Rapid Diagnostics Product Line Cost Savings Assessment

Project Snapshot 

Sterling was contracted by a large healthcare product corporation, with an annual revenue of $32 billion, to assist them in generating ideas and supporting projects to reduce cost and increase profit across one of their division’s product lines. This division is focused on the development of diagnostic and toxicological test platforms and products used in virtually all healthcare environments. 

A major industry acquisition several years prior presented a clear need for product consolidations, optimized synergy, and new economies of scale to improve the division’s profitability. Within their global purview, a Sterling team of three engineers was invited to attend an ideation workshop in Richmond, Virginia, for domestic toxicology products. 

A team of two Sterling engineers was part of a second ideation workshop in Hangzhou, China to work on infectious disease products manufactured and marketed in China, Korea, Japan, and Africa. The two multi-day workshops were intended to generate ideas that would be further vetted and prioritized into action plans and projects. 

Project Challenges 

Great ideas were needed and expected, and Sterling’s first challenge was to provide a very meaningful contribution to the workshop ideation process. 

Sterling’s engineers strived to gain an acute familiarity of the divisional products in advance of review at the specific workshop attended. 

With the dual role that Sterling’s engineers played in this program, the ability to execute the chosen project to a successful outcome, per plan, presented a unique challenge. 

Our Solution

Asked to play a dual role in the program, Sterling’s support was expected to be conducted in an accelerated format, with results achieved quickly and cost-effectively. 

• Interact with the company’s entities and be capable of contributing quality ideas for savings and margin improvement within the workshop format.
• Provide the capability to support the business location and define and execute the specific projects that the corporation would choose to pursue. 

Reference: CS28/2876540