Company
A leading global and independent biotechnology company with more than $5 billion in revenue. The company researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes new products, with a specialization in drugs for neurological disorders, autoimmune disorders and cancer.
Challenge
- In the immediate and long-term facility planning, external manufacturing contracts were creating uncertainty about storage (i.e., ambient, cold, and hazmat) and capacity requirements.
- The company’s North Carolina site was in need of a plan for consolidating and optimizing the warehousing of materials – raw materials, components, intermediates, and finished goods warehousing functions – for the next five years.
- An existing warehouse would also need converting into production, allowing for the projected internal growth.
Tompkins’ Role
- Develop the most efficient, flexible, and cost justified five-year warehouse strategy.
- Conduct an assessment of space options for warehouse automation, space optimization, and off-site storage.
- Define the total space requirements that meet the required optimization of existing space.
- Ensure all storage conditions, product segregation, redundancy, and types – water-reactive, flammable, current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) storage, acids, bases, and liquid storage options – are fully addressed.
- Identify material flow, labor models, operational best practices and labor realignment opportunities from receipt of goods to finished goods shipments.
The Results
- Resolved significant long-term cooler and freezer capacity constraints, as well as overall warehouse expansion, including increased hazmat and flammable segregation.
- Created a model of convertible cooler and freezer boxes that met specific contract storage demands without building excess capacity.
- Established a list of short- and long-term initiatives, providing strategic use of capital and resources.
