PlantQuest embarked on a project at one of Europe's largest oral solid dose pharmaceutical sites in Ireland, a sprawling brownfield site initially built in 1992. This endeavor showcased the transformative potential of mobile asset tracking and PlantQuest's asset mapping solutions. The implementation yielded a remarkable Return on Investment within months, resulting in an impressive annual efficiency gain of €1,070,000.

The Challenge

To improve operational efficiency and manage the challenges with Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs), below are a list of key requirements our client had o optimise production and eliminate waste.

1. Introduce an advanced system to track and optimize mobile production vessels.
2. Implement the system in two buildings to streamline IBC handling and movement.
3. Scaling IBC inventory from 25 to accommodate a 50% market-driven increase.
4. Cut inefficiencies and delays,related to IBC turnaround and clean campaign issues.
5. Enhance IBC tracking across buildings and areas for improved location clarity.
6. Reduce bottlenecks and downtime by improving IBC movement visibility.

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The Solution

PlantQuest’s solution was not just to track IBCs but to provide comprehensive visibility and alerts on their status. This included monitoring the number of days remaining in a clean campaign and the hold time of the assets, whether dirty or clean. The aim was to establish a future state where the exact location and availability of each asset was known, helping to prevent equipment waiting times and unnecessary downtime due to difficulty locating the assets– a significant capacity loss in the the manufacturing process.

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The Outcome

The metrics speak volumes about the effectiveness of the solution delivered:

• A 50% reduction in waiting times for mobile vessels, translating into annual savings of €45,000 annually.
• A 50% decrease in IBCs exceeding clean campaign or hold times, preventing up to 4 investigations as seen in the year previous to deployment, saving €100,000 annually.
• Avoidance of batch loss costs, with a 50% reduction in lost time enabling the capacity for an additional 37 batches, leading to savings of €925,000 annually.

Through this project, PlantQuest has not only enhanced the current operational landscape but also laid the groundwork for continuous improvement and future expansions.