Standardizing Across Different Business Units

When working in a multifaceted business such as pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturing you may come to find that each business unit is operated by a different team with different strategies, methodologies, and even business software for the manufacturing process. While from an outside perspective there may appear to be no harm in this practice, when it comes to managing multiple business units balancing so many different processes quickly becomes overwhelming.

As the market ever evolves, more focus has been brought on speed, consistency, and quality of output. In the fast-paced life sciences industry, organizations must be able to adapt and change to new regulations at the drop of a hat. When systems are fragmented it becomes easier for mistakes to be made and repeated across different lines resulting in costly remediations, higher maintenance costs, and unpredictable outcomes. 

To combat these issues, many corporations - both large and small - are beginning to incorporate standardization practices across their various organizational silos. This is due to the fact that companies who have implemented standardized practices have noticed cost savings, increased competitiveness, and improved customer satisfaction all because standardization practices enable predictability, uniformity, and consistency throughout the manufacturing process.

To implement standardization practices, many organizations have found it helpful to gather leaders from each business unit together and discuss each individual’s practices. From here you can see what processes are repeated in multiple areas and repeat them across the board, or discover practices that aren’t effective and replace them with new ones that are. Stretch goals and benchmarks can also be set here. These goals are often unachievable with fragmented business units but can easily be attained once the systems are working together.

Standardized business units can also create cost savings in regards to staffing as both internal and outsourced staff members can move from business unit to business unit with little to no training as the procedures and systems are only moderately different. This can also free up other staff members to work on projects that would have otherwise been put on hold or required outsourced staff to complete, increasing productivity without increasing manpower.

The task of standardizing might feel daunting, but with the right amount of creativity, collaboration and effort, the once seemingly impossible task can be completed allowing for exponential growth, cost savings, and increased output.