There is still time to submit an application for this year's Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Team of the Year program. Because it can take quite a bit of time to get corporate support and approval for projects like this, we've extended the application deadline until the end of July. If you work with, or simply know of, a team involved in pharmaceutical manufacturing that has achieved outstanding improvements in efficiency and quality, please nominate them.
We're of the opinion that manufacturing's efforts are too often "invisible" to the public and even within the typical pharma company, and programs like this help balance the score.
There are quite a few competitions out there (and the ISPE Facility of the Year program just started including a "team" component this year), the most rigorous of which are the Baldrige, Shingo and ASQ Teams programs.
TOTY can be viewed as a "starter" and a first step toward these other programs for teams who have been working on Six Sigma, Lean, and other continuous improvement projects, but who may not yet have taken full stock of what they've achieved so far. It's easier than the big competitions, since team mates won't have to make powerpoint presentations or write 100-page reports outlining what they've done, and since no plant audits are required.
But it's not an empty "feel good" editorial award, either. Applicants do have to analyze and quantify results, and each team's achievements are reviewed by a team of industry experts who know their way around a pharma plant.
Teams can be based anywhere in the world and be involved in any facet of pharmaceutical manufacturing. Here's the basic application form. Team of the Year form
