R&D Operating Model Improvement

Who We Are

A consulting firm specialized in the transformation of industrial operations

Our consultants work directly on the ground, alongside your teams, in your production workshops and with your support and development functions.

Manufacturing, Aerospace, Defense, Pharma, Luxury, Food & Beverage: whatever the sector, we transform your operations into a lever for your ambitions.

2012

Firm founded

700+

Missions completed

Expert consultants

Continents of operation

Context

Why transform the R&D operating model?

Warning signs we recognize on the ground

Time-to-market is too long

Development timelines are stretching. The pipeline no longer delivers at the pace expected by the business and investors.

Pipeline under pressure

Clinical failures, difficult trade-offs, unclear prioritization. Operational performance management is insufficient.

Siloed R&D organization

Insufficient coordination between teams and functions. Difficulty integrating new technologies, biotech, or new development methods.

Transformations that don't stick

R&D initiatives are launched but remain theoretical or struggle to translate into concrete field practices.

Lean alone is no longer enough: manufacturers must transform their R&D operating model.

Our Promise

What you get, concretely

"We sustainably improve R&D performance by transforming your teams' ways of working, organization and operational practices."

A smoother, better-managed and aligned R&D organization

An operating model adapted to the specific constraints of pharma R&D

Better coordination between teams, functions and projects

Concrete improvement of operational practices

An organization able to sustain new ways of working

Reduced time-to-market and improved pipeline management

Our Conviction

Sustainable R&D performance depends on genuinely transforming ways of working

Tools are not enough: practices matter

Most R&D transformations fail because they stay theoretical. We start from how teams actually work, from interfaces and from concrete operational practices.

The operating model is the central lever

Organization, governance, coordination, management: the entire operating model needs to evolve to deliver sustainably at the right pace.

Transformation is deployed on real projects

No abstract transformation: we deploy on concrete projects to quickly generate visible improvements and embed new ways of working.

The Offer

Four phases to sustainably transform the R&D operating model

OPEO's offer embeds operational excellence at the heart of R&D processes to secure 3-year performance ambitions.

01 Operating Model Diagnosis +

Understand the real barriers to R&D performance, at every level of the organization.

Analysis of R&D organization, governance and decision-making
Identification of gaps: management, coordination, timelines, prioritization
Benchmark of practices and R&D maturity level
Assessment of continuous improvement capability

Organizational diagnosis Maturity analysis R&D benchmark Gap identification

02 Target Operating Model Design +

Build the right operating model and the transformation roadmap.

Design / evolution of the R&D operating model
Definition of the operational excellence organization
Realistic, manageable transformation roadmap
Pilot initiatives targeted at the main gaps

R&D operating model Target governance 3-year roadmap Pilot initiatives

03 Field Transformation & Implementation +

Deploy on real projects and install mechanisms that last.

Deployment of initiatives on concrete R&D projects
Measurable improvement of operational practices
Implementation of structures, routines and management mechanisms
Strengthening internal capabilities

Field deployment Real pilot projects Management routines R&D KPIs

04 Embedding & Autonomy +

Make teams autonomous and sustain the new practices within the organization.

Coaching at all levels of the organization
Support for managers as they evolve their practices
Embedding target principles into operating routines
Progressive handover of autonomy to R&D teams

Manager coaching Skills transfer Lasting embedment Team autonomy

Each phase combines a strategic dimension (organization) and a field dimension (real projects).

Client Results

Measurable gains in R&D performance

Gains are visible quickly and are part of a lasting transformation of the R&D organization.

Mid-sized Pharma

Saturated pipeline: improved management and reduced timelines

Engagement: 4 to 6 months

Results

Significant reduction in timelines on pilot projects

Improved pipeline management and prioritization

Restructured R&D governance, operating routines installed

Teams autonomous on the new ways of working

Biotech Integration

Insufficient post-acquisition coordination: R&D operational structuring

Engagement: 3 to 5 months

Results

Unified R&D operating model across both entities

Improved coordination between teams and functions

Clarified interfaces, harmonized operational practices

Organization able to sustain its performance long-term

Mid-sized Pharma · Groups undergoing R&D transformation · Biotech in structuring phase

Why OPEO

A unique combination in the pharma R&D consulting market

Operational excellence adapted to pharma R&D

We adapt operational excellence principles to the specific context of R&D: complex portfolios, regulatory constraints, long cycles and a scientific culture.

An approach centered on ways of working

Not just tools or methodologies. We genuinely transform the organization, interfaces, management and operational practices in a lasting, embedded way.