How to Improve a Planning System and Workflow in a Quality Control Laboratory : A Case Study at Fresenius Kabi in Sweden

Sammanfattning: Laboratories within quality control are very complicated to schedule due to the high product mix and diversified products tested with many different analysts and instruments. Thus, it requires a flexible planning system to change and improve the overall lab performance and increase efficiency. This thesis is a case study in collaboration with Fresenius Kabi AB and the quality control (QC) department in Uppsala. The QC department has an inflow of batches from the production department as well as from internal customers. Internal customers usually send batches that are part of stability studies or projects. These stability batches arrive at the QC department within irregular intervals and sometimes tightly adjacent, making the QC planning more complex, creating backlogs. Hence, the question in the study is formulated: ● How to improve a planning system and workflow in a quality control department? The current condition of batch inflow and how the planning system is managed today have to be understood to answer the question. Hence, the following sub-questions will be answered: ○ How is the current planning system at the quality control structured? ○ How is the inflow of stability batches at the department made more even andpredictable? This study aims to accomplish a practical planning system to prevent WIP, bottlenecks, and backlogs. The thesis is based on a qualitative method involving an inductive approach. The data collected mainly includes data from incoming batches, interviews, and literature studiesto gain multiple perspectives on the covered area. The study results showed that the internal customers were not satisfied with the current delivery times of QC. The common patterns identified are that internal customers want more contact and cooperation with the QC department. Furthermore, the result shows that the QC can handle the batches that arrive, but the planning system is not good enough. The proposed improvements to the current planning  system are mainly to change it to a longer-term planning system and introduce a standard log or planning system between the internal departments. Also, QC should reorganize the lab and schedule based on common analysis to accomplish a higher efficiency of the scheduling. Further recommendations include more transparency and precise planning between departments to improve the inflow of the stability batches.