GSK Lab Capacity Planning: Saving Millions, Building Resilience
For lab capacity planning, GSK partnered with Decision Lab to build a digital twin of their new multi-million pound facility. The result? A 20% reduction in CAPEX, faster project approval, and an antifragile system ready for whatever the future holds.
In a world of volatile demand and stringent regulatory standards, GSK embarked on a lab capacity planning project for a multi-million-pound new sterile manufacturing facility in Parma, Italy.
The challenge was immense: how to ensure a continuous supply of critical biopharmaceutical drugs during the construction phase while designing a facility robust enough to handle future uncertainties. This case study explores how Decision Lab partnered with GSK to create a dynamic simulation model, a digital twin that not only optimised the facility’s design for efficiency and cost-effectiveness but also laid the foundation for an antifragile production system.
The Lab Capacity Planning Challenge: Navigating Complexity and Uncertainty
The GSK Parma facility is a cornerstone of their global manufacturing network, specialising in bringing new biopharmaceutical products to market. The need to upgrade their sterile production line to meet new regulatory requirements presented a significant operational and financial challenge. The primary concerns were:
- Minimising Supply Chain Risk: The construction of the new facility could not disrupt the supply of crucial drugs to patients worldwide.
- Managing Volatile Demand: The demand for biopharmaceutical products is notoriously difficult to predict, and the new facility needed to be able to adapt to these fluctuations.
- Optimising Investment: With a multi-million-pound investment at stake, every decision regarding equipment, staffing, and operational procedures needed to be thoroughly vetted to maximise return and minimise waste.
To address these challenges, GSK recognised the need for a powerful decision-support tool that could provide a clear vision of the future facility’s performance before a single brick was laid. They turned to Decision Lab and the power of simulation modelling.
The Solution: A Digital Twin for a Dynamic Future
Decision Lab, in close collaboration with over 30 experts from GSK, developed a sophisticated simulation model using AnyLogic software (see their case study). This wasn’t just a static blueprint; it was a living, breathing digital twin of the future production facility. The solution was delivered in two phases:
- Phase 1: Process Modelling: This phase focused on creating a detailed discrete-event simulation of the entire production process, from compounding to crimping. This allowed for the analysis of complex interactions between machinery, staff, and various production scenarios. The model accounted for a vast array of parameters, including equipment size and capacity, staffing levels, shift patterns, and cleaning schedules.
- Phase 2: Visualisation and the Digital Twin: The second phase brought the model to life. By importing CAD files, Decision Lab created a visually rich, 2D and 3D representation of the facility. This digital twin included features like operator-activity heatmaps to optimise cleaning protocols in the sterile environment and Gantt charts to visualise production schedules. This enhanced visualisation was crucial for engaging stakeholders at all levels, transforming the model from a “black box” into a transparent and intuitive decision-making tool.
This powerful simulation allowed GSK to:
- Explore What-If Scenarios: The model was used to evaluate over 200 different business scenarios, testing various facility designs and operational strategies in a risk-free environment. This enabled them to identify potential bottlenecks and process sensitivities before they became costly realities.
- Optimise Resource Allocation: The simulation provided precise answers to critical questions about the optimal number and type of machines, staffing levels, and batching patterns. This data-driven approach ensured that the facility was designed for maximum efficiency and throughput.
- Build a Compelling Business Case: The detailed insights generated by the model provided a solid foundation for the business case, smoothing the approval process and allowing the project to move forward without delays.
The Results: A 20% Reduction in CAPEX and a Foundation for Antifragility
The collaboration between Decision Lab and GSK yielded impressive results:
- 20% Projected Reduction in Capital Expenditure: By accurately sizing equipment and avoiding over-purchasing, the simulation model is expected to reduce capital expenditure by a significant 20%. This translates to a double-digit reduction in CAPEX, a testament to the power of data-driven decision-making.
- Increased Confidence and Faster Approval: The robustness of the model and the clarity of its outputs instilled a high level of confidence in the project, leading to a faster approval timeline.
- A Tool for the Future: The digital twin is not a one-off solution. GSK plans to continue using the model for ongoing planning and to explore the potential of machine learning for further process optimisation. The model has the capability to be extended to people and material flow for the final operational layout.
This lab capacity planning project is a prime example of how simulation can be used to build antifragility into a manufacturing system. Coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, antifragility is the property of systems that thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors. By creating a digital twin, GSK was able to subject their future facility to a wide range of stressors and scenarios in a virtual environment. This allowed them to identify and address potential weaknesses, designing a system that is not just robust to change but can actually benefit from it. The ability to quickly re-evaluate capacity requirements in response to fluctuating demand forecasts is a key characteristic of an antifragile system.
In the broader context of production and capacity planning, this project highlights a paradigm shift. Traditional, static planning methods are no longer sufficient in today’s dynamic and uncertain world. The future belongs to dynamic, data-driven approaches that embrace complexity and provide the foresight needed to make informed decisions. The GSK Parma lab capacity planning project is a powerful demonstration of how simulation and digital twin technology can empower organisations to not only survive but thrive in the face of uncertainty, building the resilient and antifragile production systems of the future.
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