Operations

Supply Chain Realization - Procurement, Scheduling, Documentation, Inventory Management & Logistics (including Distribution)

Supply Chain Realization encompasses all significant activities found in the flow of materials from the supplier through to the consumer. Such activities include sourcing and procurement of raw materials and components, management of production related documentation, scheduling of production, packaging and laboratory activities, inventory control activities, warehousing and the distribution of finished product to our customers. These activities are commonly referred to as business logistics.

Distribution and Operations are guided by scheduling, providing the flow of materials through them and by utilizing the various systems’ resources to achieve a desired World Class customer service level. These activities are the responsibility of Supply Chain Realization and affect virtually every department in a manufacturing business.

Our objective is to:

Maximize the use of the company’s resources and provide the required level of customer service. This department is responsible for ensuring the activities required to manufacture and distribute products for all markets are completed while meeting regulatory and highest quality requirements.

The Role of this Department within Apotex Group is to:

• Source and procure materials required to manufacture and package products produced at Apotex manufacturing sites for the Canadian, US and International markets.
• Schedule Raw Materials and Finished Goods Laboratory activities according to the established priorities required to support customer requirements.
• Schedule Production and Packaging Departments to properly utilize capacity while maintaining efficiency of operations and meeting customer requirements.
• Facilitate communication with Research & Development and Sales & Marketing on target dates for new product launches
• Maintain finished goods inventory at necessary levels to support customer requirements
• Replenish inventory for all Depots in Calgary and Indianapolis
• Process customer orders utilizing state of the art:
  • Automated retrieval system (Toronto facility)
  • Radio frequency
  • Bar-coding technologies
  • Freight Management Systems
  • Provide same day and overnight delivery service to all customers based on locale
• Pick/Pack and ship to over 115 countries world wide
• Co-ordinate shipments of bulk product domestically and internationally.

Production
The Production department manufactures completed doses for packaging. Production facilities include 6 plants in Toronto, Canada and one in Bangalore, India.

Production is responsible for the manufacture of bulk solid dosage product (tablets & capsules) and liquid dose product (nasal sprays, eye/ear drops, injectable liquids, etc.) by:

• Dispensing, screening, and milling of ingredients
• Blending the ingredients
• Granulating the powder mixes into free flowing mixtures (solid dose)
• Tabletting or encapsulating the granules into solid dosages
• Film coating the tablets

The department is continually evaluated through strategic measurement and goal setting based on an overall Operations 5 year plan. Positions in this department are skill and knowledge based, and employees are offered internal co-op job opportunities with other support departments and upgraded English skills through various company supported courses.

Packaging
The Packaging Department is responsible for providing customers with high quality packaged products. The department responds to ever-changing packaging trends, enabling Apotex to provide a product in many formats, using state of the art equipment. Packaging works closely with Supply Planning, Supply Chain Realization, Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, Engineering, Sales and Marketing to ensure our product is of the highest quality and available to our customers on demand.

Responsibilities of this department include filling and/or sealing quality pharmaceutical products in all of their varied finished goods formats. There are 6 plants in Toronto, Canada and one in Bangalore, India. These areas contain proven packaging equipment customized to our needs. Personnel within the packaging department are highly skilled and fully cross-trained.

Other interesting points that should be highlighted:

• 24-hour continuous operation
• In-house ongoing training for all personnel
• An exemplary safety record

Commercial Laboratory Operations (CLO)
All testing related to commercial product is performed by this team. The scope of work includes all raw material testing through to long term stability evaluations. Personnel in the laboratories are highly skilled Chemists and Technicians who are trained to work across several different technologies as part of career development plans. Testing is performed at 5 locations in Toronto, Canada and one location in Bangalore, India.

Quality Assurance
This department maintains the compliant status of the Apotex facilities. This department:

• Assesses organizational needs relative to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) & compliance
• Maintains compliance aspects of change control for SOP and controlled documentation
• Establishes GMP & Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) Audit plans for all Apotex and contract supply facilities and makes the final decision for product disposition
• Hosts all external compliance audits from regulatory agencies to customers

The role of this department is more fully described under the Quality department profile.