From shortages to savings through data-driven water use
From shortages to savings through data-driven water use
Takahiro Kanda, Osaka Manufacturing
“I was wondering if there was anything else we could do to help solve the problem, so I decided first to try to understand and analyze the data.”
Takahiro Kanda’s instinct was correct. A staff member in manufacturing at Takeda’s Osaka, Japan, manufacturing site, Takahiro faced a difficult challenge and knew data would be at the heart of the solution.
The Osaka site produces therapies that help transform lives and distilled water is a critical element in manufacturing those therapies. It is also used to clean facilities and equipment. Due to a growing need for our therapies, shortages of distilled water became more common, leading to the possibility of equipment stoppages and production delays.
Takahiro enlisted the help of Yasuyuki Tanaka, a data scientist at our Osaka site.
Yasuyuki Tanaka, Data Science Group
“Simply put, we reduced water consumption by looking at the data,” Takahiro says, “understanding and analyzing when, where and how much water was being used and using the results to optimize our equipment and processes.”
Masayoshi Kawata, Engineering Group
Masayoshi Kawata, an engineer at the site, participated in the project. He says reducing water usage is good for the planet, and means we can increase production of our therapies for patients. These values are core to the company’s longevity.
“The concept of patient-first is always front-of-mind for us here in manufacturing,” Masayoshi says.
