Sketching Out the Hidden Lean Management Principles in the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

In Recent times, pharmaceutical companies are faced with the demanding tasks such as adjustments to the unstable and turbulent market in times of economic crisis as well as to meet the customer needs. The pharmaceutical industry, manufacturing in a current Good manufacturing practice (cGMP) environment has been slow to adopt the lean manufacturing unlike many sectors where it has been successfully deployed. One of the major concern for many pharmaceutical manufacturers looking to implement a lean methodology is how to integrate the Lean methods into its current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) environment, where the main aim to deliver a safe and effective medicinal product. In fact, Lean and cGMP go hand in hand as quality is sustained at a higher level with lower costs due to lean principles that are applied. This research study attempts to sketch out the hidden lean management principles existing in the pharmaceutical manufacturing and thereby improve the quality of products and services through the focused implementation of the lean principles.