Biopharm Services has supported BioPhorum by modelling manufacturing options to identify the cost drivers and potential of technology options to meet these challenges. The Manufacturing technology roadmap tool allows users to view detailed outputs for baseline scenarios, interrogate and compare the options and access a set of benchmark baseline processes that represent an industry consensus for the first time.
This article looks at the role of technology in the workplace and specifically how the Senior BioPhorum Connect group is addressing issues such as the use of remote working technologies, cyber security and digitizing the cGMP space.
The Best Practice in Adoption of New Technologies workstream was formed in late 2019, and is seeking to deliver on a best practice framework for adoption of technologies into manufacturing environments. The biopharmaceutical industry is risk-averse when considering adoption of new technologies onto production lines. Key contributors to this have been identified as including, a need for improvement in business case assessment, a need for better alignment of stakeholders throughout the technology adoption process, both within organizations (Business vs. R&D vs. Operations) and across multiple organisations and a perception that working with regulatory agencies can be challenging. The team have shared case studies on technology governance process and practice and are now working to create a collaborative best practice playbook for biomanufacturing This playbook will provide cross-industry guidance on stakeholder engagement and risk management, and best practice in building of technology business cases across multiple functions. The guidance will be able to be applied both within an organization, and collaboratively, enabling acceleration of new technology adoption across the industry.
The Digital Technologies Roadmapping team are seeking to apply a digital lens to the roadmap vision outlined in the Technology Roadmap and creating the same level of future vision for digital technologies that has existed for other biomanufacturing tech and approaches since 2017.
To date the lack of a digital roadmap means it has been difficult to understand where technology gaps and interdependencies exist and it is challenging to coordinate implementation activities across functional areas. Biomanufacturers need clarity regarding on the needs, standardization and implementation of digital technologies across the industry.
A practical roadmapping methodology is being applied to a number of digital topics, with the team focussing on Data Flow and Data Integrity in the first phase. The analysis that the team has completed to date is available for phorum members here.
The data required to improve process performance and make better manufacturing operational decisions exists today, but in far too many cases it is scattered across multiple systems and exists in a wide variety of formats rendering it difficult if not close to impossible to assemble into context for evaluation, reporting and decision support. In too many facilities production, operations and quality management personnel spend the majority of their time gathering and contextualizing data rather than using consolidated data in context to imnorm the improvement process.
The Big Data to Smart Data team are building on the opportunities first highlighted in the Automated Facilities Roadmap by developing an industry standard taxonomy / indexing approach for data sources, and proposing an architectural solution to add context to data when first created. Delivering direct benefits by reducing investigation and analysis timelines.
The goals of an effective in-line monitoring and real time release testing (ILM-RTRT) and predictive modelling strategy are to leverage enhanced process understanding, risk mitigation and process control improvement to reduce the reliance on end product testing while improving early detection of catastrophic failure. Additionally, ILM and RTRT will enable cost reductions, product and process consistency and speed to market while enabling continuous improvement. But of the multitude of critical quality attributes and critical process parameters, which should be prioritized first for transition from off-line monitoring to in-line/on-line/at-line monitoring?
This paper not only answers the prioritization question but also provides supporting quantitative business case information along with technology-agnostic User Requirement Specifications (URS) for each of the attributes to serve as a guide for technology suppliers in the development of systems that will meet industry standards for ILM and RTRT.
This User Requirements Specification (URS) document will provide a starting point for the biopharmaceutical industry to build true knowledge management (KM) capability. It is intended to help solutions providers innovate in the area of relevant tools and systems by providing guidance on the specific needs of operating companies. The design, implementation and maintenance of a comprehensive KM platform, solution or system is a complicated undertaking — this is because it should ultimately span many functions, disciplines, business processes and all products over their respective lifecycles.
The management of knowledge in biopharmaceutical organizations has been recognized as an important challenge over recent years. Defining the pain points and designing successful knowledge management (KM) solutions have proven difficult. To address this challenge, BioPhorum Technology Roadmapping applied a KM best practice methodology to capture a process-based knowledge map for a major business process; this was performed by companies who develop and commercialize new therapies. The resulting assessment of knowledge flows revealed that there are significant challenges to both explicit and tacit knowledge flow across the control strategy and method development / technology transfer processes. Some generalized solutions have been proposed. As part of this work, a detailed spreadsheet tool was developed so that organizations can repeat this work on their business processes to understand their knowledge–flow issues and develop fit-for-purpose solutions.
The knowledge mapping tool is available here. Detailed instructions are available within the tool itself. The data in the sheet reflects that used in the illustrative example documented in the companion paper. The data is intended to be removed and replaced with end users data in support of their own KM efforts.
Automation can improve efficiency, track performance, adjust operations, and liberate operators from mundane routines. Automation requires a flexible set of tools that align well with the inherent flexibility of single-use technology (SUT). Although SUT flexibility enhances a biomanufacturer’s ability to modify operations to meet the needs of today’s dynamic industry, it also increases timelines and costs related to customizing and validating automated additions. This paper presents the findings of a team of industry automation experts who are sharing their experiences and testing new automation methods, with a vision to a reusable, standardized approach that enables rapid integration of intelligent process skids.
Buffers are critical inputs into all downstream processing steps associated with the manufacture of therapeutic proteins. The large volumes of buffer required present ongoing logistical challenges and account for a significant portion of a facility’s footprint, labor requirements and equipment costs. To address these challenges a collaboration of leading biopharmaceutical companies, engineering firms and suppliers has been working together to develop a design for a Buffer Stock Blending (BSB) System to support the preparation of buffers in-line and on demand from concentrated single-component stock solutions. These papers, in the first instance describe the project and activities up to the award of the contract to IPEC, the industry drivers for change and the novel approach to buffer preparation, and in the second paper deep-dive into some of the modeling work done to establish the economics and benefits of the approach.