Lorenzo Pirrone
Last Name
Pirrone
First name
Lorenzo
Email
lorenzo.pirrone@unisg.ch
Phone
+41 71 224 72 74
15 results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 15
- Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Riding the bell curve of lean and digitalisation programme alignment – a social capital perspective(Informa UK Limited, 2025-09-24); ; ; With the rise of digital technologies, manufacturing companies pursue new performance gains.While digitalisation programmes often aim to complement lean programmes, many firms struggleto realise expected benefits when managing both simultaneously. Drawing on social capital theory,this paper focuses on the perspective of lean and digitalization program managers (L&DPMs), theiralignment challenges and strategies. We conducted a multiple case study over a 1.5-year periodanalysing 10 pharmaceutical manufacturing companies. Primary data was collected through 29semi-structured interviews, follow-up discussions and workshop observations. The robustness of ourfindings was enhanced through triangulation with 650 pages of company presentations document-ing lean and digitalisation programmes. We found that L&DPM’s alignment follows a bell-shapedchallenge trajectory across three distinct stages: loose, evolving, and close alignment. In the loosealignment stage, challenges are limited but begin to multiply rapidly, reaching their peak duringevolving alignment. As L&DPMs transition into close alignment, the continuous refinement of align-ment strategies leads to a gradual reduction of challenges. The extent to which these strategies takeroot is largely determined by the strength of social capital relationships. Our findings add nuancedunderstanding to the interrelated socio-technical management of lean and digitalisation and opennew research avenues.Type:journal articleJournal:International Journal of Production Research - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Riding the bell curve of lean and digitalisation programme alignment – a social capital perspective(Informa UK Limited, 2025-09-24); ; ; With the rise of digital technologies, manufacturing companies pursue new performance gains. While digitalisation programmes often aim to complement lean programmes, many firms struggle to realise expected benefits when managing both simultaneously. Drawing on social capital theory, this paper focuses on the perspective of lean and digitalization program managers (L&DPMs), their alignment challenges and strategies. We conducted a multiple case study over a 1.5-year period analysing 10 pharmaceutical manufacturing companies. Primary data was collected through 29 semi-structured interviews, follow-up discussions and workshop observations. The robustness of our findings was enhanced through triangulation with 650 pages of company presentations documenting lean and digitalisation programmes. We found that L&DPM’s alignment follows a bell-shaped challenge trajectory across three distinct stages: loose, evolving, and close alignment. In the loose alignment stage, challenges are limited but begin to multiply rapidly, reaching their peak during evolving alignment. As L&DPMs transition into close alignment, the continuous refinement of alignment strategies leads to a gradual reduction of challenges. The extent to which these strategies take root is largely determined by the strength of social capital relationships. Our findings add nuanced understanding to the interrelated socio-technical management of lean and digitalisation and open new research avenues.Type:journal articleJournal:International Journal of Production Research - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Integrate or separate: lean and digitalization programs through the lens of boundary work management(2024); ; ; Purpose-Although benefits are promising, many companies face problems leveraging synergies between Lean and Digitalization at the program management level. This paper aims to identify activities to manage the boundaries of Lean and Digitalization programs. Design/methodology/approach-The research design follows a cross-industry multiple-case study approach. A total of 14 interviews were conducted with Lean and Digitalization experts from 10 companies. Interview quotes were mapped on a pre-defined list of descriptive codes and iteratively merged and excluded. Findings-We identified 12 activities by which companies manage the boundaries of their Lean and Digitalization programs. Three distinct boundary management approaches could be identified: collaborative, configurational, and competitive. A collaborative approach fosters governance, the belief in synergies, and the development of combined artifacts. A configurational approach creates combined responsibilities, assesses areas of collaboration, and fosters interaction across the organization. A competitive approach creates unclear responsibilities and exchange, perceives no added value in integration and follows separated implementation of Lean and Digitalization programs. Originality/value-This study sheds light on the boundaries of Lean and Digitalization programs and identifies activities to manage them. We derive propositions for the Lean and Digitalization program management. Moreover, this study positions itself at the forefront of research investigating how integration of Lean and Digitalization actually occurs or does not occur.Type:journal articleJournal:Journal of Manufacturing Technology ManagementScopus© Citations 6 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Investigating the role of digitalization in operational excellence programs - a case study from the pharmaceuitcal industryFor years, manufacturing companies have been implementing Operational Excellence (OPEX) programs with the goal of effectively and sustainably improving their performance. Now, companies are also gradually recognizing the possibilities of Digitalization for advancing their operational processes. Even though both OPEX and Digitalization are directed towards the same goal of improved operational performance, there is neither an answer in research nor in practice on how they are or can be interlinked. That is, how processes and the organization to align and reconcile should look like? To address this