Digital Manufacturing Programmes in the Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Machinery industries

Background

Two leading global enterprises – one specialising in healthcare machinery and engineering, the other in pharmaceuticals and life sciences – were independently delivering ambitious digital manufacturing transformations. These initiatives were part of wider Industry 4.0 and operational excellence strategies aimed at integrating IT and OT systems, automating production processes and enabling data-driven decision-making across international manufacturing sites.

Both clients faced comparable challenges: complex and niche skill requirements, limited in-house delivery capacity and the need to scale teams quickly across multiple sites in Europe and beyond.

The Challenge

Our clients needed to source highly skilled experts, including Digital Manufacturing Consultants, MES Engineers, SCADA Programmers and Validation Specialists, to enable successful programme delivery.

Key challenges the clients were facing:

• Limited internal capacity to support multiple transformation streams in parallel

• Scarcity of experienced professionals with practical expertise in MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems), SCADA, PLCs and IT/OT integration

• Site-specific requirements, including knowledge of platforms such as Siemens Opcenter, SAP Digital Manufacturing, Werum PAS-X and Rockwell FactoryTalk

• Onsite delivery constraints due to secure and highly regulated environments (e.g. GMP manufacturing)

• Tight delivery timelines requiring immediate access to qualified resources

Our Solution

Interval Group worked closely with programme leaders, engineering teams and procurement functions to provide a tailored resourcing model aligned to each client’s delivery needs. Our solution included:

• Fast mobilisation of hard-to-find talent, including Digital Manufacturing Consultants, MES Engineers, SCADA Programmers and Validation Specialists

• Blended engagement model combining freelance, fixed-term contract and permanent placements to suit project timelines, local compliance, budget and hiring policies

• Deep sector expertise, ensuring all resources had prior experience in regulated manufacturing environments (such as GMP, FDA or ISO-compliant operations)

• Pan-European delivery, supporting sites across Germany, Belgium, Ireland, Switzerland and the UK

• Centralised account coordination, giving clients visibility over spend, progress and resource planning across regions

  
  

Results

• More than 30 digital manufacturing professionals placed across both programmes within 9 months

• Time-to-fill reduced by 40% compared to internal and incumbent suppliers

• High extension and redeployment rates, with multiple consultants retained for follow-on work based on strong performance

• Consistent client feedback on technical readiness, cultural fit and ease of onboarding

  
  

Client Testimonial

Conclusion

By acting as a strategic staffing partner, Interval Group enabled both clients to scale rapidly, reduce delivery risk and maintain momentum on critical digital manufacturing programmes. Our ability to identify and deploy rare skill sets across regulated sites proved essential to supporting their long-term transformation goals.