The Gap Between Accessing Technology and Getting Value From It

For decades, life sciences leaders have dreamed of a moment like the one we’re living in now, where rapid innovation is accelerating drug development at a pace never before seen.

New technologies emerge constantly—AI platforms, agentic systems, digital twins, intelligent automation—each one promising to revolutionize the drug development process, from discovery to manufacturing. According to Deloitte, about 60% of life sciences executives are now closely monitoring generative AI or digital transformation as key trends, and nearly 60% plan to increase generative AI investments.

It’s exciting. But I’ve spent enough time in life sciences manufacturing to know that having access to technology and deriving value from it are not the same thing. The more inundated leaders are with potential new solutions, the harder it can become to close that gap.  

The Problem with Too Many Options 

Psychologist Barry Schwartz coined the term “paradox of choice” to describe what happens when humans are given too many options. Counterintuitively, more choice doesn’t make us more satisfied. It creates cognitive fatigue and, often, leads to regret. 

I think about this every time I’ve ever tried to paint a room in my house. Let’s say I want to paint my kitchen gray. Well, there’s light, medium, and dark gray. Cool-toned, neutral, and warm-toned gray. A single manufacturer has dozens of grays to choose from. Multiply that across every brand on the shelf, and there are hundreds of options. I eventually stopped going to the big box stores and switched to my local hardware store just to have fewer options in front of me.

Life sciences manufacturers who are leading digital transformation initiatives face a version of this problem right now. Their options range from traditional automation to digital systems to large language models to agentic AI. Different solutions from different vendors, each making compelling claims. Unlike a homeowner selecting a single paint color, manufacturing leaders are responsible for integrating hundreds of technologies into a single facility, with the mandate that those technologies deliver value for years to come.

Guiding Life Sciences Manufacturing Leaders 

An abundance of options without the right guidance often leads to a slower time-to-value. The other thing I love about my local hardware store—beyond having fewer choices to wade through—is that the people who work there provide guidance without being overly prescriptive or trying to push a certain brand. They ask what I’m trying to accomplish, tell me my options, and give me their expert recommendations—everything I need to make a sound decision. 

Stellix has always aimed to provide that kind of guidance for life sciences manufacturing customers. Digital maturity and business requirements vary widely from one site to another, as do the problems customers are trying to solve. The answer is rarely as simple as selling a specific product or solution, especially when so many available technologies haven’t been deployed at scale before. Instead of recommending specific products, we make an effort to learn about each customer’s needs and show them what’s possible. Our Future Lab inside our Customer Experience Center exists for exactly that reason. We invite manufacturing leaders in to talk through the challenges they’re facing, then walk them through what is possible in a hands-on environment.

At the same time, we’ve recognized that providing guidance at the front end of a facility upgrade isn’t enough. These projects involve hundreds of interconnected decisions and large-scale change. It’s like painting multiple rooms and updating the furniture to match. If I were doing that, I wouldn’t be visiting a hardware store. I’d hire an interior design partner to plan and execute the whole vision. Someone to bring in the right tradespeople, manage the schedule and dependencies, and come back to me only when they need my input on a decision.

That’s the type of role Stellix has grown to fill for manufacturing leaders. Our team takes accountability for the full upgrade—process automation, manufacturing execution systems, SCADA, integrations—planning and executing integrated solutions to deliver long-term operational value.

Aligning People, Processes, and Technology 

Technology is only part of achieving that value. You can put a new platform in place with all the features and functions you need to operate more effectively. But if you haven’t aligned the people and processes around that platform, the technology won’t deliver the outcomes you need. 

Here’s an example that’s stuck with me. Our team was brought on board because a facility kept missing its production targets. The team was convinced that their manufacturing execution system (MES) was the problem, and they were considering ripping out their system and completely replacing it. When our team dug in, we found that the technology wasn’t the issue. The root cause of the problems was how the facility was using and maintaining the system. So, we worked through the people and process issues instead. The result: a 20% year-over-year increase in production, and savings from a multi-million-dollar platform investment they didn’t need to make.

More options do not necessarily lead to better solutions. Stellix partners with clients to understand their operational goals and business circumstances, then provides curated recommendations and implementation support. With the right partner, it’s easier to make choices that lead to better outcomes—whether you’re painting your kitchen or upgrading your facility.