The Automation Partnership - capability assurance

 

The Automation Partnership (TAP), a pioneering supplier of flexible automation to the life sciences sector, has engaged CITI to help in ensuring that its project management capability meets the high standards demanded in this highly dynamic sector.

 

Opportunity

Since 1988, TAP has been a pioneer in applying robust automation approaches to science-based processes in leading-edge fields such as genomics, cell culture and drug discovery. There are over 250 TAP systems in intensive use worldwide, helping many of the world’s leading companies in pharmaceuticals and life sciences to develop the next generation of pharmaceutical products.

Based close to the ‘Cambridge cluster’ of leading life sciences companies, TAP is recognised as a world leader in its field. TAP has succeeded in a new industry sector — life sciences automation — which it had played a significant role in creating.

This success, and the growth of the sector, means TAP is being asked to tackle increasingly complex projects, that combine an understanding of business requirements, precision engineering of automated systems, and leading edge R&D.

Approach

As automation becomes increasingly critical to the success of pharmaceutical giants, TAP’s systems are having to integrate ever more closely with order management and other key business systems in place at client sites. CITI is helping TAP to assess its project management capability against global ‘best practice’, and identify any useful lessons learnt from experience in other sectors, that are relevant to the unique challenges that TAP faces.

This is an example of CITI’s very successful practice in project assurance and ‘forensic’ project management, designed to help companies ensure that project management capability is up to the task, and to identify any potential problems before they become critical. Project education improves overall skills; project assurance can provide a ‘hands on’ focus on current projects, and an early warning system for senior management that avoids ‘surprises’. It also helps to identify specific areas for improvement, that will keep companies ahead of the game in an increasingly competitive world.

Outcome 

A growing number of organisations are realising that success or failure of particular projects is both critical to public and market perception of the company, and can make a difference of £millions — positive or negative — to the bottom line. However good your project management capability, it is worth the effort to ensure that everything that can be done is being done to assure success, especially when facing new challenges that are critical to the business.