Sweco Belgium
Challenge Accepted: how collaboration makes the difference in complex pharma projects
The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most complex and highly regulated sectors in the world. Production processes must be extremely precise while also complying with strict international regulations. This makes every new project a challenge.
In this episode of Challenge Accepted, host Geert Cools visits Organon, an international healthcare company with thousands of employees worldwide and a strong presence in the Benelux. Together with Jill Verhestraeten (Sweco), André Jacobs (Organon) and Bert Eeckels (Organon), he discusses how a pharmaceutical project gets started and why collaboration plays a crucial role in its success.
Available in Dutch on Apple and Spotify. Activate the English subtitles on YouTube to be part of the conversation.
Strong preparation makes the difference
Successful projects start with clear preparation. In this project, the focus was on upgrading the weighing & dispense department at the Heist-op-den-Berg site. In this department, raw materials are weighed and prepared for the production of medicines. Because this is a crucial step in the production process, reliability, safety and efficiency are essential.
Organon started with a business case and roadmap that defined the outlines of the project. Only after that were external partners involved.
Working together as one project team
One of the main success factors in the project is the integrated approach, in which the client and the engineering consultancy work as one project team.
Everyone in the project team takes responsibility for the end result. This sense of ownership brings possible bottlenecks to the surface more quickly, making them easier to solve efficiently. In addition, a good connection between the people involved makes a major difference in complex projects.
This is how the upgrade of the W&D unit, at the heart of the production site, is currently progressing without disrupting production.
The role of a process architect
In pharmaceutical projects, many different factors and parameters come together, relating to safety, compliance, sustainability, efficiency, ergonomics … in a sector that must meet very high hygiene standards.
The process architect plays a key role in bringing all these aspects together into a supported design solution. First, the process architect analyses how the production process is embedded. They identify what works well, where the bottlenecks are and where processes no longer fully align with new technology or regulations.
Based on that analysis, the process architect develops an optimal scenario.
In this project, that led for example to testing different technological solutions and reassessing certain assumptions. By carrying out this exercise early in the process, the team was able to make more targeted choices and select solutions that best matched the site’s needs, both technically and operationally.
In the end, it all comes down to people
In conclusion, the guests emphasise that successful projects ultimately revolve around people. Trust, open communication and shared responsibility ensure that teams collaborate more efficiently and move forward faster.
That collaboration forms the foundation for successfully delivering complex projects in sectors such as pharmaceuticals.
Listen to the episode
In this episode of Challenge Accepted, discover how collaboration, preparation and expertise come together in a complex pharmaceutical project.
Listen to the full conversation with Bert Eeckels, André Jacobs and Jill Verhestraeten, and discover how integrated collaboration can make the difference in industrial projects.
A podcast with visuals
New this year: Challenge Accepted can now also be watched on YouTube. This means you not only hear the conversations, but also see the people behind them. An extra layer of experience for anyone who wants to fully immerse themselves in these themes.
Listen or watch: the choice is yours
Whether you listen on the go or watch from home, this new season brings inspiring stories about today’s challenges and tomorrow’s solutions.
Listen to the episode via your favourite podcast channel or watch it now on YouTube.
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