Category: Company News

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) Capabilities

Ireland is the location of choice for over 90% of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies & has become the eighth largest producer & the fifth largest exporter of pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceuticals make up 50% of all of Ireland’s manufactured exports, with Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) forming the backbone of the sector.

Tandem’s team bring a wealth of experience to delivering successful project outcomes. Its Project Managers, Project Controllers, Design Engineers, Construction Managers & CQV Specialists have extensive life-sciences experience, having worked with many of the top API companies. This expertise allows our clients to deliver consistent controlled manufacturing to required standards.

Tandem delivers expertise to your entire project life cycle in all areas of design including process, process architecture, equipment, facility, cleanroom, clean & black utilities, HVAC & building services, electrical & instrumentation, process automation & building management systems. We also provide specialist Health & Safety services, such as Risk Assessments, HAZOP, ATEX/ EPD, pFMEA, & the full range of construction safety requirements, including BCAR Certification, PSDP & PSCS.

Oral Solid Dose Capabilities

Oral Solid Dosage (OSD) facilities, producing tablets & capsules, use well defined unit operations, regardless of production volumes or usage for single or multiple product manufacture. Facilities typically include Dispensing/Formulation; Blending; Granulation; Drying; Compression/Encapsulation; Coating; Packaging & Receiving/Warehousing Operations.

All OSD facility full life cycle project requirements can be designed & managed by Tandem’s team of Project Managers, Design Engineers, Construction Managers & CQV Engineers with extensive OSD experience.

Tandem will expertly deliver your desired project outcomes in Facility & Cleanroom design, Clean & Black utility design, HVAC design, OSD equipment unit operations including clean support process areas for quick turnaround without unacceptable risk of product exposure (i.e., dust & cross-contamination), Primary & Secondary Packaging operations, Serialisation & Warehouse design.

Tandem also deliver expertise in ATEX & process safety to ensure correct containment requirements are outlined & embedded in the design process.  Our building services engineers provide extensive experience in BMS/EMS systems to support the monitoring of critical processes within an OSD facility.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) Services

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has become an essential part of the project design process as it facilitates smart, efficient and robust designs, reducing environmental impact and overall project costs, whilst providing increased cost certainty. The BIM model can ultimately be adopted post handover by the client for the qualification, maintenance and management of the facility and systems, whilst in operation.

At Tandem Project Management, we specialise in providing Structural, Architectural, Mechanical & Electrical BIM services to the Pharmaceutical, Medical device, Tech and Commercial sectors alike.

We provide BIM services throughout the project life cycle from concept design and visualisation, detailed design and coordination, to simulation, scheduling and constructability reviews. The Revit and 3D software we use help our design teams collaborate, innovate, and connect with clients in more productive ways.

Tandem Project Management uses Building Information Modelled (BIM) on projects to develop a coordinated design solution which align with the architectural design intent of the project. We have the capability to produce design stage BIM models from Level of Development LOD100 (concept) to LOD500 (operation) with accompanying 2D design layouts. The BIM team can produce video clips, walk throughs and renderings of a model to showcase the design intent to the clients key stakeholders.

BIM is an important tool for coordinating services and equipment to facilitate the operation and maintenance requirements of the new or existing building. Tandem adopt a clash avoidance philosophy from the outset, to supplement scheduled clash detection reviews, resulting in a more streamlined design process. A final clash detection operation, incorporating all the approved construction elements, is carried out prior to Issue for Construction, avoiding costly delays and potential site rework.

The BIM model is also used to obtain material and equipment quantities to assist with providing accurate cost estimates, procurement and overall cost control throughout the project.

Spotlight on Services: Talent Solutions and on-boarding during COVID-19

2020 has been a year of significant changes and challenges posed to the talent management team and recruitment processes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, we have continued to successfully hire into roles by embracing and quickly adapting to a new way of working with both our clients and candidates, albeit virtually!  With the quick migration from the office or site, to remote working or a hybrid of remote/site set ups, this has meant that video conferencing tools have become an integral part of both the hiring and onboarding processes.  

Candidates have seen a shift from face to face interviews to remote video calls along with onboarding from home without meeting other members of their team.  

In response to that, we have seen companies surmount these new challenges by devoting time to ensuring positive experiences for new team members, ensuring equipment has arrived in advance of their first day, planned team introductions, regular virtual meetings, mentoring and formal training programmes being implemented.  

It has been a pivotal year but one that has seen the successful transformation of new hiring and onboarding practices that may very well remain in some form in the future.  It is testament to our ability to adjust to a new reality while continuing to do business in a safe and applicable way.

