Lean Construction Management for Pharma Summer Shutdowns

A pharmaceutical summer shutdown leaves little room for delays. At a pharmaceutical company’s site in Vienna, numerous technical trades, conversion work, cleanroom areas and approval steps had to be coordinated within a tightly defined shutdown window.

SpiraTec AG supported the 2026 summer shutdown with project, design, construction and specialist coordination as well as on-site construction supervision. The focus was on the operational management of the construction site using Lean Construction Management (LCM).

“A summer shutdown is not a project that you can simply work through according to plan. You have to bring together technology, schedules, delivery times and very different personalities every day – and ensure that many individual interests ultimately result in a shared outcome.” - Jürgen Hoffmann, Project Manager and On-Site Construction Supervisor, Manager of Industrial Engineering & Design at SpiraTec AG

The challenge

Complex interfaces within a tight shutdown window

The high degree of parallelization of work involving HVAC/building automation, electrical systems, construction, cleanrooms, flooring and process technology required continuous coordination. At the same time, GMP and plant requirements, ATEX areas and short-term changes had to be taken into account.

Critical ventilation commissioning activities as well as pipe ruptures and liquid spills were particularly challenging. Some of the work was carried out in three-shift operation, as well as at night and on weekends.

“The key was to synchronize the trades running in parallel on a daily basis at room level and to immediately document deviations together with responsibilities, measures and deadlines.” - Elisabeth Muck, On-Site Construction Supervisor, Professional Consultant Industrial Engineering & Design at SpiraTec AG

The solution

LCM turns schedule planning into operational construction site management

SpiraTec consolidated the planned work at room, trade and daily levels and continuously coordinated it with the companies involved.

This directly linked construction progress and schedule planning:

– Daily construction site tours and room checks
– LCM daily and weekly planning
– Recording of dependencies and critical interfaces
– Progress and supplier monitoring
– Clear assignment of measures, responsibilities and deadlines
– Direct escalation and short-term decision-making

This made it possible to identify deviations immediately and integrate them into the subsequent schedule planning.

“A short-term, close alignment at project management level – between the client’s project management and SpiraTec – was crucial to the project’s success. It enabled us to clarify issues, their interfaces and consequences and, based on this, make fast, fact-based decisions.” - Project Manager on the client side.

Project highlights

Transparency and fast decisions for a safe restart

– Lean Construction Management for a time-critical pharmaceutical shutdown
– Room-based management of schedules and trade dependencies
– Coordination of numerous technical and organizational interfaces
– Direct on-site management with short decision-making paths
– Structured room and handover checks
– GMP-compliant approval and handover coordination
– Flexible management beyond standard working hours

By combining on-site construction management and LCM, the client gained a transparent and reliable overview of progress, outstanding issues and critical dependencies.

This enabled:

– Early identification of schedule risks
– Faster decisions in the event of deviations
– Clear responsibilities and binding deadlines
– Structured processing of outstanding items
– Traceable handover of critical areas
– Support for a safe restart