Pfizer Havant packs and distributes medicines that immunise children against pneumococcal disease and also treat severe rheumatoid arthritis. Its improvement drive has not only doubled distribution volume, increased the site’s product portfolio and allowed the organisation to exceed customer expectations; it has also produced significant savings. Inventory obsolesce has reduced by 40% and the formulation of a new stable shipping schedule is expected to reduce the plant’s freight budget by 10%.

Jon Sinnott, Supply Chain Solutions Lead at Havant says: “We’ve doubled vaccine output while still running the same shift pattern. Class A has driven us to improve our product mix and the lines we’re packing each SKU on…we plan better and have removed waiting time from the schedule.”

A total of 2.7 million people in Britain and 40 million people around the world take Pfizer medicines every day. The site at Havant, which employs 320 staff, began working with Oliver Wight after seeing the success of the Class A programme at Pfizer’s site in Freiberg, Germany.

Pfizer Havant was awarded the Class A milestone for Capable Integrated Business Planning (IBP), just seven months in to the programme. Ian Morris, Planning and Customer Relations Manager believes introducing a stable Master Production Schedule (MPS) was a major step forwards. “When we started out levels of performance were as low as 5%; we’re now consistently above 95%. The first 100% was beautiful; people were really proud.”

Warehouse and Logistics Operations Manager, Stewart Prince comments: “We are now processing twice as many pallets and shipments, and completing more than double the number of transactions as before – yet it doesn’t feel twice as difficult.”

Pfizer Havant has just been successfully reaccredited by Oliver Wight for Capable IBP and is now investigating another milestone assessment, Capable Product and Services.