Center in the heart of historic Philadelphia, PA. Decision makers within R&D and Manufacturing gathered together for two intense days of interactive workshops and informative presentations that showcased how simulation technology can drastically improve decision making capability. The conference also proved to be a great opportunity for attendees to network, exchange information, and share best practices specific to simulation technology being used across the Pharma Industry.

Those in attendance represented the following companies:

From the very beginning, guests were able to get involved in the interactive workshops and model demonstrations, gaining hands- on experience using various ProModel tools. The Strategic Planning Workshop focused on the impact of different demands and capacities on long-term enterprise performance and how ProModel’s tools and methodology can empower Pharmaceutical companies to confidently and quickly assess this impact and make informed decisions. A Tactical/Operational Workshop was also available for those who were interested in learning how ProModel software can benefit the operational and manufacturing divisions of a Pharmaceutical company. Participants were shown how to accurately and quickly evaluate multiple alternative scenarios in a tactical situation, and then select the best course of action.

The conference also provided a chance for decision makers to learn from other professionals who are currently using ProModel tools, and allowed for those clients to showcase how simulation technology has improved their operations. Speakers from various Pharma companies including Pfizer, Merck, and Laureate, gave presentations highlighting the importance of simulation and the efficiency of ProModel software. Paul Kaladas, the Director of Technology Transfer at Laureate Pharma, demonstrated to his colleagues how Laureate analyzes their business processes and successfully captures them in a ProModel Portfolio Simulator model, giving them the ability to plan future projects taking into account capacity constraints and job variation. Another key speaker was Jim Velez from the Operational Excellence Group at Merck, who shared a high level view of Merck’s business process and how they determine which ProModel product to use. Chris Kelly, Associate Director at Pfizer, also explored how ProModel tools helped them explore a global effort to develop a validated resource model for a pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs organization.

Overall, the 2007 ProModel Pharma Conference in Philadelphia was a success and a great learning opportunity for all involved. Many in attendance agreed that the conference was a highly interactive and informative, as well as useful towards building a business simulator community. ProModel would like to thank all those who attended and helped make the event possible. We look forward to continue providing practical simulation solutions for you and your organization.

Downloads

Pharma Conference 2007 Pre-Conference Brochure

Pharma Conference Presentations:
(For download information please see note below.)

• Chris Kelley, Associate Director, Pfizer
  Predicting Resource Requirements for Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Trials
  This presentation will explore a global effort to develop a validated resource forecasting model for a pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs organization. It will also cover the development of a resource model for predicting resources to support large scale Clinical Trial work. The presentation will explore the process, challenges, and use of resource algorithms. Sample models and outputs employed to support management decision making will be integrated throughout the presentation.



• Bill Connell, Principal, Tunnell Consulting
  Utilizing ProModel Simulation to Improve the QA Function Process and to Improve the QC Lab Operation: Two Pharmaceutical Industry Case Studies
  This presentation will focus on 2 examples in the Pharmaceutical Industry where ProModel Simulation was used to diagram the QA function process in order to measure and improve the process and a separate model for a QC Laboratory to improve the effectiveness of the Lab, (layout, process steps, equipment and test procedures, queuing of samples, etc.). The simulation modeling capabilities of ProModel allowed these two clients to test different scenarios in order to determine the best solution for their Process and their Operation in the QA Function as well as in the QC Lab.



• Jim Velez, Operational Excellence Group, Merck
  Merck is in the process of a complete corporate transformation. One area of focus within Global Engineering Services is using simulation to help make key business decisions. Our current focus is providing discrete event models as a deliverable for every major capital project. Specific needs for each project are evaluated and based on level of complexity, rigor and detail; ProModel or Process Simulator is used. We will share a high level view of our business process & how we determine which ProModel product to use, when and why.



• Brian Reid, Director of International Strategies, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
  Supply Chain Modeling - Seeing the Whole Picture
  How using modeling to simulate all nodes of the supply chain have given insight into critical areas of risk, opportunity, and deficiency; and in doing so create value for the organization. Through modeling we have been begun to realize solutions that help drive decisions in business continuity planning, site and product strategy, logistics, SKU rationalization, and demand planning. These critical decisions are now able to be made with solid data that explores all of the possible options, based both on history and projection of future demand and strategy. Additionally, modeling has allowed us to see how changes to one part of a supply chain affect up and down stream nodes within the supply chain. These interactions and their affects are extremely crucial to making these critical decisions.



• Yavuz Burak Canbolat, PhD, Associate Manager, Decision Analysis, Merck
  Evaluating Emerging Drug Development Paradigms Using Simulation
  As with most major pharmaceutical companies, Merck is striving to reduce development cost and cycle time to discover and develop new medicines. Emerging Drug Development Paradigms such as Experimental Medicine offer great promise, but their impact on throughput, cost, time and value must be evaluated prior to implementation. The use of simulation can significantly enhance these evaluations by increasing R&D pipeline value through new drug development paradigms, optimizing new development paradigms implementation, and improving efficiency and sharpen insights to support decision-making.



• Paul M. Kaladas, PhD, Director, Technology Transfer, Laureate Pharma, Inc.
  Laureate Pharma is a contract manufacturer of protein biopharmaceutical products that performs a complete range of contract services from formulation and filling of customer provided compounds up to full development of production cell lines and all production processes for customer products. As such, jobs must be planned to ensure that their facility is as highly utilized as possible without over committing any one resource that would result in production delays, customer dissatisfaction and potential contract issues. Laureate Pharma will show how they analyze their business processes and successfully capture them in a Portfolio Simulator model and have the ability to plan their future projects taking into account capacity constraints and job variation.

To get copies of the actual presentations, please contact our Pharma Sales Team at PharmaVAO@promodel.com or 888-437-0925 or complete the form below.