Towards increased productivity on an end-packaging line : A study performed at AstraZeneca

Abstract: Medications are essential to treat diseases and relieve patients of pain. Global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has been at the forefront of caring for patients by supplying them with medicines in the form of capsules, tablets, and inhalers. Their long-term goal is to cure as many patients as possible, and this study has been carried out with an interest in increasing productivity. The study was done at Blil19, an end packaging line at AstraZeneca Gärtuna in Sweden, which currently faces issues in downtimes. The study aims to learn how Blil19 functions, understand the types of problems that occur, As a result, a comprehensive discussion is provided on how modifications on the line would exponentially increase its productivity, and in turn increase AstraZeneca’s throughput of medicine. This study is built on both literature and interviews, with a blend of qualitative and quantitative data. A comprehensive theoretical background has been performed to inform about the practices within AstraZeneca’s organization and interviews with line operators of Blil19. The result of this study indicates that the top three downtimes Blil19 faces are due to unplanned stops, waiting, and changeover, which is the leading cause of loss of productivity, and the most crucial to study and reduce. The proposed changes consist in eliminating two format dimensions, increasing the knowledge of the operators about the machines, suggesting operator on-call, and adjusting the document adjustments to yield an accurate setting list.