NEW TESTING AND VALIDATION SOFTWARE AND BETTER SUPPLY OF SPARE PARTS: THE COLLABORATION WITH FERRING PHARMACEUTICALS

The collaboration between Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Antares Vision Group continues: for the leader in reproductive medicine a new testing and validation software and a better supply of spare parts which increases the efficiency of the production process

The collaboration relationship, born in 2015, between Ferring Pharmaceuticals, leader in reproductive medicine, maternal health and specialist areas within gastroenterology and urology, and Antares Vision Group, technological partner in digitalisation of products and supply chains for companies and institutions, and leader in traceability and inspection for quality control, continues.

After an initial approach following the entry into force of the serialization regulations, Ferring Pharmaceuticals currently uses Antares Vision Group solutions on 23 lines in various plants in Switzerland, USA, China, Czech Republic, Israel, Scotland and Indonesia.

Spare parts procurement:

Thanks to the collaboration with Antares Vision Group, Ferring Pharmaceuticals has significantly reduced the procurement times of spare parts with integrated supply chain processes that always ensure the availability of the minimum quantity in stock, increasing the efficiency of maintenance operations.

For spare parts, it is a reduction of over 90% in procurement times.

“This is one of the main benefits originating from the collaboration with Antares Vision Group started in 2015”, states Fernando Monteiro, Global OT Applications Senior Manager at Ferring Pharmaceuticals. “We went through challenging times in a growing serialization world – continues Monteiro -. Regulations have been evolving over the years impacting our production planning, sometimes making it more complex".

Maintenance operations:

Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Antares Vision Group have jointly developed customized solutions to improve maintenance operations. In particular, since many Ferring sites use the same components - which is convenient considering that having different spare parts available for each site would be extremely costly - and on the other hand, the shortage of stocks would jeopardize business continuity, Antares Vision Group and Ferring have put in place a list of spare parts capable of covering the needs of the various plants involved. These components are in stock at the Antares Vision Group headquarters in Italy, available to be shipped worldwide at any time.

Due to the robust international agreement and exceptional collaboration between the two firms, Ferring Pharmaceuticals has seamlessly met specific requests, consistently ensuring adherence to the regulatory standards of every country they serve.

Production process efficiency

Furthermore, Ferring Pharmaceuticals has increased the level of efficiency of the production process during ordinary maintenance operations: not only by increasing the availability of spare parts but also by adopting a new solution for testing and qualifications to maintain operational continuity at the highest levels even in case of new releases and software updates.

To facilitate testing and qualification, a solution was developed that combines both hardware and software and replicates the functionality of Ferring Pharmaceutical's production lines. This system can simulate operations in non-production settings like offices and labs, making validation more accessible. Operating offline and without real packaging material, it enables comprehensive testing without disrupting actual production timelines.

"Our collaboration with Ferring Pharmaceuticals has evolved since the beginning following the needs and requirements of the customer. By paying attention to regulatory developments and deepening the knowledge of the processes of the different Ferring sites, we have been able to improve production and maintenance efficiency, with a drastic reduction in spare parts procurement times and with a system that tests software updates, excluding the risk of line downtime” concludes Mattia Assanelli, Service Director of Antares Vision Group.