Value stream mapping in a company of the pharmaceutical products distribution business: a case study

Abstract

The use of pharmaceutical products is made possible to the final customer when the logistical management fulfills its duties, assuring that the purchase and sale flow all the way from raw materials is not interrupted. There are, however, many challenges throughout this process, especially with the rise of competitiveness in this market, that demands quick answers and the understanding of which activities have a direct impact on the profitability of the business. In medicine transport, value generation lays in assuring the product’s integrity, delivering it in the shortest lead time possible, according to and in a highly traceable process. In this context, this work elaborated a case study in a company of the pharmaceutical products importation and reselling branch, aiming to enhance its operational performance. For process analysis and enhancements suggestions, some concepts of Lean Manufacturing were used, along with tools such as Pareto analysis and VSM (value stream mapping). The results point to reductions up to 28 hours in the final lead time, that, if implemented, would contribute to the competitive advantage of the company studied in the case.