One of the biggest issues affecting manufacturers today is workforce development. From finding and keeping qualified workers to continuous development of existing staff to keep up with the requirements of advancing technologies, the many facets of workforce development have become a critical business factor for industry. Amid this increased focus on workforce development, the constant need for improving production efficiencies and creating more strategic and beneficial supplier partnerships never ceases.
To help pharmaceutical manufacturing companies better address these issues, the Manufacturing Operations track of the Pharma EXPO Conference Program will feature presentations on efficiency, supplier partnerships, workforce development and more during this fall’sPharma EXPO, co-located withPACK EXPO Las Vegas 2015to be held Sept. 28-30 in the Las Vegas Convention Center. This series of seminars will make up the first day of the conference produced by the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE). ISPE co-owns Pharma EXPO withPMMI, The Association of Packaging and Processing Technologies, and curates the conference program.
“Successful manufacturing operations depend on the best technologies, processes and skilled workers,” said Charles D. Yuska, president and CEO of PMMI, which owns and produces the PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows. “The track ISPE has come up with for Monday will provide knowledge attendees need to move closer to that goal. We’re very pleased ISPE is organizing the conference.”
As part of the Manufacturing Operations track, five sessions will detail technologies and practices to overcome challenges affecting professionals across the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, biotech and medical device industries:
- “Manufacturing Excellence: Empower Employees to Unleash Their Potential in High Performance Work Teams,” led by Steve Speer, director, operations, ProPharma Group.
- “Single Use Systems: Explore the Manufacturing Impact from Supplier Qualification to Optimizing Operations,” led by Jeff Odum, director of operations, IPS-Integrated Project Services Inc., will address concerns in implementing new single-use system platforms into existing platforms based on traditional, stainless steel technologies.
- In “ISO 55000 and OEMs Who Integrate Reliability & Automation in their Designs,” Mari Getsug, senior consultant, maintenance & reliability services, CAI-Commissioning Agents Inc., explores the role OEMs play in helping manufacturers achieve reliable, successful equipment design in the age of the new ISO 55000 Asset Management standards. ISO 55000 focuses on lifecycle cost and risk-based performance.
- Kevin Debbs, process specialist, and Christa Myers, associate/lead process engineer, CRB, will guide attendees in a risk assessment exercise to evaluate contract manufacturing organizations for a project in their presentation, “Outsourcing Dilemma: Find the Right CMO to Minimize the Risk and Maximize the Quality of Your Brand.”
- Elizabeth Rivera, technical services manager, STERIS Corp., will outline a holistic approach to remediate microbial contamination in process equipment in: “Microbial Contamination: An Audit Approach to Address Contamination in Process Equipment.”
The Pharma EXPO Conference Program kicks off with the Manufacturing Operations track on Sept. 28 with sessions from 9:00 a.m.-2:50 p.m. in Room N-253.
Register for Pharma EXPO and view the full Pharma EXPO conference program.
