Meet Pfizer Inc. - 2019 Facility of the Year Project Execution Category Winner
Pfizer Inc. is the 2019 ISPE Facility of the Year Category Winner for Project Execution for their Pfizer Global Technology Center in Hangzhou, China.
Projects selected in this category recognize the application of novel tools and approaches to delivering projects that improved efficiencies, overcame unusual challenges, promoted effectiveness, and organized stakeholders and project team participants in ways that led to successful outcomes.
Pfizer, one of the world’s premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, applies science and global resources to bring therapies to patients to extend or significantly improve their lives and strives to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products. In collaboration with health care providers, governments and local communities, they help to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world.
This project, Pfizer’s first modular biological production facility, broke industry cost, schedule and safety records as a result of the incredible commitment and dedication from a global execution team. The Pfizer team was hand-picked by the Program Leader to ensure technical experience in all disciplines. The small but highly experienced team was empowered to make decisions based on their experience to keep the project moving forward and avoid rework. To achieve this feat, the Program Leader managed a vast array of stakeholders to “shield” the project team from the noise and delays. Decisions were made at the working team level, by team members with the proper experience which helped to avoid delays that come with elevating responsibility to higher levels of management. Once decisions were made, they were communicated to the entire team, and then closed out to avoid rework and maintain progress. To supplement the Pfizer project team, a global team of world class experts was chosen, including design, construction, qualification, and equipment vendors. This team was empowered to work collaboratively with each other and with Pfizer, in order to solve problems and streamline the project execution.
A key project driver to their success was an accelerated schedule, which was achieved by streamlining decision making and communication, and by empowering the team to develop time-saving solutions. Due to the accelerated schedule timeline, one of the unique coordination aspects of this project was the concurrent commissioning, qualification, and operation of the Drug Substance facility in the center of an ongoing, active construction site. This flexibility, in addition to careful logistical planning and open communication of the schedule, generated an unprecedented speed of completion for the Hangzhou Project which resulted in completion from strawberry field to producing mAbs development batches in just 25 months.
Another key factor in their success was the development of a robust program for safety training, reinforcement of safe work practices and reward system for safe work. The project was completed with a perfect safety record of Zero lost time accidents with over 2.7 million hours of site activity. Through complete buy-in from every member of our site team, the practice of daily engagement with safety principles and practices, and a series of rigorous safety protocols, we were able to deliver a facility that was under budget and ahead of schedule without sacrificing worker safety.
ISPE congratulates the Pfizer Inc. team for their achievements and their FOYA award winning entry for Project Execution. Learn more about the 2019 FOYA Project Execution Category winner.
Has your company recently designed, built or renovated a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical or biotechnology facility that is best in its class? ISPE is now accepting entries into the 2020 ISPE Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) Program, and your facility may be eligible to apply. Learn more about the Facility of the Year Awards submission process and your company could be the next Facility of the Year Awards Category winner.
Facility of the Year Awards Banquet
Join ISPE and prominent industry leaders as we recognize the 2019 Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) Category Winners for their innovation and creativity in pharmaceutical and biotechnology facility design, construction, and operation, at the FOYA Banquet on the evening of Sunday, 27 October 2019 in Las Vegas, NV during the 2019 ISPE Annual Meeting and Expo.