“Thanks to the help of Tandem and their client, the interview and the onboarding process has been very smooth. In spite of my concerns at the beginning because of this new situation, I feel completely engaged with the values of the company and within a team”.  – Compliance Specialist, Dublin.

2020 Success: Six Sigma Green Belt Training

In early 2020 Tandem established a cross-department Lean Team tasked with reviewing our systems and processes and identifying improvement opportunities. This team held workshops with each department and identified several opportunities where minor changes could yield significant efficiency improvements.

In May Tandem partnered with Lean Ireland who developed a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt programme certified in compliance with ISO 13053-1. The customised programme introduced participants to concepts such as DMAIC, SIPOC and A3 planning. All elements, including case studies, workshops and continuous assignments, were delivered virtually.

Tandem had 7 participants complete the programme and one has successfully delivered their Green Belt project, receiving certification in November.

The experience has been hugely beneficial to Tandem for the following reasons:

  • Successful Green Belt projects demonstrate and validate cost saving opportunities
  • Green Belt projects generate an appetite for reducing waste by challenging and improving process performance
  • All efficiencies help Tandem to remain competitive and to offer improved value to our customers
  • Green Belt projects generally comprise of cross-functional members which promotes teamwork within the organisation
  • Individual professional development (CPD) with progression opportunities

As an Engineers Ireland CPD accredited employer Tandem is always seeking to develop our team and we are currently preparing a further programme of Yellow and Green Belt training for 2021.

Enter the Eurozone – Enterprise Ireland

Tandem has successfully completed the Enterprise Ireland – Enter the Eurozone Programme 2021. Tandem is one of just 20 companies nationwide selected to participate. The programme is designed to assist current Irish exporters in opening further doors in Europe, and to equip companies to take advantage of the dynamic, prosperous and stable market that is the European Union. Europe has many advantages such as a growing and diverse market, it is easy to reach and it operates with the same currency and regulations. Increasing Irish exports to the EU is a key growth strategy of Enterprise Ireland.

The programme is delivered by the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin (ESMT) and supported by IMS Marketing with access to market growth business advisers. The programme incorporates five phases including initial invitations and networking, market intelligence gathering, developing a market specific value proposition, identifying required resources, route to market and the development of a market growth plan.

There is a definite sense of comradery between participants on the programme and a burgeoning support network of Irish exporters at the same phase of their export journey. Participants hail from a multiple industry types with varying market sectors as their targets. This variety creates positivity as there is no competition, only support of each other and the common goal of European market growth.

CIF Safety Week 2020

Tandem held a very successful week of events in October 2020 to coincide with the Construction Industry Federation’s Safety Week.

The topics covered included mental health and wellbeing in construction, plant and pedestrian safety, occupational health in construction, working safely at height and emergency preparedness.

Tandem’s mental health and wellbeing presentation centered on destigmatising issues around mental health. It focussed on the stresses that occur in the construction industry that may affect mental health and how to look after your mental health in the workplace and in life.

According to the HSA the greatest risk to pedestrians on construction sites is from vehicles & mobile plant. Tandem focussed on Construction Plant Blind Spots.  Safety around mobile plant is upheld by adhering to pedestrian routes, paying close attention to signage, wearing Hi Vis PPE, using the Thumbs Up communication method when approaching plant operators, coaching & mentoring behaviours in others & looking out for each other.

To demonstrate occupational health in construction participants were shown a video emphasising how easily Silica dust particles are formed & their long-term damage to lungs. Damage can be avoided by using dust suppression methods & wearing Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE). Briefings were also delivered on Hand Arm Vibration (HAV) & resulting damage, manual handling injuries & consequences, contact dermatitis & other skin conditions caused by cement. 

Working at height continues to be the greatest causal factor for fatal workplace injuries in construction. In the year to date, 45% of construction workplace fatalities have been related to falling from height. Tandem’s activities included the importance of correctly securing your harnesses when working at heights, emphasising safety around Mobile Elevating Work Platforms, which are regularly in use on site.

The finale of safety week was emergency preparedness and what better way to demonstrate preparedness than a practical fire alarm drill. The drill was successful, each person knew their responsibilities upon the alarm sounding, they acted accordingly and everyone on site was accounted for. Planning and preparedness are key to ensure the safety of all team members in a real emergency.

Tandem believes that the key to a successful and safe workplace is a TEAM effort – Together Everyone Achieves More!