The world's leading automated proofreading software

September 16, 2020

The Schlafender Hase Team

Lohmann & Rauscher – More Output, Less Resources

Lohmann & Rauscher (L&R) is a leading international supplier of innovative medical devices and hygiene products. For more than 160 years, the company has been successfully developing custom solutions for the problems faced by patients and healthcare professionals. L&R attributes its success to its ability to identify changes and trends in healthcare markets early and to integrate them quickly into its business activities. The company, headquartered in Neuwied, Germany, offers products in some 80 countries on five continents; it has production sites in 11 different countries.

Lohmann and Rauscher TVT Case Study

The Lohmann & Rauscher Packaging-Development Department

The Packaging-Development Department, an in-house team located at the company’s headquarters, is responsible for making sure that the packaging includes all printed information. The 20-member team is also responsible for the error-free production of all artwork. With its broad portfolio of more than 18,000 products and its wide range of distribution, done in several languages, the workload and responsibility are great. Errorless quality, painstaking accuracy and efficiency are a must in order to comply with rigid legal regulations and ensure the company’s ability to financially succeed in the highly competitive international medical device market.
 

Product diversification and ever-changing regulations both within and outside of Europe made the challenges even greater, as new information was continually created and already existing materials were being constantly updated. The amount of text the Text-Management Team had to quickly and accurately read was daunting, especially since some packing information inserts for medical devices can count more than 100 manuscript pages of text and images. Making the task even more challenging in this case: proofreading was being done manually, which is not only painstaking and error-prone, but also painful and time consuming. Manually proofreading comprehensive instructions for use (IFU) routinely took several hours – per product.

 

Manual Proofreading wasn’t working

The manual proofreading process involved too many correction cycles that were costing time and money – and was still not error-free. The risk of reprints or possibly even product recalls was great. The labeling process had to be improved – from proofreading the original manuscript to approving the final artwork for printing.

In addition, a growing portfolio coupled with growing competition meant the increasing challenge had to be met without growing the team. All problems would have to be solved without additional resources.

The challenge, then, was as simple as it was great: to find an automated proofreading tool that would help prevent errors and increase efficiency. Ideally, this tool could:

• compare texts in several languages, including Chinese and Arabic;

• verify large quantities of text;

• compare images;

• decrease the correction cycle time, with the idea of increasing the capacity of available team members to avoid hiring new proofreaders;

• increase text quality;

• avoid the risk of mislabeling and a possible product recall;

• meet compliance requirements with the EMA and FDA; and

• be compliant with GxP and GAMP 5 systems, with validation possible.

Lohmann & Rauscher Chose TVT®

The search for a new solution to the growing challenges in the labeling and packaging process began in earnest in 2017. The Packaging-Development Department had first heard about TVT back in 2014. TVT had an impressive customer list, strong references from big companies such as Bayer, and an excellent reputation. The evaluation process included the Packaging-Development and Global Portfolio Management teams, as well as members from the IT Department. In a head-to-head comparison where several solutions were rigorously tested and compared to each other, TVT best passed all tests. Its ability to accurately and quickly compare not just text but also graphics made the decisive difference. After successfully testing it in the everyday work environment, the final investment decision was made by senior management in 2018, with a go-live date around the beginning of 2019.

In the meantime, TVT was completely installed. With the help of the Schlafender Hase team, the new tool was validated quickly and without problem. In the initial phase, the manuscript creation process was improved to make the most effective use of TVT.

Quick Return On Investment

The return on investment was clear and rapid. “Errors were recognized quickly, and the number of correction cycles was significantly reduced,” said Michael Breiler, Lohmann & Rauscher’s Director of Packaging Development. Time savings were especially significant when it came to products containing large, multilanguage files for user instructions, going from about ten hours to one hour. The increase in efficiency made it possible to master a greater workload without adding resources. Savings related to an increase in efficiency paid for TVT within a year. “Errors that could have formerly led to expensive reprints were avoided,” continued Breiler. There were also intangible savings: team members said it was easier to sleep at night without having to worry about errors that might lead to a product recall.

To learn more about Lohmann & Rauscher, please visit: https://www.lohmann-rauscher.com/en/

Do you want to find out more about how your proofreading life can be easier? Get in touch and we’ll tell you all about it.

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