CVGI Research Area, Mereside, AstraZeneca R&D Alderley Park, Alderley Edge, SK10 4TG, UK.
Drug Discov Today. 2011 Jan;16(1-2):50-7. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2010.11.005. Epub 2010 Nov 20.
The application of lean sigma is gaining momentum in drug discovery and development but it remains controversial because of perceptions that process improvement will suppress much-needed creativity and innovation. We review the conditions required to support creativity and innovation and the principles and benefits of lean sigma in a drug discovery environment. We conclude that it is desirable to create a unified climate that encourages and enables both innovation and continuous improvement and that this is possible if three key tensions are handled carefully and with due respect to the needs of research. These three potential traps occur in the interpretation of standardization, the role of variation and the choice of how to use liberated capacity.
精益西格玛在药物发现和开发中的应用正在兴起，但由于人们认为流程改进会抑制急需的创造力和创新，因此仍存在争议。我们回顾了支持创造力和创新所需的条件，以及精益西格玛在药物发现环境中的原则和益处。我们的结论是，理想情况下，应该营造一种鼓励和支持创新和持续改进的统一氛围，如果能够谨慎处理并充分考虑研究需求，这是可能的。这三个潜在的陷阱出现在对标准化的解释、变化的作用以及如何利用解放的能力的选择上。
