Glaxo Wellcome, Inc.

ONE OF THE NATION’S LEADING RESEARCH BASED PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES USES SPACESAVER MOBILE STORAGE SYSTEMS TO SOLVE ONGOING SPACE CONCERNS

situation:

Dick Willard of Patterson Pope, the local Spacesaver representative, has worked with several project managers and end users over the last 20 years to solve storage problems for the well-known company.

The research/development and administration campuses at Research Triangle Park and the Zebulon production facility incorporate dozens of mobile systems including manual, mechanical assist and electric.

Randy Fleischmann, project manager for Glaxo Wellcome who worked on several of the Spacesaver  projects, explained the factors contributing to the company’s ongoing need for more space. “In 1995, when Glaxo Wellcome was formed, we underwent a massive merging of records and department personnel.

solution:

This meant a physical restructuring of our campus and we used Spacesaver systems to solve many of our
storage concerns when retrofitting our existing buildings.”

Another factor driving mobile storage is the technological onset of computer modeling. Glaxo Wellcome has been identifying chemical molecules at 1,000 times the rate it did in 1990. With the increased rate of
discovery and drug development lifecycles spanning as long as 10 years, the need to carefully manage
and retain research and test information, samples and supplies has grown exponentially.

Flexibility in facility design has also been important to Glaxo Wellcome. To accommodate ongoing changes in the industry, the project managers and engineers need flexibility to redesign existing space. Fleischmann explained, “The mobile systems are not only adaptable in shelf design, they can also be moved, reconfigured and expanded if needed. This is important because we must remain flexible to keep pace with the industry.”

A closer look at some mobile systems at Glaxo Wellcome:

Clinical supply operation

A large programmable electric system stores finished patient kits used in clinical studies and benefits accountability while improving efficiency in the distribution of critical drug treatments.

When Glaxo Wellcome had to merge two operations and consolidate three warehouse inventories into one central location, a Spacesaver mobile system solved the space dilemma. Efficient space utilization also helps the company maximize the use of its buildings.

“The Spacesaver system allowed us to attain three times more efficient cube utilization of our existing
space,” explained Richard Schill, senior group leader, clinical supply operations. “In addition to eliminating our aisles and maximizing our floor space, we maximized our vertical space by going from pallet racks to adjustable Spacesaver shelving. When we planned the system two years ago, we projected that one-third of the space in the mobile system would be occupied by now. However, we have since supported more protocols with volumes that fully utilize the existing space. In fact, the possibility
of adding additional shelving is currently being looked at.”

The mobile system also improved efficiency. By having everything in one location and easy to find, shipment lead times have gone from 48 hours to same-day shipping.

Safety of drug supplies and personnel were also a concern. “We cannot put a price tag on the items we
have on the shelves,” explained Schill. “The patient kits are often one of a kind and by the time they reach our warehouse they have gone through six to nine months of development. If something is lost or damaged, the cost of starting over is not only measured by the patient’s loss of therapy, but also by the delay in getting a potentially important drug to the marketplace.

The Spacesaver system provides us peace of mind that nothing will fall off and get crushed.” This department also uses a Spacesaver mobile system for storing protocol and investigator files. “As a part of our Good Manufacturing Practices, we are required to maintain accurate records of everything from receipts to study shipment activities. As our volume increased, so did our need for efficient record storage.”

BioAnalysis and Drug Metabolism

Within Glaxo Wellcome’s development area, a group of 100 or more scientists conduct studies and generate data to support worldwide regulatory submissions of new compounds. A mechanical assist
system stores training records and equipment log books and a new power assist system stores study files for more than 2,300 studies.

“Documentation must be carefully maintained throughout the compound development process and  beyond,” explained Tina Guilliams Baxtor, BioMet regulatory compliance supervisor. “These file areas store the history of the division’s studies and are critical to supporting new drug development, FDA inspections or litigation issues.

“The Spacesaver systems came highly recommended from several other areas within Glaxo
Wellcome,” concluded Baxtor. “They help us keep pace with development within the space we have available and, in this highly competitive industry, that is an important asset to have.”