IBC management : an application of WIP control for a pharmaceutical company

Abstract

An Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) is used to contain raw materials and semi-products in pharmaceutical company ABC. Due to the high price of an IBC, company ABC sought to minimize the number of IBCs needed to support the production of four separate products. In this project, we identify five IBCs drivers that affect or determine the number of IBCs required. The cleaning schedule for IBCs was modified to reuse IBCs as much as possible. In this paper, we analyze the management of I 800L IBCs. Three of the five IBC drivers were analyzed in detail. Integer programming model, deterministic simulation method and Buzacott's formula for zero buffer line were used to solve the problems associated with the three IBC drivers to minimize the required number of the 1 800L IBCs. Cleaning schedule for 1800L IBCs was modified under two production scenarios to reuse 1800L IBCs as much as possible.