Evaluation of postponement in the Drug Product supply chain
Author(s)
Sazdanoff, Nicholas
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Alternative title
Evaluation of postponement in the DP supply chain
Other Contributors
Leaders for Global Operations Program.
Advisor
Thomas Roemer and Brian Anthony.
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Show full item recordAbstract
This thesis evaluates the use of postponement in the Drug Product (DP) supply chain at Amgen, which is characterized by highly variable production lead times. The motivation for the use of postponement in the DP supply chain is to reduce the lead time and improve the service level from the manufacturing site to the distribution centers (DCs). Amgen is undergoing a rapid global expansion and is now serving markets that operate on tender (bid) systems that require rapid fulfillment. To compound this challenge, FDA driven requirements have significantly increased the likelihood of generating Non-Conformances (NCs) in DP manufacturing, which in turn increases the production lead time variability. A simulation model was created in Microsoft Excel that uses historic production lead time and demand data to determine postponement levels and simulate performance of the system. Leveraging the simulation model, this thesis demonstrates that utilizing postponement in supply chains with highly variable production lead times can significantly improve service level and diminish customer lead time while potentially reducing global inventory levels.
Description
Thesis: M.B.A., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2015. In conjunction with the Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT. Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2015. In conjunction with the Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (pages 64-65).
Date issued
2015Department
Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering; Sloan School of ManagementPublisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keywords
Sloan School of Management., Mechanical Engineering., Leaders for Global Operations Program.