Research Paper – Supplying the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Ireland Donal O’Neill N

The Pharmaceutical Industry in Ireland The pharmaceutical industry is Ireland’s main export industry, exporting €55 billion. Over 48,000 employed directly and indirectly. Nine of the top 10 Pharma manufacturing companies have production facilities in Ireland. Over 30 FDA (US Food & Drug Administration) approved manufacturing companies in Ireland. Big challenges – combatting counterfeit products and generating new drug applications. Irish companies supplying the sector face severe price pressures and high quality demands. Companies like CPH Glasnevin have responded by delivering the highest global accreditation quality standards. They focus on quality, innovation, service and flexibility. 2

CPH Glasnevin Specialise in printing labels and leaflets. 105 people employed in the Glasnevin location. Annual sales €14 million. The primary role of packaging is to contain, protect and preserve the products. Packaging is also a primary system for branding. Modern society could not function without packaging. Anti-counterfeiting is a big issue for the Pharma business. The counterfeit market annual sales is over $200 billion per annum. CPH Glasnevin helps reduce counterfeit risk by applying holograms and traceability codes on all the packaging components. The Company has 7 million different codes that can be used. Packaging content is driven by extensive regulatory product use / explanatory requirements. As Pharma companies acquire each other; CPH Glasnevin’s customers are merging with each other and gaining more purchasing power. Exporting worldwide generates more revenue for the Company. 3

Focus on quality – CPH has internationally recognised production accreditations Focus on innovation and competitiveness – CPH is well invested in latest printing and finishing technologies like folding and adding counterfeit reduction effects Key Performance Indicators cited by CPH Glasnevin – Quality levels, – Just in time delivery levels, – Efficiency machine levels, – Waste levels. Secondary Performance Indicators – effective capital expenditure, – operational performance measurement, – product and customer profitability management, – innovation. 4 Key performance indicators and world class operations

Factory Floor reflects production efficiency 5 Rolls of paper stacked in the production area, beside the printing presses to be printed so as to make leaflets. Everything was neat & tidy and designed to ensure quick production turnaround.

6 Factory Floor – reflects ISO standards and JIT delivery Almost all the factory space is used for production; so it is very efficient capital use. Factory is very clean, with painted and segregated work areas for product movement control. Practically no inventory of finished goods as product is produced to order only and delivered just in time to customers.

Digital printing – a factory size desktop printer 7 This is the Company’s digital print room for short run production requirements. CPH Glasnevin is the Government printer. Lt prints Dail debates on next day delivery schedules. If Pharma customers want small quantity top up orders, CPH can supply them quickly.

Adding value on the finishing lines 8 Apart from printing, finishing is a big value added feature at CPH Glasnevin. Leaflets are produced by folding printed sheets. Think of an A4 page – fold it once and you have four surfaces, fold it twice and you have eight. CPH folds to give 160 pages!

Research Paper – Supplying the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Ireland Donal O’Neill N