Dividella's Approach To Small-batch Production

Lot Size One is a concept from Pharma 4.0 theory – that in that age of connected data, an individual customer order need no longer be satisfied from stock in the supply chain but might actually trigger a production machine to produce that specific item.

Dividella’s Lot Size One and Up approach, also rooted in 21 st century production and packaging concepts, adopts a robotic work-cell system to boost the flexibility and sustainability of small-batch production.

In doing so, it can relieve stress points for pharmaceutical manufacturers and suppliers at every stage of the production and supply chain.

The need for small lot production

Striking the right balance on batch size is difficult for any pharma company. Manufacturing thousands or even millions of identical pack iterations ensures ready supply but without catering to individual client needs and incurs huge hidden costs in inventory. Small batch manufacturing gives greater flexibility and responsiveness to customer needs and country-specific requirements but robs the pharma company of economies of scale.

In the 21 st century, however, the advent of leveraged data, combined with modern lean production and just in time manufacturing/supply concepts are allowing pharma companies to square the circle: moving towards smaller batch sizes while simultaneously maintaining ready supply.

The trend to small lot production is driven not just by capability but by need: rising demand for personalised medicines, desire to get product to market quickly after successful clinical trial and the reality that most drugs and medical devices are no longer sold in bulk.

Small lot challenges

Dividella and its Korber Medipak Systems group stablemates are well aware that this strategic shift raises a whole new set of production and packaging challenges, described by Dividella Product Manager Manuel Huber.