R&D optimization program for greater customer satisfaction and faster time-to-market

With total sales of 6.8 billion euros and 61,583 employees in fiscal 2017, the Hospital Care and Avitum divisions launched an optimization program in research and development for active medical products to accommodate the significant growth. The central objective of the optimization program was to reduce development time and increase customer satisfaction. In addition, the previously independent development areas of both divisions had to be merged into one powerful unit.

In two successive initiatives, B. Braun, together with 3DSE consultants, first designed the harmonized development processes and then the new development organization.

The design of the development processes took place in four successive phases: Design of the process landscape, the sub-processes, the methods and tools, and the piloting and rollout of the processes. In particular, the intensive collaboration in constant alternation between group work, plenary work and expert review in the context of a jury was enthusiastically received by the participants. The result is impressive: Within 2 months, both the R&D process landscape across the entire product lifecycle and detailed process maps for pre-development and product development were available.

Key advantages of the new process model are the clear representation of cross-functional collaboration and the link to all relevant regulatory requirements for product development. The development of the new R&D organization took place in three phases: Design of the organizational alternatives, selection and detailing of the most promising alternative, and implementation of the new R&D organization. In the context of organizational design, participants particularly praised the methods used to promote creative collaboration among participants from different development departments, as well as the trustworthy leadership along 3DSE’s proven red thread. This worked out perfectly at the end in the final presentation to the Steering Committee.

“With 3DSE’s emergent consulting approach, we have found a jointly supported process and organizational structure for the development of active medical devices in a short period of time, which allows us to significantly reduce our development time,” says Michael Reindl, Vice President Automated Infusion Systems and Head of Development Active Medical Devices at B. Braun Melsungen AG. B. Braun is currently implementing the new structures. Mr. Reindl notes, “The change tools used by 3DSE have made process design and optimization in particular a no-brainer.”