How a Fortune 100 Medical Device Company Reduced Expenses and Improved Time to Market by Implementing Automation

Solution

The company partnered with the knowledgeable and experienced team at Ascential Technologies to bring automation to their product lines. Ascential Technologies provided high level strategy, guidance, and executional support as the company embraced automation.

To achieve the company’s vision, planning was key. Ascential Technologies encouraged the client to embrace Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) as they streamlined their approach to medical device production. Adhering to these standards ensures consistent quality and safety in every product, while also reducing the risk of recalls and compliance issues.

This new process for the production line leverages state-of-the-art technology such as lasers, robots, and servos. These technologies, used in combination, resulted in a seamless workflow, ushering products from the assembly all the way to delivery. The process, which consists of about 8 steps, is operated with precision and efficiency, reducing the room for error and increasing the speed of production.

The partnership didn’t end with manufacturing. Ascential Technologies also provided specialized services that addressed HIPAA compliance, ensuring the secure handling and transportation of products.

This comprehensive approach to automation allowed the company to deliver high-quality medical devices quickly and at lower costs, helping them remain at the forefront of the medical manufacturing industry.

Results

A single provider streamlined the process

Rather than working with many vendors across different disciplines, the company chose to work solely with Ascential Technologies. Working with a single, integrated vendor streamlined the process, as managing multiple vendors introduces complexity that can potentially lead to delays and higher costs.

In the manufacturing sector, in particular, miscommunication or logistical hiccups can result in production delays, reduce quality and impact the time-to-market of a product. The company’s choice to work with a single vendor who understands the ins and outs of the production line, complex medical device manufacturing automation, as well as the requirements of GMPs, eliminated these hurdles.

A 12-18 month improvement in speed to market

Time is of the essence when it comes to manufacturing. The sooner you can get to market, the better. Ascential Technologies was able to help the company simplify communication, lower their operational costs, and allow for the efficient transfer of technology.

Ultimately, the single-vendor model can lead to a reduction in time-to-market by facilitating a smooth, efficient, and compliant production process. Proving just how effective this model can be, the company was able to get to market 12-18 months faster than their alternative options.

65% reduction in expenses

The journey towards automation was staged to reduce risk while still reaching commercial timeline targets. It was a carefully phased approach, beginning with manual production and gradually incorporating automated elements until reaching a stage of high-level automation. Each stage of this journey was optimized for speed, quality, and cost reduction, resulting in an enhanced understanding of the process and how to maximize efficiency.

Through this strategic scalability, the company was able to significantly lower production costs while maintaining and even improving upon the quality of their medical devices. The cost savings were substantial, with expenses being driven down by an impressive 65% as production volumes increased.

A strategic implementation of automation in manufacturing

The company’s strategic implementation of automation in their manufacturing processes has not only improved their bottom line but has also positioned them as a forward- thinking leader within the medical device industry.

With a keen eye on the future, the company continues to harness the power of automation, setting new standards in the medical manufacturing world.