Quality

At West, our commitment to quality is anchored in our Core Value of Leadership in Quality. This value is a constant reminder that we must never compromise on quality because we know that millions of patients are relying on our products every day.

This focus on quality includes excellence in manufacturing and design, as well as in quality management systems. We know that a strong Quality Management System (QMS) and global harmonization of processes create the foundation needed to support an enterprise-wide Quality Culture. Built upon this foundation is our Quality Strategy, which focuses on ensuring that finished products are of the highest quality with an emphasis on patient safety; building a diverse, competency-based quality organization; achieving reductions in the overall cost of quality; supporting business growth through the deployment of best-in-class quality processes and procedures to ensure scalability for future growth; and importantly,driving improved customer satisfaction through timely investigations of and responses to complaints.

In 2022, the Quality leadership team was expanded to best support our Quality Strategy. This expansion included the addition of new roles focused on: Supplier Quality — ensuring end-to-end supplier quality management; Quality Systems — focusing on the harmonization of West’s QMS; and Quality Excellence — focusing on product quality, continuous improvement, reducing waste, and lean six sigma.

A key area of focus throughout the year was to ensure that we foster a stronger Quality Culture across the global organization. We know that a strong Quality Culture creates an environment where all team members share a set of values, beliefs, and behaviors that are committed to quality.

Supporting this Quality Culture included the introduction of three Quality Behaviors, which were reinforced in multiple ways across the organization:

1. Patient / Customer Focus — Having a patient-focused and risk-based approach and following through on our commitment to quality and patient safety.
2. Accountability — Doing the right thing at all times and holding oneself and others accountable for quality.
3. Empowerment — Having the courage and authority to speak up when something does not look or feel right.

The theme of West’s Global Quality Week in 2022 was “The ABCs of a Quality Culture,” which emphasized the importance of established Quality Behaviors. We saw high participation and engagement across the organization in all Quality Week activities, including over 1,100 entries for a Quality slogan contest. The winning slogan — Quality. Every time. Every where. Every one. — highlights the importance that quality is every team member’s job, not just those who serve in the Quality department.