Concept of Six Sigma in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Abstract

Six-sigma process that analyses the flaws and shortcomings in a company. It aids a company in producing a quality product at a lesser cost that would satisfy the client. This idea mostly uses two approaches DMAIC, [Define, Measure, Analyz e, Improve, Control] which corrects flaws in current processes, and DMADV [Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify] which starts a new process when the old one entirely fails to accomplish its goals and objective. The tools and techniques used in this article include flow charts, check lists, pareto diagrams, causes and effects diagrams, scatted diagrams, histograms, and statistical process control. Six Sigma's tools and procedures are assessed to determine whether they are being implemented in a way that helps customers. The client benefits, such as improved financial assistance for new development projects, lower prices, quick market deliveries, increased product quality are measured using the key performance indicators. As a result of these characteristics, numerous organizations have adopted six sigma, nevertheless, only a small number of the pharmaceutical companies who are members of the ISSSP [International Society for Six Sigma Professionals] are named, including Baxter, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis. Six sigma deployment is entirely dependent on management and the supporting infrastructure, but it is equally applicable to research and development. It corrects flaws, sets objectives, and specifies how to integrate R&D into corporate objectives. Organizations who have adopted the Six sigma idea in their quest for perfection have seen a 20% increase in profits, 40% growth in market share per year, Costs of production for sales are down 10%. From an average of 35000 faults per million operations to an almost Non existing 3.4 defects per million activities, there has been a drop in defects.