No doubt, the pharmaceutical industry is a rough-and-tough battlefield. Just one wrong step in compliance or minor inefficiencies in production, or the use of manual methods, brings in the possibility of huge delays, financial losses, or even compromising patient safety. According to the International Society of Automation, manufacturing plants will lose about 5% to 20% of their productivity on an annual basis due to such downtimes. In addition, the manufacturers are already under stringent regulations such as FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and GMP compliance, making life even more miserable for manufacturers.
Pharmaceutical companies are under imminent pressure owing to the growing demand for life-saving medicines in the wake of recent global health crises. They must accelerate deliverable medicines into the market without compromising quality. But going by the old ways of manual systems? Well, that is a guaranteed way to run afoul of errors, inefficiencies, and regulatory hurdles. The industry needs to be reformed. And that is where Shriprakashan, Senior MES Technical Consultant at a global technology and software company, came into play.
His mission? To integrate DeltaV MES with DeltaV DCS automation and other modern technologies such as PKM, Inmation, and RTS in an effort to revolutionize Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). This goes beyond automation; this will enable factories operated as intelligent data-connected ecosystems to achieve efficiency, compliance, and scalability. He focused his approach on deploying best practices in the Life science industry for these products.
Shriprakashan is a pioneer in implementing MES systems into organizational systems. He has already established numerous complex projects to help manufacturers optimize production. He has broad experience in the operations group. He has handled multiple projects as project tech lead, executing projects. As Technical Steering Lead, he has ensured a smooth implementation of best practices into a highly regulated process environment. The development of Standard Object Libraries and Standard Reports has made MES solutions equivalent to an infrastructural framework with more scalability and efficiency.
He has a simple yet powerful mantra: connect all things together. With real-time data flows between the systems, he helped manufacturers turn batch isolated processing into seamless, continuous production. What is the outcome? The reduction in time for production cycles, improved decision-making, and a better quality of pharmaceutical products.
Apart from being a technology advocate, he has also fostered a knowledge-sharing culture. As a leader of the Center of Excellence (CoE) team, he has written detailed installation documentation for his organization’s major products. These documents are used alongside the actual installation documents of products as pre-requisite checks, wrapper, and post-installation documents. This has paved a smoother path to faster MES adoption, almost without causing downtime. Because of his work, teams are now able to take on and integrate the MES with fewer errors and delays.
The innovation of Shriprakashan has made waves in the entire industry by bringing process monitoring and predictive analytics in real time to reality. This, in turn, helped the pharmaceutical industry avoid costly trade disadvantages. This has strengthened compliance as factories align with FDA regulations, GMP guidelines, and global data integrity standards. The companies are now empowered to operate themselves without the fear of regulatory setbacks.
Faster production cycles have become a reality, with streamlined automation eliminating inefficiencies. An AI-driven MES has thus made it possible for manufacturers to leverage instant data, connect IoT devices, and even automate reporting, thus totally bringing smart manufacturing alive. His work has made factories more responsive, data-driven, and future-proof.
Predictive maintenance and process optimization rank highest on his list of contributions. In integration with the MES system, Machine Learning algorithms allow manufacturers to predict failures before they occur. Fewer breakdowns mean reduced downtime and increased operational efficiency. In an industry where every second of downtime counts, such foresight is a game changer.
Shriprakashan’s efforts drive sustainability forward. It enables companies to reduce their environmental footprints through efficient resource use and waste minimization. This is essential because it drives the industries to embrace greener practices. His method enables pharmaceutical companies to act in a socially responsible manner without taking efficiency out of the equation.
Imagine if the pharmaceutical industry didn’t have professionals like Shriprakashan pushing MES automation forward. Operational costs would skyrocket, compliance risks would grow, and production scalability would hit a wall. Without real-time data synchronization, manufacturers would still be dealing with batch errors, regulatory fines, and production delays.
It’s not just about money. Manual errors and data inconsistencies could lead to substandard drug quality, putting patient safety at risk. Regulatory non-compliance? That could mean massive recalls, legal trouble, and reputational damage, setting a company back for years.
Global health disasters should also be kept in mind. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven the necessity of quickly scaling up a pharmaceutical production facility. Companies not having robust MES automation are left behind. A factory that is highly reliant on manual processing will soon lag behind when a new pandemic hits in terms of responses to global emergency demands.
Shriprakashan’s work isn’t just about fixing today’s problems; it’s about preparing manufacturing for the future. His expertise in manufacturing execution systems, automation, and digital transformation is shaping the future of factory operations. He is creating functional paradigms for factories in the coming years.
With Industry 4.0 on the rise, the future of MES will only get more advanced. Imagine self-optimizing production lines driven by artificial intelligence. Along with an entire pharmaceutical supply chain secured through blockchains, ensuring data integrity at every phase. Shriprakashan is already paving the way for these innovations and ensuring that Emerson MES Solutions remain state-of-the-art in the industry.
“Manufacturing is evolving at an incredible pace, and staying ahead means embracing real-time data and automation as fundamental pillars of efficiency and compliance. My goal is to seamlessly integrate MES and automation, creating a smarter, more adaptive manufacturing environment that drives both innovation and reliability,” mentions Shriprakashan while discussing his working approach.
Digital transformation is no trend but the future. It is owing to such professionals like Shriprakashan that today pharmaceutical and industrial manufacturing is so fast, safe, and more efficient than ever. His contributions to an industry where efficiency and safety are the non-negotiables will ensure that not just keeping up but leading into the future will be achieved by manufacturers.
Meet Abby, a passionate health product reviewer with years of experience in the field. Abby's love for health and wellness started at a young age, and she has made it her life mission to find the best products to help people achieve optimal health. She has a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and has worked in various health institutions as a Nutritionist. Her expertise in the field has made her a trusted voice in the health community. She regularly writes product reviews and provides nutrition tips, and advice that helps her followers make informed decisions about their health. In her free time, Jane enjoys exploring new hiking trails and trying new recipes in her kitchen to support her healthy lifestyle.
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