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"Insyte's team has become an extension of our team. They have participated in our quest for improved quality, improved productivity and continued growth within the Life Sciences market. They have also assisted our leadership team in preparing a long-term roadmap to strategically build the foundation for future success."
According to Paul Parwulski, United Biochemical's Chief Operating Officer

QC lab technician performs USP sterility testing at United Biochemicals.

United Biochemicals, located in Sanborn, NY is a leading manufacturer and bulk distributor of high quality biochemicals, reagents and custom solutions serving many of the most innovative companies within the life sciences industry. Originally founded as Farmis, Inc. in 1996, the company has grown from a modest 5,000 square foot plant in Niagara Falls to its current 43,000 square foot state-of-the-art facilities in Sanborn. The company currently employs 31 people.

United Biochemicals has had a successful relationship with Insyte Consulting since early 2005. Learn how this partnership led to multiple projects, all designed to assist the company to meet the challenges associated with growth.

ISO 9001:2000 Training

Insyte and United Biochemicals began their relationship with a project designed to help United Biochemicals achieve ISO 9001:2000 certification. The project began with a thorough gap analysis of United Biochemicals' existing Quality Management System to identify additions or enhancements needed to comply with the ISO standard. United Biochemicals and Insyte consultants then worked together to develop or enhance the required procedures and work instructions. Insyte provided training that would allow United Biochemicals to effectively implement the Quality Management System, including Overview Training for all company personnel and Internal Auditor Training.

As United Biochemicals began to use its updated Quality Management System, Insyte provided guidance during the required Management Review meetings and Internal Audits and provided a mock audit of the entire system to identify any final gaps and prepare United Biochemicals for its Certification audit.

The Results – Certification successfully achieved in June, 2006

The certification allowed United Biochemicals to initiate a marketing campaign which contributed to a 20% sales increase in the first year of implementation. Also, the company experienced a 5% site-wide quality improvement.

Productivity Improvement Project

Insyte Consulting conducted an assessment of United Biochemicals' overall operations. Based on this Operational Assessment, United Biochemicals successfully applied for a grant through Empire State Development's Industrial Effectiveness Program to implement two of the key recommendations – selection and implementation of a new ERP system and implementation of Lean Manufacturing practices to improve production capabilities and throughput.

The multi-faceted project included facilitation of sessions to identify strategic objectives and define business system requirements. Under Insyte's guidance, United Biochemicals created Value Stream Maps of key business processes and critical information flows within the organization. The Insyte/United Biochemicals team then determined a short list of business system candidates and created a RFP document to solicit product demonstrations.

Lean improvements in both production and office areas were facilitated using appropriate lean tools, including setup reduction and workplace organization (5S) and the development of a simple production scheduling system.

The Results – Significant improvements in multiple areas

The new ERP system implementation was completed within plan budget and timeline. Specific benefits included:

A 10% increase in front/back office productivity
A 15% improvement in business opportunity closure rates
Improved materials management processes which elevated on-time shipping performance to 98%
Reduction in manufacturing set-up time that improved the production to schedule performance by 20%
Site-wide enhanced analytical capability allowing for real time data analysis and 'data-based' decisions

Strategic and Marketing Planning

United Biochemicals contacted Insyte in 2009 to help them develop a Strategic and Marketing Plan to provide a proactive focus and alignment to guide the company's growth. The project began with a series of meetings with company leadership to develop the company's vision, including its mission, core values, and a description of its envisioned future. Insyte then facilitated analysis and information gathering, including S.W.O.T. and most valued customer analysis, that would be used to identify key issues and develop Strategic Goals and Objectives. The plan culminated with a set of specific, measurable Action Plans with assigned responsibilities and due dates to provide a clear path and accountability to achieve the plan's goals and objectives. United Biochemicals also developed a process to execute, track and periodically update the plan and communicate the plan and its status to all employees.

The Results – An actionable plan to achieve strategic goals

The management operating culture changed to think more strategically and to include cross-functional participation on key continuous improvement initiatives. YTD key indicators are:

32% increase in sales and 5% increase in new product introduction
6% reduction in operating expenses to plan
38% site-wide productivity improvement
50% improvement in first time right quality
100% customer satisfaction on key accounts
5% investment in organization skill development
100% increase in operating profit