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Talecris Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Warehouse Management Software (WMS) & Conveyor System Case Study
A new conveyor system and Warehouse Management Software (WMS) from Westfalia Technologies is helping Talecris Biotherapeutics Inc. maintain production efficiency at its manufacturing facility in Clayton, North Carolina.
Launched in 2005 from the assets and legacy of Bayer HealthCare Biological Products Division, Talecris produces therapeutic protein products derived from human plasma—the liquid portion of the blood—to treat a range of immune deficiencies ranging from genetic lung disease, hemophilia and passive immunity to hepatitis, tetanus and rabies, with a product line that includes Gamunex® and the Alpha1-Proteinase Inhibitor Prolastin®. The company maintains its global headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and its primary manufacturing facilities in nearby Clayton.
According to Bret Asher, IS consultant and project manager for Talecris, the new systems were prompted by logistical and software issues, and the need for more efficient flow of plasma product to and from the plant’s main freezer, where up to 1,500 pallets of perishable materials are stored at approximately minus 35 degrees Celsius. The two-part project included the implementation of a new conveyor system, followed by an upgrade of the control panel and management software.
In order to move material to and from the freezer, two forklifts were required to drive into a vestibule area and turn to the left or right in order to access one of two individual conveyors. The area’s limited size allowed access for only one forklift at a time, creating physical backups and affecting production schedules. In addition, an existing Woodson WMS platform required upgrades and was becoming increasingly difficult to support.
System Features:
- Transfer Car Conveyor System in 35° F storage area
- Savanna.NET® Warehouse Management System with modules: .base, .data, .store, .flow, .report & .connect
- 1,500 pallet positions
The first phase included closing the vestibule and replacing the conveyors with a Westfalia single-pallet Transfer Car (T-Car) system. "We can simply drop materials on the conveyor, and the system will now direct it to the left or the right side of the freezer," explains Asher. "Materials coming out are sent to the T-car and then to an outfeed line."
The second phase included the implementation of Savanna.NET, Westfalia’s proprietary Warehouse Management Software (WMS). Since Talecris’ Savanna.NET package was still under development at the time of the conveyor installation, maintaining production required a temporary mixture of old and new technologies, including installing a new panel to control the existing Woodson management software.
“Once the program was installed, we found Savanna.NET to be very intuitive and extremely user-friendly, as did the team who wrote the validation protocols,” notes Asher, “due in part to the user interface. Some of our end-users were involved in the testing and product review processes, and no one had particular difficulties in learning the application.” Asher also notes that part of the Westfalia team included former Woodson employees—including some who had helped design the original system—which helped to minimize most interfacing issues.
“Although this was a simple WMS system, the freezer is one of the most critical applications of our business,” he says. “If we can’t control product replenishment, inventory rotation, warehousing or distribution functions, we can’t be profitable. Since we’re working with medications, the FDA has mandated a certain set of standards for integrated hardware/software packages. Our focus was a new application, a stable platform, and a supported infrastructure which met all of those requirements.”
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