Wyeth

Realizing results through workforce

transformation
Wyeth is one of the world’s largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health-care products
companies. Since 1998 the company launched three of the ten most successful prescription
medications of all time. In order to maintain that pace of innovation and productivity, Wyeth needed to
better coordinate the efforts of its four research centers and also create a tight system of performance
accountability for its talented pool of 1,200 scientists.
Wyeth hired Accenture to help cultivate an organizational culture within its research and development
(R&D) function focused on personal performance and accountability. The challenge was to align
individual performance with organizational objectives to improve business results, and to restructure
the organization accordingly. Accenture has helped hundreds of clients in a range of industries to
make the organizational and governance improvements required to maximize workforce performance,
and to develop performance metrics that focus resources on measurable objectives. A dedicated
pharmaceutical industry practice has given Accenture unmatched industry knowledge and insights. In
addition, Accenture’s ability to draw on broad and deep global resources to quickly deliver innovative
solutions made it a natural partner for Wyeth.
Working in collaboration with Wyeth, Accenture designed and helped implement the organizational
changes required to improve performance and ensure accountability. Wyeth R&D now benefits from a
team-based structure that crosses functions and allows for the appropriate level of delegation and
empowerment. Accenture also helped implement a new governance structure that focuses senior
managers around a single set of principles and improves senior management accountability. With
input from Accenture, Wyeth R&D senior management, crafted a list of organizational objectives--and
objectives for managers three levels down that back up to the organizational objectives. To measure
progress, the team defined performance metrics for both individual R&D employees and groups. The
team put it all together in a comprehensive balanced scorecard that provides a quantitative method of
assessing performance on a quarterly basis, utilizing web-based technology that simplifies data
collection. Accenture provided training and helped roll out the program.
Just two months after beginning the project, Wyeth R&D workforce operated with a strong culture of
performance and accountability--and clear guidelines to ensure that all efforts supported the
company’s vision. By teaming with Accenture, the pharmaceutical company was able to give its R&D
managers and scientists the tools and an approach that already is helping them to be more innovative
and productive. The Human Performance effort has contributed to a 300% increase in the output of
Wyeth R&D’s Drug Discovery operation. And the productivity gains--which have not impacted quality-
-are sustainable over the long term.
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