Measurement approach for operational excellence

Every two years, the Foundation for Applied Quality Management SFAQ, founded by Prof. Dr. Hans Dieter Seghezzi, awards prizes to individuals who have made a special contribution to the promotion of integrated quality management. This year, the prize of 10,000 Swiss francs goes to Stephan Köhler. His dissertation on "Measuring Operational Excel- lence Performance - A Mixed-methods Con- ceptualization and Application in Pharmaceutical Quality Control Laboratories" was honored.

Close the research gap
The paper highlights a particular aspect of the pharmaceutical value chain: operational excellence in quality control laboratories. The laboratories are a not negligible bottleneck in the value chain. Therefore, in recent years there has been an increased interest in methods to improve the performance of such laboratories. One problem so far has been the lack of comparable data and benchmarks. This dissertation attempts to close this gap by developing a measurement approach for operational excellence on the one hand and applying it to practical examples on the other hand by means of case studies. "The multi-method approach pursued here makes it possible to show the connections between quality and operational excellence in quality control laboratories and to work out the associated need for action," the laudation states.

"High relevance"
Stephan Köhler completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in industrial engineering with a focus on mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University. His dissertation was written during his work as a research assistant and doctoral candidate at the Institute for Technology Management at the University of St. Gallen.

Mr Köhler, how did you come across this topic?
Stephan Koehler: The impetus came directly from the pharmaceutical industry. My doctoral supervisor, Prof. Dr. Thomas Friedli, certainly also played a part, as he gave me the necessary space to take up the topic at the beginning and also supported me in the uncertain initial phase.

What were the reactions from the industry? In the course of my work, I discovered that despite the key role played by quality control laboratories, operational excellence is not practiced everywhere in this area. The willingness of the industry to take the path to operational excellence in the laboratories in joint projects was high.

You have discussed that quality control la- bore is a bottleneck in the value chain, so to speak. Why is that?
The challenges lie in the usually high product release time pressure, the complexity-driven planning effort and the multiple responsibilities. The certification bodies and their approval criteria, which vary from country to country, also mean a great deal of effort.

In conclusion: Where do we go from here?
Benchmarking will be further expanded. For the transfer of knowledge and professional exchange, the exchange platform that was set up parallel to the dissertation will be continued. Personally, I will remain in research for another year as a post-doc and hand over the projects to my successors. I myself am aiming for a job in industry.