A TechOps transformation accelerates product launch and creates a potential $1bn+ P&L impact

Vision

Protecting patients with better TechOps processes

For a global biotech, leading the field in infectious disease called for step change improvement in its TechOps capabilities across manufacturing, supply chain, and quality, to meet seasonal demand. It needed to bring its products to market quickly and reliably to protect patients from disease outbreaks.

Challenge

A quick pivot to seasonal readines

The company had recognized that current enterprise TechOps capabilities would not meet changing patient and business demands. Ongoing supply shortages and unpredictable lead times could result in delivery delays. And with a small window of seasonal peak demand, the probability of billions in lost sales, and an even more costly loss of trust with healthcare professionals and patients, risks had to be overcome.

But following a three-year period of rapid global growth and scaling TechOps operations, teams now faced a quick nine-month pivot to launch readiness. The company needed to confidently tackle SKU complexity, health authority approvals, private market access, and the interdependencies across supply, manufacturing, quality, and commercial operations.

Existing process improvements had reached varying stages. And a myriad of performance metrics hinted at incremental improvements. But it needed absolute certainty that process improvements would create a solid foundation for long-term growth and the application of automation and AI.

Solution

Putting patients and people first

For the Head of TechOps, our partnership meant easing the squeeze to give internal teams the space to do their best work. Our trusted outside-in perspective and collaborative team of TechOps and PMO experts helped build clarity and confidence in program delivery, empowered teams to deliver a new product to market in nine months, and supported delivery of future products.

Together, we took a five-step approach to launch readiness:

Step 1: Focused on the processes that matter most

We captured inputs from key stakeholders. And top-down and bottom-up insights provided the foundations for facilitated discussions. Using our proprietary Top Team Alignment methodology to validate the program’s potential and secure leadership buy-in, we narrowed the focus from 80+ processes to concentrate efforts on the top 13 most critical for success.

Step 2: Aligned across functions with confidence 

Cross-functional workstreams aligned to each initiative had an internal sponsor for ownership and a hybrid team of internal and Genioo expertise to drive change.

A ‘from to’ exercise, mapping where processes currently stood against the ambition, helped workstream teams see that step change and speed to value could be realized and built confidence in their ability to deliver such improvements in a short timescale. 

Step 3: Set up for success

Workstream set-up sprints enabled us to discuss cross-functional interdependencies, quickly assess resourcing needs, align on roles and responsibilities, and identify where specialist expertise might be needed.

Value stream mapping offered clear oversight of where lean operations and improvements in systems, data, and capacity/capabilities could deliver the most value and eliminate waste.

With clear scope and focus, we quantified program KPIs. And we mapped back from launch readiness to create a detailed milestone plan for each workstream with robust governance.

The design of a multi-pronged communication plan, from pulse checks to podcasts, would inform and engage broader TechOps teams in program progress to help embed change.

Step 4: Designed and implemented new processes

Workstreams co-created new processes, defining and designing them around shared best practice, industry experience, and proven process excellence – Six Sigma, and Agile frameworks. Each process underwent rigorous testing, piloting, and team training, closely monitored for early signs of performance improvement, before roll-out.

Step 5: Transition back to teams 

With implementation well under way, we began our transition back to the internal TechOps teams. Across each workstream, we identified future process owners, documented processes, and prepared a detailed timed transition plan for knowledge transfer and hyper care.

Impact

Ready for the season and the future

In nine months, our partnership delivered significant process improvements to achieve launch readiness. And working as one team, we helped the TechOps organization to:

• shift away from incremental process improvement across 80+ processes to step change improvements in 13 priority processes
• improve year-on-year performance by an average 2-3X across the most critical TechOps, supply chain, and quality KPIs, with some areas realizing far higher gains
• transition the program to internal functional process owners within 4-6 weeks post process roll out
• build its capabilities to accelerate launch with a potential P&L impact of $1bn+
• deliver a 30X ROI based on 2023 value creation.

Mobilization of 150+ employees and embedded capabilities to deliver performance step change will enable the business to realize continuous improvements and build a future-ready TechOps organization.