The increasing competition in the pharmaceutical industry and the resulting cost pressure are driving a heightened search for new cost reduction potentials. As in other industries, manufacturing costs can be influenced more significantly the earlier in the product and plant lifecycle the corresponding measures are implemented.

David Schoebel addresses a problem from strategic plant management, specifically the design of a pharmaceutical active ingredient facility. His goal is to achieve an early integration of technical and economic aspects of plant design. Using quantitative methods from production theory, decision theory, and operations research, the author develops a decision support system that allows for the simultaneous consideration of all relevant target variables and facilitates integrated coordination among various decision-makers.