Prescription for Efficiency: A Pharmaceutical Plant’s Productivity Cure
increase in available production time
boost in overall operational efficiency
reduction in non-value-added activities and process waste
The Challenge
At a major pharmaceutical manufacturer in Indonesia, the production floor was under pressure. Despite high demand, significant time was being lost to manual paperwork, shift coordination, cleaning procedures, and changeover delays—especially in coating and imprinting processes.
Daily operations were burdened by:
Manual, time-consuming documentation between production steps
Long cleaning cycles (both major and minor) that disrupted flow
Inefficient coordination across shifts and teams
Extended setup and changeover times that led to idle machines
The result: lost throughput, overworked staff, and underutilized capacity in a tightly regulated, time-sensitive industry.
SSCX Approach
SSCX stepped in with a Lean-driven transformation approach focused on improving process efficiency, documentation workflow, and shop-floor behavior. The initiative combined:
Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to identify bottlenecks and non-value-added steps
5S implementation to organize the production floor and reduce wasted motion
Kaizen sessions involving operators to generate continuous improvement ideas
The engagement was collaborative, structured, and grounded in real operational data.
Exploration & Validation
To ensure interventions addressed the real problems, SSCX conducted deep field diagnostics:
Time observation studies revealed how much production time was lost to manual entries and poorly sequenced cleaning
Value-added analysis categorized every activity in the process—revealing excessive time spent on tasks that didn’t contribute to output
Pilot experiments tested streamlined documentation formats and adjusted cleaning SOPs, proving measurable time savings before full-scale rollout
One root cause stood out: manual documentation created excessive administrative load, especially during peak hours. Another key finding: inefficient cleaning routines added unnecessary downtime between batches.
The Solution
SSCX and the internal team co-developed practical solutions with immediate impact:
🔹 Documentation Streamlining
Designed and rolled out a new batch record format, simplifying manual inputs
Prepared groundwork for future digitalization, reducing clerical errors and delays
🔹 Cleaning Optimization
Revised and standardized cleaning procedures, eliminating redundant steps
Implemented visual controls and SOP timing benchmarks
🔹 Changeover Efficiency
Synchronized setup routines across shifts
Reduced duplication of effort during handovers
Importantly, the approach built internal capability—operators were coached to sustain these improvements and spot new opportunities proactively.
The Result
The transformation was felt immediately on the production floor:
⏱️ 34% more available production time, reclaiming lost hours from excessive documentation and uncoordinated cleaning
⚙️ 16% improvement in operational efficiency, with smoother shift transitions and faster setup
♻️ 23% reduction in process waste, as non-value-added activities were minimized or eliminated altogether
Operators reported reduced stress, fewer backlogs, and greater clarity in daily execution. Production capacity increased without new assets—just better use of time and energy.
What We Learned
This case shows how productivity breakthroughs don’t always require major investments—sometimes, the answer lies in removing friction from everyday routines.
With a combination of structured Lean tools and genuine shop-floor engagement, SSCX helped this pharmaceutical client unlock capacity, restore flow, and build a foundation for ongoing efficiency.
The real cure? A culture that treats every wasted second as something worth healing.
