Creating an Agile Environment to Support Sustainable Growth
Emerging markets will become increasingly important'
“It’s a very old story in the Indian pharma that the generics industry is being driven by the regulated markets. We as organisations tried to sell our products to the regulated markets of US and Europe. But in today’s scenario wherein cost erosion, competition, different US laws, etc. are making us difficult to introduce new products, or the already commercialised products are making less margin. In this scenario, the profits are not being as it used to be.
Each organisation strives for the market or the products which are lucrative. There are a number of molecules which are still lucrative in the regulated markets, but they are highly complex, and are high barrier molecules. In general terms, there are a number of molecules which have lost their credibility in the US market. This situation has created a new opportunity for the pharma industry in emerging markets like Brazil, China, Russia, Mexico, etc. How these markets can help organisations to build sustainable growth, and how the agile technology in place of waterfall will help introduction of all these products which are already there in the regulated markets or the new developments in the emerging markets are what we should be discussing.”
'One day you will have to accept agile, willingly or by force'
“Agile is based on people’s interaction, the technology they utilize, their focus, and the turnaround time. It’s about fast-tracking project management. Here the people are more interactive, and they are not sitting on information silos. They are vocal if they are facing any problem. Brainstorming is another factor of agile project management. Agile is more goal-oriented, that you are going to achieve this goal. If you want to modify the process, notify the stakeholders that you are going to modify this process because you are facing this problem, and escalate it with people who are the main stakeholders.
It won’t happen one night that all projects would go agile. You have to train people, and you should have the agile transformation plan in place on how you are going to introduce agility. It should percolate from the top management to down the line. The top management, the leaders are responsible for making an agile transformation plan, and then you can go step by step down the line.
The pharma people who are only on waterfall will have to willingly or by force accept agile one day. For that you have to do the necessary groundwork and homework. You have to focus on your strength on whether you organisation can accepts agility. All the HoDs, research and development, QC, operations, marketing, IT, and all should be taken into confidence. Are we prepared for agile? Are we going to go for agility, and then how? It’s the agile transformation plan that makes it happen, that how you are going to percolate agility, the agile culture down the line.”