question, we conducted 25 interviews with pharmaceutical companies. Thereby we interviewed corporate OPEX functions and Digitalization experts over a timespan of three years. That way we also examine whether companies have adapted and investigate patterns in their development. Our findings acknowledge that pharmaceutical companies aim to exploit synergies between OPEX and Digitalization for achieving higher operational performance. We further applied a dynamic capabilities perspective to identify how companies align OPEX and Digitalization. Our limitation is that we conducted interviews only within the Pharmaceutical Industry and that each company is unevenly reflected over the duration of the investigation. However, we mitigate that limitation by considering a rather large number of cases reflected in a sample size (16 companies) with a good balance of different company sizes (2.000 –110.000 employees) and business areas (generics, labelled, and contract manufacturing).Type:conference paperJournal:4th Conference on Production Systems and LogisticsDOI:10.15488/13437 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Development of a Procurement-4.0-PMS using the Balanced Scorecard(2021-09); Meyer, DennisPurpose: Performance measurement systems (PMS) are multidimensional, indicatorbased systems that form the basis for performance evaluation and management. In management research and in corporate practice, the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is the most established PMS. In principle, the BSC can also be used in Procurement, but there is a lack of studies on its suitability or adaptation in digitalized Procurement 4.0. To close this gap, this paper develops an initial concept of a PMS geared to Procurement 4.0 with help of the BSC. Methodology: For data collection, a systematic literature review is conducted according to Durach et al. (2017). The results will be systematized in the development of a general Procurement-BSC and taken into account in the adaptation of the model to Procurement 4.0. Subsequently, the model will be validated by expert interviews. Findings: The results show that the holistic performance evaluation of Procurement 4.0 will become even more important in the future. As part of its new understanding, the BSC supports the development of Procurement into a value and strategy driver of the organization. Originality: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study of its kind. As such, it represents the starting point for further research.Type:conference paper - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Manufacturing Data Analytics Study 2023 - Empirical Industry Study(Apprimus Verlag, 2023); ; Felix SohniusLooking back at the past decades, one thing becomes clear: data has had a huge impact on organizations at all levels. Whether it's statistical analyses, big data or artificial intelligence, data will shape business performance in the years to come. One the one hand, even simple analyses with limited datasets can be highly effective in helping companies make better decisions, manage and optimize business processes, gain a deeper understanding of customers, and improve products and services. On the other hand, artificial intelligence holds the promise to completely transform business models and therefore has gained the most attention. The use of data to gather information and support decision-making has become a central pillar in many companies. Data analytics provides the opportunity to extract valuable insights from data, optimize business processes, and make informed decisions. But what is the current state of Manufacturing Data Analytics in the DACH region? In order to clarify this question, we conducted an empirical study that looked at data analytics in manufacturing companies, examining four key aspects. First, we investigated how manufacturing companies develop strategies and structures for integrating data analytics into their operations. Second, we examined the characteristics of manufacturing data to understand how data can be used effectively. The dimensions analysed included data collection, storage, processing, and exploitation. Third, we examined the relationship between lean management, digitalization, and data analytics. We analysed how these strategies work synergistically to streamline and optimize manufacturing processes. Finally, we analysed the impact of data analytics on business performance. Through a detailed assessment, we derived insights into the measurable impact on a company's overall performance, highlighting how data-driven insights can significantly increase business efficiency. The results of our study highlight existing barriers and areas where further research is needed. We see this effort as a further step towards data-driven manufacturing, enabling manufacturing companies to strengthen their competitive position through higher quality and productivity.Type:book - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Benchmarking Pharmaceutical Quality Control Labs - Holistic assessment of operational excellence in pharmaceutical companies(2022); ; - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Future of OPEX in Pharma(2022-10); ; What is the future of OPEX in Pharma? We look back at our series of publications in Pharma Focus Asia and provide an overview of how OPEX evolved in the industry during the past decades. Moreover, we suggest four propositions of future pathways of OPEX in Pharma.Type:newspaper articleJournal:Pharma Focus AsiaIssue:49 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, St.Gallen OPEX Benchmarking for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Sites(2022-01); ; An understanding of own performance compared to a meaningful peer group is key to launch and sustain the Operational Excellence (OPEX) journey. The St.Gallen OPEX Benchmarking approach supports companies in that undertaking. This article illustrates how it differs from other benchmarkings and takes a look at the historical development of OPEX in pharma.Type:newspaper articleJournal:Pharma Focus AsiaIssue:46 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, The Link between Plant Performance & Maturity - Seeing the whole pictureType:newspaper articleJournal:Pharma Focus AsiaIssue:45