News & Insights
VIDEO: Digital twins in pharma
Why this matters now
Pharma manufacturers are under pressure to launch faster, reduce risk, and protect margin in increasingly complex processes. Digital twins have moved from concept to working tool, helping teams design, validate, and operate facilities with more confidence. The technology is real, the data demands are real, and so are the change management challenges. Leaders need clarity on where digital twins deliver value and where they do not.
What leaders are weighing
Owners are weighing the investment in modeling, data infrastructure, and integration against the value of faster decisions, better validation, and improved operating performance. They are deciding which use cases to start with: design, validation, training, or operations. There are tradeoffs around data ownership, vendor relationships, and how digital twins integrate with quality and compliance systems. Validation teams want clear regulatory paths. Operations teams want tools that work the way they actually run plants. The right starting point matters as much as the long-term vision.
How Salas O’Brien is helping clients respond
Our pharma and digital teams help clients identify where digital twins create real value and how to deploy them without overbuilding. We bring process, automation, validation, and project delivery expertise together so digital twin strategies fit the way facilities are designed, built, and operated. We help leaders sequence investments, manage data, and engage stakeholders across the project. Hear John Glenski, Julie Hoffherr, Josh Morton, and Todd Plymale talk through how digital twins are showing up in pharma.
John Glenski, CPM
John Glenski is a leader in digital transformation in the industrial sector with a demonstrated history of providing data-driven outcomes for the world’s largest manufacturers. John works collaboratively with internal and external partners to deliver innovative solutions for smart manufacturing (automation, material handling, and data/information solutions) with a focus on sustainable applications. John serves as a Principal & Senior Director of Automation & Digital at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].
Julie Hoffherr, MBA, MIM
Julie Hoffherr is an experienced automation lead with twenty-one years in industrial automation and controls, gaining the trust of clients in automotive, pharmaceutical, metal, chemical, and utility markets. Her responsibilities span project management, PLC programming, HMI application development, system installations, I/O checkout, commissioning, validation, and site support. Julie serves as a Vice President at Salas O’Brien. Contact her at [email protected]
Josh Morton
Josh brings over 25 years of experience in product development, clinical, and commercial cGMP biologics manufacturing across small biotech and large pharmaceutical environments. He holds a Master of Science in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University and has experience developing antibodies, antibody-drug-conjugates, viral vectors, vaccines, virus-like-particles and enzymes. Josh currently serves as a Senior Process Engineer at Salas O’Brien, where he supports pharmaceutical facility design, process development, equipment design and installation, and qualification. Contact him at [email protected]
Todd Plymale
Todd Plymale is a leader in business development and automation. He brings sales, operations, engineering, and product together to set strategy, build pipelines, and lead multi-site programs across healthcare, consumer goods, and industrial markets. Over the past twenty-five years, he has led 500+ automation projects, built and coached teams, refined estimating and delivery standards, and deepened executive relationships that sustain long-term partnerships. Todd serves as a Vice President at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected]