Summary
Many pharmaceutical organisations rely on statistical planning tools and local performance metrics when evaluating production performance. However, such approaches often fail to capture the dynamic interactions between batch processes, shared resources, and downstream flow systems. As a result, production schedules may appear feasible in theory, yet perform poorly in execution due to bottlenecks, variability, and overlooked system constraints.
This two-day course provides a practical introduction to production scheduling and system-level process optimization, supported by deterministic planning tools and simulation-based analysis.
The course demonstrates how structured scheduling methods and simulation models can be used together to support data-driven decision making in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
You will gain insight into basic production scheduling and how simulation models can represent complex pharmaceutical production systems, including batch-based upstream processes (e.g. blending and granulation) and high-volume downstream packaging operations, while accounting for constraints such as shared equipment, resource allocation, and variability.
The course combines theoretical foundations, hands-on exercises, and guided simulation demonstrations using FlexSim Simulation Software.
You will work with structured case studies to develop production schedules, evaluate system performance and explore optimization scenarios in a controlled and practical setting. This will enable you to understand:
- How scheduling decisions influence system performance
- How variability impacts otherwise feasible plans
- How deterministic planning differs from real-world execution
- How to apply simulation insights to real-world process improvement and decision-making
The focus is not on mastering software tools, but on equipping you with practical frameworks and insights into the tools and theories that can be applied directly in pharmaceutical production environments.
Key words
- Statistical planning tools
- Structured scheduling methods
- Production planning
- Simulation tools
- Performance metrics
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Course leader & lecturers
- Martin JensenCourse leaderSupply chain & Simulations Specialist
Niras
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Is this course for you?
This course is relevant for life science professionals working within manufacturing and operations who are involved in:
Production planning, Process optimisation, Manufacturing and technical operations, Supply chain and capacity planning, Digitalisation and data-driven process improvement.
It is particularly suited for you who want to understand how structured scheduling methods and simulation tools can support better decision-making, without requiring deep technical expertise.
What you will learn
- Develop and evaluate basic production schedules using resource-constrained planning methods
- Apply scheduling methods and simple dispatching rules to see how they affect performance
- Interpret Gantt charts to spot resource conflicts, bottlenecks, idle time and sequencing issues
- Use simulation outputs to understand variability, hidden constraints and how the system really behaves
- Formulate improvement recommendations from structured analysis and simulation results
What your company will get
- An employee who can plan with a clearer view of constraints and bottlenecks
- An employee who can use simulation to test scenarios before implementation
- An employee who can make data-driven production planning decisions
- An employee who can identify improvements that benefit the full system
- An employee who can turn analysis into practical optimization recommendations
Course calendar
Day 1
- Introduction to Process Optimisation and Scheduling
- Case Introduction: Blending and Packaging System
- Scheduling Methods and Planning Principles
- Workshop: Building a Production Schedule
- Gantt Visualization and Schedule Evaluation
- From Plan to Reality: Preparing for Simulation
Day 2
- Introducing Variability & KPIs
- Introduction to Packaging Line: Flow & Bottlenecks
- Analyse Packaging Line
- Workshop: Integrated Systems
- System Analysis and Optimisation
- Advanced Simulation Perspectives
Registration
Registration deadline6 Sep 2027
Lersø Parkallé 101
2100 København Ø
13,000 DKK
Course information
Literature
Prior to the course you get access to mandatory and/or optional readings via your personal Atrium log-in.
Prerequisites
No prior experience with simulation or scheduling software is required, but you must have a basic understanding of pharmaceutical production processes. It is mandatory to bring a laptop.
Examination
There is no examination for this course.
Course leader
Niras
Lecturer
Niras
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Want to know more or need help?
Contact Client Manager Louise V. Petersen at +45 40 44 99 43
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