case study
Yposkesi185 white Belt
25 yellow Belt
4,1/5 student satisfaction
Relaunch the Operational Excellence initiative by building a common vocabulary.
About yposkesi
Yposkesi, a pharmaceutical company under SK Pharmteco and initially founded by the Banque Publique d’Investissement and AFM-Téléthon, is one of Europe’s largest contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMO) for the production of viral vectors used in cell and gene therapy.
As a trusted partner for biotech and pharmaceutical companies aiming to advance clinical trials and commercialize new innovative therapies, Yposkesi offers a comprehensive range of services in the production of lentiviral and AAV (adeno-associated virus) vectors. Yposkesi operates several facilities for bulk drug substance production (up to 1,000 L) as well as filling and finishing, to meet the growing demand for advanced-phase projects. Its facilities are designed to comply with EMA and FDA standards.
challenges and objectives
Since 2016, Yposkesi has been committed to Operational Excellence.
For six years, a single individual, reporting to both the general management and the quality department, was responsible for continuous improvement. By the end of 2022, Yposkesi began an industrial reorganization by establishing a new department: “Business Excellence,” which includes three people and aims to “boost” Operational Excellence, Strategic Project Management, and Industrial Performance.
In 2023, to establish and solidify the foundations of this industrial transformation, Yposkesi decided to implement a common vocabulary within the company by introducing the White Belt level. The goal was to quickly and uniformly train as many employees as possible with a solid foundation and a clear message, using an agile approach through e-learning. This initiative also includes modernizing the image of operational excellence with gamified e-learning modules.
Solutions
The deployment of 7-Shapes School has enabled 185 people to train at the White Belt level and 25 people at the Yellow Belt level, across all departments:
- Operations
- Quality
- Process & Analytical Development
- Support Functions (Human Resources, Information Systems, Finance, etc.)
The gamified e-learning has facilitated the establishment of a shared corporate culture focused on continuous improvement in a fun and engaging way. Now, it’s time to put these new skills into practice!
results
185 White Belt
25 Yellow Belt
4,1/5 Student satisfaction
Starting with 7-Shapes was our best decision for beginning our “Operational Excellence journey”! Their platform, tools, agility, and availability were key factors in our choice. The training programs, offered through e-learning (allowing everyone to organize their learning at their convenience and revisit it as needed), and especially the gamified approach (games, simulations, etc.), enabled us to rapidly deploy a common foundation across the entire company through White Belt training, while also promoting the direct “application” of Lean Six Sigma principles.
The mini-games and online quizzes helped learners visualize how to apply each Lean tool at their respective levels. We also trained 25 Yellow Belts, creating “Operational Excellence champions” within different teams and directly catalyzing the launch of small projects within their departments—with associated gains! (reduced process times, elimination of non-value-added activities and waste, cost reductions, etc.).
Nearly unanimously, regardless of hierarchical level or department, all Yposkesi employees have taken a significant step forward in industrial culture and performance, and they did so in a fun way. A true success! A big thank you to the 7-Shapes teams!
Olivier Maurion, Business Excellence Director, YPOSKESI
