Achieving Quality Across the Global Manufacturing Network

Best-in-class manufacturers have mastered quality basics and are leveraging that ability to gain competitive advantage, Aberdeen Group Inc. concluded in this benchmark report. Aberdeen Group examined management procedures, experiences and intentions of 176 manufacturers in various sectors, including pharmaceutical. The researchers found that best-in-class manufacturers are significantly more likely to have a global quality program, as well as being four times more likely than average performers to empower their decision makers with web-based, integrated technologies. About one-third of leading companies also are considering business intelligence solutions or corporate-wide quality databases.

Manufacturers were divided into three groups based on the research: Best in class (with customers service levels and ability to reduce the cost of quality exceeding those of industry average firms), industry average, and laggard. Aberdeen Group offered steps to success for each group. For example, recommendations for average manufacturers included unifying critical data into a single quality data source, integrating quality-related business processes across departments, providing operators and executives with web access to the quality database, and integrating maintenance management.

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