The previous chapters have examined production processes from both service and manufacturing settings that were floundering and screaming for improvement, and whole supply chains of linked processes that were suffering in one way or another. Yet, there are other kinds of processes that are fair game for swift, even flow. What is more, they can be critical to the profitability of a company and thus getting them “right” is a worthy goal. These are processes where uncertainty flourishes. Chief among these is the product development process, where the success of the outcome is seldom known in advance. This chapter also investigates outsourcing, where the make vs. buy decision is often fraught with risk.

BIG PIGS?

The following is a summary of a case on Eli Lilly’s development of Evista, currently a billion-dollar drug for the company that treats osteoporosis and reduces the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. It describes a product development project and poses some choices about what can be done in similar situations.